# Thinking of moving to dubai



## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

Hello everyone. I must say what a great forum it is. After reading around for several hours I had to register. I found loads of experiences and information which i couldnt find searching the net for some time. So im looking to move to dubai with my wife and 3 kids aged 5 4 and new born. I dont have any sort of degree or qualifications but plenty of experience in telesales and retail sales and customer service as well. I have done some management as well in garment production.I also have family in dubai and have been over plenty of times especially past couple of years like 3 times a year or so.I'm looking to go dubai again in next couple of months to look for a job and to try and get things sorted to move over. Any suggestions or ideas or do i have any chance of being successful in trying to make the move?I have had a look into living costs and understand that the rent is high and schooling for kids and medical cover. Any other help or ideas as to where i can start? All help, info and suggestions are much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance Hotwire


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Unless you are able to find a management position I think it would be quite difficult to make enough to support a family. Telesales, retail and customer service are generally not very well paid so you'll need to aim for management positions.


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention that i have standard gcse grades and as levels and also have a degree in Islamic Theology but not sure if that would help in anyway. Also have managed three petrol station sites for a few years. What sort of managerial positions should i look around for. Have experience in team leading in call centre as well. What sort of proof is required in regards to school degrees and work experience so i know what to start gathering. And also references and so on?

Many Thanks Hotwire


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

To be very honest with you I don't think those degrees will get you very far, an university degree would be the minimum although many people have masters. As for the Islamic Theology, I could only see it being useful if you intend to go for a teaching position, but even then I'd imagine you would need to speak Arabic and have teaching experience. 

Managing petrol stations is not feasible either, those jobs automatically go to people from other nationalities and you would never be considered, and even if you did, the pay would not be enough to support a family.

Is your wife planning to work too? If so maybe there will be enough income between the two of you to make the move. Have a read through the threads, the city is very expensive, schools fees are ridiculous (someone just opened a thread about that) and with 2 kids almost school aged, you will need plenty of income to support yourselves.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

You mention having family here and visiting them at least three times a year, what do they say about your ideas? Surely, they must have some thoughts on your moving your family here? To be honest, looking at what you say you have done/can do, I would say your opportunities are quite limited. If you have been reading through other posts, you will see school fees here are very expensive, not to mention decent medical cover and accommodation.


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

First of all thanks for your replies. i would love to go for a teaching position and i am also in the process of acquiring a tesol certification to teach english. i have taught at a local mosque in the uk for 2 years but dont know if that is acknowledged over in Dubai. i know quite a lot of Arabic. i understand it pretty much but not very good at speaking it. i actually taught Arabic and the Islamic theology course which i did, at the time my Arabic was very good but not practiced it for many years. my wife wont be working. i understand that school fees are expensive and living costs are high. but it really is time to move for me i think and all your help and info is greatly appreciated. Would it be a good idea to come over fora few weeks and try applying for positions locally while i am there or would it have the same impact as me applying from the u.k. through agencies or job adverts.

many thanks Hotwire


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## newguydubai (Dec 10, 2012)

Getting a good salary without a university degree will simply be close to impossible here, regardless of the experience.

Regarding your last question, it would be better to come here and search for a job.


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks for your reply.
So it is possible but close to impossible. yet you suggest its better to come to Dubai and search for a job. What documentation do you suggest i bring with me?

many thanks Hotwire


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## newguydubai (Dec 10, 2012)

I can just tell how excited you are with the thought of moving to Dubai so I just hope it works out fine for you and hence the reply . 

If you're on a job hunt in Dubai, it is always better to be here. Plus you would really need to push the job agencies, which might not have the same impact via emails/ phone.

My company just asked for my passport, university certificate and the experience letter from the old jobs. Would suggest the same to you but I'm not sure what is exactly required for UK folks, and what documents are required for the family. Maybe someone else can confirm this.

Best of luck!


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks excited i am indeed but excitement will be more once i have secured a job. what job do you do? and how long have you been out there?

Thanks Hotwire


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## newguydubai (Dec 10, 2012)

Im an IT consultant and quite new here, 3 months now


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Hi hotwire,

I know you are excited about the prospect of relocating to Dubai with your family but to be very honest with you I don't think the type of roles you are planning to pursue to will give you enough income to support a family of 5, especially since you mention your wife would not be working. My suggestion is that before spend your money coming here, you actually call the universities or schools where you want to apply to, and ask what are the minimum professional qualifications they require for these kinds of teaching positions. At least that would give you an indication of how feasible your plan is. If you don't have the necessary qualifications to teach, there is no much point on making the move. There are some professions for which having a degree is not necessary (sales comes to mind) but teaching is definitely not one of them. I'd be very surprised if you were able to find an English teaching job or a teaching position where you can use your Islamic studies degree, that pays enough to support your family. Perhap is more feasible to actually go back to school, get a proper teaching degree, get a couple of years of experience teaching in the UK, and then start applying then. Just an idea.


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks for your replies. With the experience i have and the very minimal qualifications i would like some suggestions as to what sort of a role i can try for. My aim is to move to dubai but I will be visiting in a month or so anyway. So I just wanted to know what would be the best route to take in finding a job.

