# Moving to Dubai come August 2015



## lancemartire (Apr 7, 2015)

I am potentially moving to Dubai come August this year (2015) and I was hoping to ask some questions and or/get some pointers about moving.

A little about myself, 

I am 28 years old and single and so would only be looking for a one bedroom apartment. I would like to live somewhere where shops and that would be accessible but not necessarily on my doorstep as I will have a company car and I would be willing to travel to them.

I am quite reserved generally but do enjoy socialising and so being near to bars and clubs etc. Is not a priority but would be okay. I also would like to be possibly close to the coast/ and or shopping districts.
I will be working near to the University of Sharjah and I am not too sure how accessible this would be and If it would be easier to live nearer to this for commuting? 

I have been looking at apartment rental prices and I am a little confused by vast difference in prices varying on the areas, especially when they are offering pretty similar apartments so if someone could explain that to me that would be appreciated. 

I have read up on DEWA and I understand I need to take this into account when looking to rent an apartment?

Also could anyone explain to me if the car insurance system is any different in Dubai then say in England? 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

*EDIT* I am aware I have used the word apartment alot so apologies.

Lance


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Read the Stickies. All your answers are there. Prices vary by area because there are vast differences between areas.

DEWA is your utilities company - you get no choice - they 'are it' for here. There are plenty of other things to take into account all mentioned in the Stickies.

Insurance is much simpler - a percentage of the car value is charged and thats pretty much it.

You don;t really want to be travelling too far in rush hour, as the commute across the Creek to Sharjah is one that a very great many people do and take hours.


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## lancemartire (Apr 7, 2015)

Thanks for the reply.

When you say stickies, what exactly do you mean?


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

The threads at the top of the forum called Stickies, or 'Read this first beofore posting' posts


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## Bobby89 (Jul 20, 2015)

I am also moving to Dubai in august 2015 and have same requirements.
will be working at SAIF Zone sharjah


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## gullzter (Jul 20, 2015)

twowheelsgood said:


> Insurance is much simpler - a percentage of the car value is charged and thats pretty much it.


I was told and have also read online that in UAE you would insure yourself and NOT the car, was this information incorrect?


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

gullzter said:


> I was told and have also read online that in UAE you would insure yourself and NOT the car, was this information incorrect?


Hi,
Incorrect information.
Car needs to be insured - then anyone over a certain age, with a valid UAE license is insured to drive the car.
Insurance is normally in range of 2 to 5% of car value (dependent on car age, driver nationality and driving history).
Cheers
Steve


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

The trick is to find somewhere to live on the 'edge' i.e. near Sharjah, but still in Dubai. 
I would recommend you find an apartment in Deira (that's on the same side of the Dubai Creek as Sharjah). Ideally in Port Saeed area around Deira City Center-that area in itself doesn't have much going on, but is situated right next to the major roads (Ittihad Road towards Sharjah, Airport Road to DXB and Mirdiff, and Al Maktoum Bridge towards Jumeira and Sheikh Zayed Road). That area has some very good buildings, easy traffic flows going in and out etc. 
Another good option would be Mirdiff, which is a pretty residential neighbourhood but has several shopping centers, malls, clinics, good supermarkets, all very Western-expat friendly. More popular with families than singles though. Plus, Mirdiff is very close to the major highway that takes you to Sharjah University City, which is where U of S is located. Now, the majority of people LIVE in Sharjah but WORK in Dubai. So going from Sharjah to Dubai in the morning (8am) and from Dubai to Sharjah in the afternoon/evening is stressful because of the traffic. Assuming you have normal 9-5 work hours, you will actually be going _against_ the traffic both ways, so you will luckily be spared the horrendous commute. Also, because you will be working in Sharjah, that most likely means your residency will be issued in Sharjah (so you'll need to do your medical test there, get your visa stamped, and get your driver's license+car registration from there). 
Whatever you do, avoid Dubai Marina. Yes, it is very popular with Western expats your age, and is quite proximal to many of the popular clubs/fancy hotels where people go to socialize, but traffic there is awful, and on top of that you would have a long commute to work (maybe 45 minutes) of fast highway driving.


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