# Moving to Dubai but only 18 and no degree.



## tomoli (Jul 18, 2008)

My family is moving to Dubai, my dad already works out there, this September. 

I am 18 and have just finished A Levels in the UK, I want to know whether I will be able to get a job, and what about work permits?

I have heard that without a degree you can't become a manager - is this true?

Basically, I am a bit worried that by moving I will stunt my career (I don't really want to go to university).

Also, what restrictions are there on 18 year olds? I know you can't drink?  Is there is anything else I can't do?


----------



## Logic Pro (Jul 17, 2008)

tomoli said:


> My family is moving to Dubai, my dad already works out there, this September.
> 
> I am 18 and have just finished A Levels in the UK, I want to know whether I will be able to get a job, and what about work permits?
> 
> ...


My brother was in the navy stationed in Dubai with my sister in law and there 2 kids.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not only under a Islamic Sharia legal system, (sharia means law), but is a theocracy if you ask me.

1- Marriage is the only recognized relationship you can have, been asked for ID to see if your with a relative is common., you can get a fine or lashed (whipped) and time in jail if you practice what orthodox laws call lewdness so no boyfriend or girl friends.

2- no drining water during Ramadan under the sun or eating, you pay a fine.

3- If you live within walls of certain communities you can do anything you want, even lay out in the sun nude with a pina-.calada., but unless you have that kind of cash there are rules you can not break and you pay hard penalties for them.

I dont want to give you only the negative impression., i will tell you that there are many good things there., the people are really really nice in general., if your dad works life will be very good, my brother and his family loved it, they lived there for 7 years., speak arabic and while they got property in Panama they want to return now.

P.S. nothing wrong with Islam, just beware that a Arab and a muslim are not the same.


----------



## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

Logic Pro said:


> My brother was in the navy stationed in Dubai with my sister in law and there 2 kids.
> 
> The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not only under a Islamic Sharia legal system, (sharia means law), but is a theocracy if you ask me.
> 
> ...



I think you may be a little confused.
Dubai, is in the United Arab Emirates....Saudi Arabia is a whole other country !!!

In answer to the original questions..a little will depend on whether you are male or female.
If you are female, your father can sponsor you.
If you are male, you will need to get a job, and have an employer sponsor you.
Havent heard the comment about no degree- no manager. A manager for what ?? If you dont have a degree in engineering etc...then perhaps you may not be able to manage a big construction project. Not sure what you mean.
What is your career. For many, working overseas, it can enhance their career/future. For some though, it may be best to have some experience in their chosen fields at home, before embarking on an overseas career.
Correct, you cant drink, you cant live with someone you are not related to/married to.You cant buy cigarettes unless 21 too, I believe.


----------



## Logic Pro (Jul 17, 2008)

sgilli3 said:


> I think you may be a little confused.
> Dubai, is in the United Arab Emirates....Saudi Arabia is a whole other country !!!
> 
> In answer to the original questions..a little will depend on whether you are male or female.
> ...


Your right i confused Dubai with the Kingdom, well, they where living for 7 years there


----------



## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

Logic Pro said:


> Your right i confused Dubai with the Kingdom, well, they where living for 7 years there



Its Ok- your not the 1st to do it, and wont be the last !!


----------



## tomoli (Jul 18, 2008)

sgilli3 said:


> I think you may be a little confused.
> Dubai, is in the United Arab Emirates....Saudi Arabia is a whole other country !!!
> 
> In answer to the original questions..a little will depend on whether you are male or female.
> ...


Sorry forgot to mention I am male.

The comment about degree was that I read somewhere that if you didnt have a degree you could only hold low positions (ie non management positions).

So will I not be able to move without a work permit? 

Basically, I don't have a job (have only just finished school) but I do have a part time job in a supermarket. I would have to look for a job while I was out there.


----------



## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

I agree with sgilli3. A lot will depend on what career you want to pursue. I think that you firstly need to decide on what career path you want to take and then research that area and the requirements for pursuing a career in that field. Where do you want to see yourself in a few years? Will you need a degree to get there? I personally do not think that there is anything wrong with deciding not to go to university (a lot of people have got to the top without a degree) but ultimately, a lot of employers do not see things from my point of view and ask for that all important piece of paper!! Why not do a diploma instead and based on your experience, then decide what you want to do. Ultimately, you are still young and have your whole life in front of you to decide what you want to do. 

