# From US to Dubai advice



## IshyMishy (Mar 3, 2013)

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is doing well. 
I have a couple of questions about relocating to Dubai.
I am an auditor working for a big firm in US. I am interested in moving to Dubai. I am in the process of getting information at this point as that will help me make my decision. I am an American Muslim so I will be comfortable with the muslim culture there. That's not one of my biggest concerns. I wanted to visit in June but i have been told not to go during summer. Any thoughts on what's the best time to visit Dubai ? 
2. Are there any auditors/accountants here ? Do I have more chance of landing a good job if I apply for jobs as an external auditor or as an accountant ? I currently have 2 years of auditing experience. 
3. How is the work environment there ? I have lots of friends in UK and I know that there is way too much politics and rudeness in UK work culture. I understand there will be good and bad people + politics everywhere but I wanted to get a feel of overall culture. For example, some of the stuff that my friends tell me from UK will never be tolerated here in US. I have read some posts where it was implied that they treat people like slaves ? Does that happen in white collar jobs too ?
4. If there is any accountant/auditor here, how are the working hours there ? Is there a busy season (for auditors) where they have to work like 60 hours a week? 
5. Would it be advisable if I try to contact some recruiter before visiting Dubai and meet them once I am there. I am currently working for a good company and in no rush to change jobs. I want to take my time getting all the information first and during this time, if I am offered a good position, I will consider it. 

Thats it with my questions for now.

Thanks in advance to people who are going to respond


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

I am an internal auditor, so here's my two cents worth:
1. Are you employed at one of the Big 4? If yes, then the best scenario would be to try and get an inter-office placement, they all have a significant presence out here... Even if you aren't working for them, I would try and approach their HR out in the US and talk to them about joining their UAE operations... that might yield better results... 

2. I would not recommend moving from auditing into accounting.... Stick with that field, certain professional certifications carry a lot of weight in this market.. for instance CIA and CPA are up there.. (I am currently doing my CPA, it can now be done from outside the US), that might be something you want to look into... If you were to move into the accounting field, more than likely employers would want UAE experience (it's just the way most employers operate out here)

3. With regards to busy time of the year, the yearly audit cycle would be the busiest, depending on when the company has its financial year end that could be either around Dec-Feb, or either around June-Aug. The majority though work off of the Dec-Feb end of year time frame, that would be the most stressful.. This would apply to both internal and external auditors.. I can tell you though as an Internal Auditor the deadlines are pretty much around every end of the month so it's just something you would need to get used to .. maybe even take work home with you to finish up... this is also dependent on the size/scale of your employer.. but if you are looking to get into a decent role, deadlines will be like that one cousin whom you don't really like but are always hanging out with ...


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

IshyMishy said:


> I am an auditor working for a big firm in US. I am interested in moving to Dubai. I am an American Muslim Any thoughts on what's the best time to visit Dubai ?


Weather wise from November end until 2nd week of March. For job hunting it depends. I will talk about it below.



IshyMishy said:


> 2. Are there any auditors/accountants here ? Do I have more chance of landing a good job if I apply for jobs as an external auditor or as an accountant ? I currently have 2 years of auditing experience.


 I am sure there are are people who work in these areas in the forum. Qualified accountants with certifications are sought as well as Auditors. So you wont find problems in landing a job. What is a good job for you ? I honestly do not know why you want to move to Dubai as your occupation has strong demand within the US.



IshyMishy said:


> 3. How is the work environment there ? I have lots of friends in UK and I know that there is way too much politics and rudeness in UK work culture. I understand there will be good and bad people + politics everywhere but I wanted to get a feel of overall culture. For example, some of the stuff that my friends tell me from UK will never be tolerated here in US. I have read some posts where it was implied that they treat people like slaves ? Does that happen in white collar jobs too ?


Not sure why are you bringing up the UK culture. It is fact that the UK culture was more rude in terms of work environment compared to US & Canada, but I believe this has changed . The other thing is that we have the same politics everywhere. I understand what you mean, though: Roll up the sleeves and get the freaking job done alright. Well, I feel the same way and very few of us are like that. 

In the UAE depending on the company there is so much slacking. Very few work hard and depending on the organization and if you are the only folks who works hard forget it. Won't happen. there is a more relaxed culture here. For me it is slacking, there are things that you can get simply done on the spot and some take days. Go figure.

You have also to understand that you may not learn anything here from development perspective unless you audit or do the accounting of pretty bad firms that need fixing. I know people working as accountants that are note even qualified so there are job opportunities here in your field. Are you good in IFRS ? or just USGAAP ? Bear in mind that here is more IFRS.



IshyMishy said:


> 5. Would it be advisable if I try to contact some recruiter before visiting Dubai and meet them once I am there. I am currently working for a good company and in no rush to change jobs.


Yes, call them up and enlist them  I would call them and have a chat. When you disclose that you work in the US and that your occupation is linked to audit/ accountant they should show interest as there are plenty of jobs in this field. I do, however, think that you are a newbie. 