Many thanks hotwire


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

If you read my posts, I already gave you a few suggestions. The problem is that is almost sure that those kind of jobs will not pay enough to support a family of 5. You may find a job, yes. In sales (no basic, just commission), or retail. But a job that pays a salary good enough to support a family if your wife is not working, pay the rent and bills and school fees for two kids - I don't think so.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

hotwire said:


> Thanks for your replies. With the experience i have and the very minimal qualifications i would like some suggestions as to what sort of a role i can try for. My aim is to move to dubai but I will be visiting in a month or so anyway. So I just wanted to know what would be the best route to take in finding a job.
> 
> Many thanks hotwire


Have you looked into how expensive it is to live here? The cost of housing and schooling? Look at the sticky thread marked 'read before posting' for some info. 

In order to support for a family of five you would need a well paying job and that only comes with experience in a field, not for a sales role of some kind, most of which have low basic salaries. There are masses of people from the Indian sub-continent, or the Philippines, with degrees, who do such jobs for far less than you would need to even survive on.

I am certain that someone who is not Muslim, Arabic or a native Arabic speaker would never get a job here teaching Islamic studies. EFL teachers are two a penny and there really is not a great demand for them.

This is not what you want to hear, but the UAE really doesn't seem like the best place for you.


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

thanks elphaba. Does it make a difference if i am a muslim and can speak a little arabic?

many thanks hotwire


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## m1key (Jun 29, 2011)

hotwire said:


> thanks elphaba. Does it make a difference if i am a muslim and can speak a little arabic?
> 
> many thanks hotwire


Here is an insight into some costs here:

Rent. A 3 bed apartment is going to cost you 100k AED a year at least. You might get something a bit cheaper, but you most likely wont like it, or where it is. Rent is typically paid in 1-4 cheques, 1 or 2 being the usual. 

Schools. Depending on age and quality of school, you could be paying 30k AED all the way up to 70k AED a year per child.

Groceries. If careful, you might spend a bit less than the UK, but you could just as easily spend more.

Tv, broadband, mobiles are all more expensive than the UK.

Utility bills, particularly in summer will make your eyes water.

You need health insurance for the family, a car and so on.

Realistically you are going to need 300k a year just to survive with a family of 5. Realistically you are not going to earn anywhere near that. You might be able to save a bit of money on rent and here and there, but it wouldn't be much of a life. There is no safety net here either. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but based on the info you have given you wont be able to make a good life for your family here at the moment.


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## zed_kid (Sep 25, 2012)

I think a good question will be how much monthly salary are you expecting? I think if you answer this question truthfully it’ll help all of us to narrow down a field for you


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

hotwire said:


> thanks elphaba. Does it make a difference if i am a muslim and can speak a little arabic?
> 
> many thanks hotwire


For jobs generally? Not in the slightest.


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

Ok with the accommodation i have looked around at and with schooling fees in mind and so on I need a salary of at least 15k a month.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

hotwire said:


> Ok with the accommodation i have looked around at and with schooling fees in mind and so on I need a salary of at least 15k a month.


15K dhs a month? Absolutely no way you can support a family of 5 with 2 school aged kids on that money. That's a salary for a single person, or a couple without kids living in a 1 bedroom.

15Kdhs month is 180K per year. You would be looking at spending that amount of money on accommodation and schooling alone.


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

Kids are 4 and 5. I also have a continued income which I will be getting every month from the uk which is about £900 a month. Sorry i forgot to mention this before. 

Many thanks hotwire


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

hotwire said:


> Ok with the accommodation i have looked around at and with schooling fees in mind and so on I need a salary of at least 15k a month.


Are you joking?

Accommodation will be at least AED 9k a month, plus bills. Schooling, for two of your children another AED 5K. How do you propose to move around, buy clothes, pay for health insurance, eat etc?

We keep telling you it isn't viable. Why aren't you listening?


Even with another AED 5k income, you would be struggling, especially with all the costs for three children.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

GCSE maths. Good place to start!

Do you have a job, in the UK, currently?
Are you planning to leave a paying job, or have you already left?

What do you earn at home?
you have already stated an income of 900GBP/month that you will be keeping.


You think that circa 30,000 GBP is sufficient for a family of five here.
It is in the UK (in the right places) but you are not forced into Private Schools in the UK.
You have a pension provided for you
you have the National Health Service (which isn't full of exclusions like a health insurance policy)
you have generous employment law / maternity law etc etc etc

Do not be fooled by the 'tax free' status, as your health insurance payments and retirement planning, along with a myriad of other costs are your taxes here - not to mention flights home to the UK for 5 annually (around 18-20,000AED in summer)


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## hotwire (Jan 28, 2013)

thanks again for all your replies.

@ Elphaba i am listening. but at the same time i am trying to provide as much info as i can about myself and maybe just maybe i might get lucky.

@ vantage i have lost my job but the money which i will be getting is from a self employed job which does not require me to be there to run it. but anyhow it does seem like its gonna be a tough one to get a job to support a family of 5. however i will still be visiting in march/april so see if i get lucky then.

many thanks hotwire


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