Dubai is a great place and could only impact positively on your future career! I'm sure that you will adapt and will have loads of fun.


----------



## tomoli (Jul 18, 2008)

Maz25 said:


> I agree with sgilli3. A lot will depend on what career you want to pursue. I think that you firstly need to decide on what career path you want to take and then research that area and the requirements for pursuing a career in that field. Where do you want to see yourself in a few years? Will you need a degree to get there? I personally do not think that there is anything wrong with deciding not to go to university (a lot of people have got to the top without a degree) but ultimately, a lot of employers do not see things from my point of view and ask for that all important piece of paper!! Why not do a diploma instead and based on your experience, then decide what you want to do. Ultimately, you are still young and have your whole life in front of you to decide what you want to do.
> 
> Dubai is a great place and could only impact positively on your future career! I'm sure that you will adapt and will have loads of fun.


I really want to persue a finance career but am doubtful that I will be able to get a job in this field with no experience. Are there lots of trainee jobs out there?

With regards to getting a sponsor, will I be able to move out there and then look for a job given that the rest of my family is moving out there?

How easy is it to change jobs? Do you have to leave for six months or something?

Excuse my ignorance but I have read so many differing guides that it is really hard to know what is going on.


----------



## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

tomoli said:


> I really want to persue a finance career but am doubtful that I will be able to get a job in this field with no experience. Are there lots of trainee jobs out there?
> 
> With regards to getting a sponsor, will I be able to move out there and then look for a job given that the rest of my family is moving out there?
> 
> ...


I work in construction so I do not really know a lot about finance. However, the company I currently work for ask for degrees for finance positions and additionally pay for people looking to move into finance to do a degree if they do not have one or if they have a degree in another field. I'm sure that there are loads of people on this forum who currently work in finance who would be able to advise you but ultimately, I would advise you to maybe get a degree. The financial sector is one of the most heavily regulated and if you want to become chartered, then as is the case for all other professions, a degree is a must! Three years is not that long and you will ultimately find that your uni years are the best of your life! You could even do your degree in Dubai and still be close to your family. The financial world is big and it probably would help if you narrowed it down to a certain field as then more people would be able to advise you.

I'm sure that there are trainee positions in the UAE but I do believe that they are harder to find compared to positions for experienced professionals. However, being out in Dubai, it might work to your advantage as you will be able to find out a lot more about companies offering the positions you are looking for, for e.g. through newspaper ads. In the UK, you would have to rely on a recruitment agency to do all the legwork for you and for the most part, their priority would be to find positions for qualified professionals as they attract higher fees.

In regards to your visa, is your dad not sponsoring you to live in the UAE? If that's the case, then you could live in Dubai legally and start looking for a job once you get there. I'm not sure what the visa process would be for converting to an employment visa but your dad's company would be able to advise him on that. Else, you can contact the UAE embassy in London.

If you end up working in the free zone, changing job is a lot simpler. However, you need a No Objection Certificate from your current employer in order to change job. Based on what I have read, as long as you have worked for your current employer for at least a year and you have a good relationship with them, the whole process is relatively straight forward and amicable. If you have not completed your probation and/or have worked for less than a year, it can be quite tricky (depending on the employer) and you could face a labour ban barring you from being employed for 6-12months. You would still be able to come to Dubai on holiday during that time though.

I think that it might be worthwhile having a chat with your dad and just voice your concerns. I'm sure that his employer would be quite happy to advise him on the whole process of getting a visa for yourself and the procedure for changing to an employment visa. He can then put your mind at rest and based on what he tells you, you can make an informed decision as to whether to go out to Dubai, stay in the UK or if you decide to study, where to do your degree.

Best of luck. I'm sure that everything will turn out fine.