Why don't you try through the Big 4 they have offices here ? Might be a better way you know because once you get fed up of Dubai you can always go back through these companies just a practical thought


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

IshyMishy said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Hope everyone is doing well.
> I have a couple of questions about relocating to Dubai.
> I am an auditor working for a big firm in US. I am interested in moving to Dubai. I am in the process of getting information at this point as that will help me make my decision. I am an American Muslim so I will be comfortable with the muslim culture there. That's not one of my biggest concerns. I wanted to visit in June but i have been told not to go during summer. Any thoughts on what's the best time to visit Dubai ?


Dubai's weather is quite nice (think 70s and 80s) from November through March.

But if you are planning on relocating, it may make sense to visit during June to get a brief taste of what summers are like; June itself is better (as in less humid) than July/August.

If you have experienced summers in Dallas/Phoenix, Dubai is not much worse; only more humid, and the peak summer is longer.


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## ExArab (May 9, 2012)

Canuck_Sens said:


> Yes, call them up and enlist them  I would call them and have a chat. When you disclose that you work in the US and that your occupation is linked to audit/ accountant they should show interest as there are plenty of jobs in this field. I do, however, think that you are a newbie.



Does that tip ever work? I know for a fact that recruiters in the region do not get back on emails. I hope they are more comfortable with people cold calling them


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## babyfleur (Mar 4, 2013)

Hi - I just relocated myself so I can chime in... being in the engineering/technical HR field I can't add too much to your accounting related questions but I would say your best bet would be to try and first find a job to relocate you here... vs. the other way around. I am just learning the recruiting environment here but I do know it is very competitive. I came to learn from our local HR that a job posting generates many (tens or hundreds depending on the position) in a matter of hours. But depending on your U.S. experience, if strong you can leverage to get a position faster. The weather is absolutely beautiful in the winter months and sweltering in the summer so it all depends on personal preference. I personally don't mind the heat so if the summers are the price I have to pay for warm weather year round I will gladly oblige. I left winter and snow far far behind!  

Good luck with your search!


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## KC1 (Sep 30, 2010)

Canuck_Sens said:


> In the UAE depending on the company there is so much slacking. Very few work hard and depending on the organization and if you are the only folks who works hard forget it. Won't happen. there is a more relaxed culture here. For me it is slacking, there are things that you can get simply done on the spot and some take days. Go figure.


This really does depend on the company though. For some companies, you are expected to work a lot of hours, even though I believe there are labor laws stating how many hours you can work. If you have a chance to ask another employee at that company about their average week, I'd suggest it. 

Good luck!


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## roosterbooster20132013 (May 13, 2013)

yes


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

I was in Dubai this week - I live in DC, it was bearable, actually nice in the evenings.


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

babyfleur said:


> Hi - I just relocated myself so I can chime in... being in the engineering/technical HR field I can't add too much to your accounting related questions but I would say your best bet would be to try and first find a job to relocate you here... vs. the other way around. I am just learning the recruiting environment here but I do know it is very competitive. I came to learn from our local HR that a job posting generates many (tens or hundreds depending on the position) in a matter of hours. But depending on your U.S. experience, if strong you can leverage to get a position faster. The weather is absolutely beautiful in the winter months and sweltering in the summer so it all depends on personal preference. I personally don't mind the heat so if the summers are the price I have to pay for warm weather year round I will gladly oblige. I left winter and snow far far behind!
> 
> Good luck with your search!


BabyFleur - I am in DC and moving - Did you use a company for personal goods or car. I need that info so please send it to me somehow. I am new to this forum


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## babyfleur (Mar 4, 2013)

Desert_Fever said:


> BabyFleur - I am in DC and moving - Did you use a company for personal goods or car. I need that info so please send it to me somehow. I am new to this forum


Hi! I can send you the info of the shipper I used for my vehicle, they were pretty reasonable compared to everyone else. I did not ship any household goods so sorry can't help there but I can check to see who my coworkers used.


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

That would be awesome, Thanks. Please send me the shipper info and details. Please send me the cost info also please. Any other details would be helpful


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

I moved from DC to Dubai in January. Brauns International shipped my household goods and a car and they did a great job. The cost for a 40' containing both was circa $10,000 plus the import tax for the vehicle (5% of value). Brauns' number is 703 729 6251, ask for Andre Holtkamp. 

I wrote out my experience importing and registering the car here. I hope this is helpful. 

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/du...ai/146504-my-experience-importing-car-us.html


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## babyfleur (Mar 4, 2013)

Desert_Fever said:


> That would be awesome, Thanks. Please send me the shipper info and details. Please send me the cost info also please. Any other details would be helpful


I will send you the details... cost will depend on the size of your vehicle however it shouldn't be more than $1,500, but that doesn't include Duty and other customs charges (5% + 1% of the car value) and another few hundred on other miscellaneous costs (inspection, registration etc etc). They do not clear the car for you, but it was a smooth process, if you are hands off I would recommend hiring an agent here to clear customs and collect the vehicle (at a very reasonable cost - under $100). I did it myself so I would learn the process, it wasn't too bad and was able to clear, get it registered, tags and road ready in a day. You just need to do your homework prior... I can walk you through the process, just PM me.


