# Moving to UAE in April



## British expat (Feb 21, 2014)

Hello,
Myself, my husband and 2 children (aged 2 and 3) are moving to Dubai in April. Can anyone suggest any good places to live with a british expat community and good mother toddler facilities/things to do? Any tips on places to meet other mummy's with children similar ages?
Also, any advice regarding the best nurseries/schools?
Thanks
Nicola


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## sweetnessuk (Mar 12, 2013)

British expat said:


> Hello,
> Myself, my husband and 2 children (aged 2 and 3) are moving to Dubai in April. Can anyone suggest any good places to live with a british expat community and good mother toddler facilities/things to do? Any tips on places to meet other mummy's with children similar ages?
> Also, any advice regarding the best nurseries/schools?
> Thanks
> Nicola


Well im just about to start teaching at monroes nursery next to dubai marina. Its run under the british curriculum. It looks ideal and relevant for you.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

There are dozens and dozens of threads on this topic.
Please spend an hour or two reading, and using the search function, then jump right in. You'll be able to focus your queries.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

feb20 said:


> Bump


Please do not create worthless posts for the sake of increasing your numbers. Thank you.


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## SarahA (Jan 25, 2014)

Hi British Expat

I'm also moving out from the UK in April with my husband and 4&3 year old. We're thinking of living in the Springs/Lakes area as it will be close enough to my husbands office at Jebel Ali and the girls school. Both of my daughters are starting at Nord Anglia school in September (after applying to GEMS Al Khail, RIS, Victory Heights Primary too). If you'd like your elder child to be at school rather than nursery they may still have places. Good luck with your move and if you fancy a coffee sometime in April let me know!


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## British expat (Feb 21, 2014)

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for replying. I still haven't decided what to do about schools/nurseries for my eldest! How did you apply from the UK? I have found they all needed paperwork etc and to see us in person! Would love to meet up when we have both moved and settled.


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## SarahA (Jan 25, 2014)

Hello again

I ended up emailing what felt like every school in Dubai to see who had places left for both my children for this coming September (FS1 and FS2 years) when I applied last month. The ones that did were the new Nord Anglia, the new GEMS Al Khail, Regent (RIS) and Victory Heights. I applied online for them all and emailed the documents they needed. I was worried that they would want to do an 'assessment' of Charlotte and Evelyn in person, but Nord Anglia and GEMS were more realistic and practical and asked for a report from Charlotte's (currently 3 yrs old) preschool and offered places for both on that. Evelyn is 2yrs currently and not at preschool so we couldn't provide a report on her. Regent wanted to see Charlotte and I never heard from Victory Heights

We decided on Nord Anglia as they have other schools around the World, so are not a completely new set up are were very good at communicating with us through the application process, which other schools were not. We have heard mixed reports on GEMS schools across Dubai from friends of friends that are currently teachers in Dubai. Some are very good, but not all apparently.

Have you any ideas on where you will live? I'm still trying to get my head around it. We'd like to live in a villa with an expat/community feel too - it's really hard to know which areas would suit us the best just searching the web from my sofa...


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## British expat (Feb 21, 2014)

Hi,
Thanks for the info that is really useful. And interesting to hear you found ones that would accept the documents by email! My youngest (just turned 2) has not started pre-school in the UK yet so I was going to play it by ear for him. I want my daughter to attend some form of nursery but don't feel she is ready to go full time (she has just turned 3) so FS1 I think and from what I understand she would either have to do 5 days a week or not at all?!
We are hoping to get an apartment in the marina, we have stayed there before so know the area which is the only reason. But yes I agree it is so hard to get a feel for somewhere when you are researching from home!! Are you moving out for your partners work?


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## SarahA (Jan 25, 2014)

Yes, we are moving our for my husbands work with Mars chocolate. How about you? I understand that nurserys and preschools do full time or not at all too. My youngest will be going for 6 hours a day rather than the 3 she'd get here, so think she might get tired at first but think she will really enjoy it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself with both at school!


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## British expat (Feb 21, 2014)

Yes we are also moving for hubby's work. I am a real 'home' person so it's a big step for me... Whereabouts in UK are you from?
Having done a bit more research I think we might live in the executive towers/downtown dubai area - closer to my husbands office and you get more for our money I think! Have you decided on location yet? How are you going about securing a place before you arrive?


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## SarahA (Jan 25, 2014)

We live in Cambridge, where all our family are too so it's going to be a bit if a shock not to have my parents and my husbands parents to help with our girls, eek. We are thinking of Emirates Hills, but I'm trying to keep an open mind for other locations. We may get there and not like it! The girls school will be near Jumeriah Village and Al Barha, my husband is working at Jebel Ali so it'd be good to have somewhere that will suit us all. We have got a month in a hotel paid for by my husbands company so we can find a house/apartment when we are there. Where do you live in the UK?


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## British expat (Feb 21, 2014)

Hi Sarah,
What a coincidence - we have been living in Cambridge since jan this year and are moving back to London (where we have always lived) at the end of next week until we go to Dubai in April. Do you fancy meeting for a coffee in Cambridge before I move back to London? We are living a few mins walk from the Grafton... And about 15 mins walk from the city centre.
We are also going to stay in a hotel or service apartments for the first few weeks so we can look around and find the right apartment for us.


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## SarahA (Jan 25, 2014)

That is a coincidence! We are also living a few minutes walk from the Grafton, would love to meet you for a coffee before you head back to London. I think I can Private Message you, will send you some days we are free and my mobile number. Sarah


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## Qalam (Feb 27, 2014)

I would like to add and say that communities in suburbs that are a bit further from the city tend to have more local communities and less expats.


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## zed1212 (Feb 13, 2014)

Hi

Have you considered Green community motor city. We have just returned from Dubai to view schools and housing communities and were quite impressed by the quality of the properties here compared to the ranches and emirates hills. Lots of expats in this area and the general feel of the place was very friendly.


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