----------



## tomoli (Jul 18, 2008)

Maz25 said:


> I work in construction so I do not really know a lot about finance. However, the company I currently work for ask for degrees for finance positions and additionally pay for people looking to move into finance to do a degree if they do not have one or if they have a degree in another field. I'm sure that there are loads of people on this forum who currently work in finance who would be able to advise you but ultimately, I would advise you to maybe get a degree. The financial sector is one of the most heavily regulated and if you want to become chartered, then as is the case for all other professions, a degree is a must! Three years is not that long and you will ultimately find that your uni years are the best of your life! You could even do your degree in Dubai and still be close to your family. The financial world is big and it probably would help if you narrowed it down to a certain field as then more people would be able to advise you.
> 
> I'm sure that there are trainee positions in the UAE but I do believe that they are harder to find compared to positions for experienced professionals. However, being out in Dubai, it might work to your advantage as you will be able to find out a lot more about companies offering the positions you are looking for, for e.g. through newspaper ads. In the UK, you would have to rely on a recruitment agency to do all the legwork for you and for the most part, their priority would be find positions for qualified professionals as they attract higher fees.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all your help.


----------



## mazdaRX8 (Jul 13, 2008)

Go to college

trust me, its gonna be the best time of your life! It was mine, and because of that I wanna go back for my masters


----------



## Guest (Jul 21, 2008)

*Dubai is not the West*



tomoli said:


> My family is moving to Dubai, my dad already works out there, this September.
> 
> I am 18 and have just finished A Levels in the UK, I want to know whether I will be able to get a job, and what about work permits?
> 
> ...


Hi. I just want to mention the obvious, that Dubai is not the West. It has some modern attributes and such, but still it is not The West. The opportunities for work have to be looked at differently here. This is a general statement, but in comparison to the West, Dubai is a two class system, with a very large low paid worker population and a small very well paid group at the top. If you are a native, then the laws are set up to benefit you. If you are a foreigner, it will basically require some degrees if you want to make any type of decent money. In the West, it is a mixed bag of people in all sorts of economic situations, and the ability to move up or down, etc. So in that sense, Dubai is not the West. Also, it is expensive to live in Dubai. Well, decidions can be difficult. In sum, I would suggest to you that this is something of situation of higher risk, higher reward. If you were to go to Dubai, it is a high risk, with the chance that you might get a high reward. But the risk is higher because you are young and without degree, and it is expensive here. While staying in the U.K. is lower risk, but potential lower reward. You might not risk much, but you might not be rewarded as highly either. So there is right now more likelihood that you can move up over time with experience and training in the U.K., or get that training at lower cost than in Dubai. Ultimately, of course, you have to make the decision. But life is like that: you make a decision, then deal with it, and be happy that it is you who gets to make the decision! As is said, I have made my mistakes, but at least I got to make them, no one forced them on me. Lastly, I would comment that whichever you decide to do, it is beneficial to look at things not from the angle of what can Dubai do for me, or what can the U.K. do for me, but more along the lines of what can I do for myself. Because in the end, whatever you do, it will depend on you to do something for yourself.


----------



## tomoli (Jul 18, 2008)

AllThatJazz said:


> Hi. I just want to mention the obvious, that Dubai is not the West. It has some modern attributes and such, but still it is not The West. The opportunities for work have to be looked at differently here. This is a general statement, but in comparison to the West, Dubai is a two class system, with a very large low paid worker population and a small very well paid group at the top. If you are a native, then the laws are set up to benefit you. If you are a foreigner, it will basically require some degrees if you want to make any type of decent money. In the West, it is a mixed bag of people in all sorts of economic situations, and the ability to move up or down, etc. So in that sense, Dubai is not the West. Also, it is expensive to live in Dubai. Well, decidions can be difficult. In sum, I would suggest to you that this is something of situation of higher risk, higher reward. If you were to go to Dubai, it is a high risk, with the chance that you might get a high reward. But the risk is higher because you are young and without degree, and it is expensive here. While staying in the U.K. is lower risk, but potential lower reward. You might not risk much, but you might not be rewarded as highly either. So there is right now more likelihood that you can move up over time with experience and training in the U.K., or get that training at lower cost than in Dubai. Ultimately, of course, you have to make the decision. But life is like that: you make a decision, then deal with it, and be happy that it is you who gets to make the decision! As is said, I have made my mistakes, but at least I got to make them, no one forced them on me. Lastly, I would comment that whichever you decide to do, it is beneficial to look at things not from the angle of what can Dubai do for me, or what can the U.K. do for me, but more along the lines of what can I do for myself. Because in the end, whatever you do, it will depend on you to do something for yourself.


Thanks. 

At the end of the day, if i do move I will live with my parents for at least a year so cost of living is not really a problem for me at the moment. I would/could stay with them until I was able to afford my own place. 