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## babyfleur (Mar 4, 2013)

Simey said:


> I moved from DC to Dubai in January. Brauns International shipped my household goods and a car and they did a great job. The cost for a 40' containing both was circa $10,000 plus the import tax for the vehicle (5% of value). Brauns' number is 703 729 6251, ask for Andre Holtkamp.
> 
> I wrote out my experience importing and registering the car here. I hope this is helpful.
> 
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/du...ai/146504-my-experience-importing-car-us.html


By the way @Simey, the post on your experience helped me tremendously in figuring out the process, and I went through mostly the same... Only thing was Jebel Ali Port is huge so I had a little difficulty finding Vehicle Bay which is different from the main customs clearing area. Also ran out of cash... definitely needed more than the quoted me thanks to all the other little costs, but that's a story for another day!


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

** NOTE TO SELF *** Carry cash all the time...I understand that paying by credit cards is outside the norm - and internationally they tack on the 2.5-3% fee US Retailers usually absorb...


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## babyfleur (Mar 4, 2013)

Yes... helps to always have cash on you but most major major merchants accept credit cards. If you have a credit union like Navy Fed they only charge 1% so might be worth looking into that.


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

babyfleur said:


> Yes... helps to always have cash on you but most major major merchants accept credit cards. If you have a credit union like Navy Fed they only charge 1% so might be worth looking into that.


Mine is Penfed


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Best to pick up the international credit card with no fees (I have capital one but a few other companies I think have them as well) if you are using your american card until you get a bank/credit card here, or you are still going to be paid in usd into your american account. The latter, and that card is a godsend as you wont have to deal with taking out cash too often and getting hit with the fees of doing so. 

But cash is still a necessity in many government offices or the small retailers here.


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

Yes on usd on American account.. Great points on transaction fees. Suntrust bank swore they have no fees, i will find out soon...

Now I wonder why I need a local bank except to pay big bills or auto payments locally... Hmm


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Desert_Fever said:


> Yes on usd on American account.. Great points on transaction fees. Suntrust bank swore they have no fees, i will find out soon...
> 
> Now I wonder why I need a local bank except to pay big bills or auto payments locally... Hmm


People still like to take checks here so you probably will need a local bank account. You will definitely need a local credit card as your US credit card won't be accepted for all purposes - e.g. setting up automatic payments of utilities, buying SALIK credit, etc. 

I have penfed too and I have been quite disappointed with them. Their services are oriented to being either in the US or being overseas with the military and with access to military infrastructure. They don't seem to get the concept of being a civilian expat. So for example, if you have an issue that requires customer service support, they expect you to call internationally and they don't respond to emails. I couldn't get either electronic bill payment or electronic check depositing to work but they seemed completely disinterested in helping me and that's a problem when you are in a country with no adequate mail system and you occasionally receive Dollar denominated checks or need to pay bills back home. They also have no SWIFT code, although fortunately I was able in the end to wire to them using only the routing number. 

I've been a member since 1992 so this is all a bit disappointing. If I were where you are now, I would open up with another bank that has a presence here and in the US. 

Babyfleur: happy to have helped.


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## Desert_Fever (Apr 13, 2013)

Thanks Simey as always. I appreciate the detail.. I opened up a Citibank account even though were clear that the uae branches operate differently, and there will not be a seamless banking between the 2 countries..

Locally, I plan to bank with emirates nbd? Any opinions on them?

Thanks as always. You guys are awesome!!


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Desert_Fever said:


> Thanks Simey as always. I appreciate the detail.. I opened up a Citibank account even though were clear that the uae branches operate differently, and there will not be a seamless banking between the 2 countries..
> 
> Locally, I plan to bank with emirates nbd? Any opinions on them?
> 
> Thanks as always. You guys are awesome!!


Sorry, I haven't tried them. I was advised to get HSBC, which turned out to be bad advice (they are really annoying). 

Citi might be a good choice although I haven't used them. At least you could be pretty sure they won't ditch American customers because of some new FATCA requirement (as some banks around the world have already done).


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Many of the contractors come and get an account with them because is a name they recognize from home. I have not heard anyone say anything good about their citi banking experience.They usually end up ditching them and moving to a local account. I hope you have a better experience with them.


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## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

Desert_Fever said:


> Thanks Simey as always. I appreciate the detail.. I opened up a Citibank account even though were clear that the uae branches operate differently, and there will not be a seamless banking between the 2 countries..
> 
> Locally, I plan to bank with emirates nbd? Any opinions on them?
> 
> Thanks as always. You guys are awesome!!


I have been happy with my US transfers using and general level of service at ADCB and I think transfers are cheaper than NBD. For my transfers (usually AED 18K) the cost of ADCB is within a few $ of using a service like GCEN and very convenient. I do have a premier account, so that may offer improved service over a normal account.

Citibank rates are horrendous, so while the transfer fee seems low the overall cost is very high. And their customer service is some of the worst I have ever encountered. I closed my account after about a year. The single advantage to Citibank is that funds transfer immediately (only up to US $3K, though), but if you mange your money reasonably well that should never really matter.


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