The only problem is finding a job - because at 18 - I think i am correct in saying my dad who works out there could not sponsor me (I would have to find my own sponsor) so it would be a matter of going out there on a visit and job hunting like mad. 

At this stage, I really am not bothered about my career path. I have broad qualifications - history, french, economics and physics all at A Level so am not really restricted. Have you any advice you can give me concerning how I may best find a job. I have a feeling my CV would just be binned on first glance because I am 18 and don't have a degree. The reality is, I pick things up very quickly and will work bloody hard. I don't mind starting at the bottom making cups of coffee and working my way up - I just need somewhere to break into.

Cheers, 

Tom


----------



## Guest (Jul 21, 2008)

*Seek, and seek again*



tomoli said:


> Thanks.
> 
> At the end of the day, if i do move I will live with my parents for at least a year so cost of living is not really a problem for me at the moment. I would/could stay with them until I was able to afford my own place.
> 
> ...


Tom, it is a different mindset in Dubai, a different modus operendi. You are thinking in terms of the West when you said that you have no problem making coffee and working your way up. Here, it is a given that coffee is made by an Indian male. And he might never work up. Your name is Tom, you are from the U.K., and I assume you are caucasian. Those three things automatically disqualify you from making coffee. Things are different here. The native run the game. Syrians are in the upper management positions of native owned companies, while Westerners are in the upper management of Western owned companies. The rest of the 80% are Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, most of who are hard working, and find the salary higher than they could make in their home countries. So, the scenario which I am outlining is that the structure is not like it is in the West. One doesn't necessarily work up. One with works into - or across. Due to your age and thus less experience, and the fact that you are white and western, I pose a rhetorical question: where would you fit into this structure? So you see that it is indeed different. I would think that if you were to go to Dubai, that looking in the Free Trade Zones might be of some value. In the FTZs, foreign companies can be fully foreign owned and managed, thus those companies might be a better fit for what you are seeking to do. Still, it might a stiff order finding a position, but at least the fit is closer. Other than that, I would suggest Western owned companies operating outside of the FTZs, as the fit might not necessarily be as good as one in a FTZ, but at least it is western owned and the mentality of starting out and working one's way up is present. Now, I'll throw a really interesting approach to you: if you can find some companies whose home office is in the U.K. but also have operations in Dubai, you could approach them with the understanding that your parents live in Dubai and so you have housing waiting, plus you want to be there with them, thus explaining that you can start out without grand salary expectations and work your way upward. If you happen to get a catch and it happens, then later you find out that Dubai is not all glitter and gold, you might be able to request a transfer back to the U.K. with the same company. Well, it's just an idea. Regardless, if you have a lot of work to do whether you stay in the U.K. or not, so now is as good of a time as ever to get started. Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do. -ATJ from Florida


----------



## cairogal (Aug 11, 2007)

Long-term, I would focus on getting a degree. The UAE is a degree-oriented country, and while you might secure employmet in the short-term, you'll need more to advance. If your goal is simply to remain in the UAE for a few years in this position, then go for it.


----------



## Rusty2 (Aug 19, 2008)

tomoli said:


> Thanks.
> 
> At the end of the day, if i do move I will live with my parents for at least a year so cost of living is not really a problem for me at the moment. I would/could stay with them until I was able to afford my own place.
> 
> ...



Tom - if you're still around can you let me know how you got on? I'll be moving to Dubai in the New Year and have a son in the same position as you. I have advised him to go to Uni - but he wants to give Dubai a go first (a gap year).

I'd be interested to know what your experience at job finding was. thanks


----------



## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Rusty2 said:


> Tom - if you're still around can you let me know how you got on? I'll be moving to Dubai in the New Year and have a son in the same position as you. I have advised him to go to Uni - but he wants to give Dubai a go first (a gap year).
> 
> I'd be interested to know what your experience at job finding was. thanks


I wouldn't come to Dubai for a gap year between university - it's very expensive (unless you're going to pay for him living it up!! ).

Try Africa or South East Asia, you'll get a much better experience and it'll be a LOT cheaper!! Once he's been to university then have a stab at this crazy place!

HTH


----------



## jump (Oct 8, 2008)

dubai is not the right place to go if you don't possess a degree or experience... better stay in UK and get relevant work experience first..


----------

