# Job opportunity in Dubai: Wife and 3 Kids



## timbozi (Jun 17, 2009)

Hi,

Yesterday the company that I work for asked if I would consider relocating to Dubai. We've recently opened an office within Dubai Internet City, and are looking to get things off the ground. My wife and I are open to the idea of international travel, but am somewhat hesitant when it comes to the ME.

The first question that comes to mind is: Is it safe for my wife and kids, (kids are 5,7,9 two girls one boy)? 

Thanks for your help!!!


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## mayotom (Nov 8, 2008)

Oh no not safe at all here, especially if you have an american accent, everybody is out to get you.....:evil: :target::usa2:


but been serious :welcome: to the forum, safety is not a worry here, crime levels are very very very low in comparaison to what you have in the :usa2: 

Do you think that there would be millions of ex-pats here if it weren't safe, many people come here because they feel more safe and secure than in their westernised home countries.

If you go through the many threads on here you will find hundreds of Americans/Canadians who live a good life here and wouldn't swap it for what they had at home. but this country is not for everybody, heat can be a bit much in summer. certain other things like the bureaucracy of it all can get on peoples nerves but no different to moving to any other country


If you have any specific safety concerns do let us know, 

maybe an  invasiion


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## timbozi (Jun 17, 2009)

mayotom said:


> Oh no not safe at all here, especially if you have an american accent, everybody is out to get you.....:evil: :target::usa2:
> 
> 
> but been serious :welcome: to the forum, safety is not a worry here, crime levels are very very very low in comparaison to what you have in the :usa2:
> ...


Ok, so I guess that i did deserve that! :clap2: 

It's really hard to get a real understanding of what it might be like in UAE over here. I've heard that it is safe, but not from anyone acutall there, thanks! We're not the type of people that will feel good about locking ourselves in and not engaging the community and would love insight on avenues to doing this.

Also, do you have any input on housing around the DIC campus?

Thanks for your help!


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

Welcome to the forum  And I remember what an exciting, nerve wracking experience it is when you first get the offer to come.

Perfectly safe. Just make sure the package is worth coming for, especially since US citizens still have to pay tax on a certain level of income. Your biggest headache will probably be trying to arrange schools. Please make sure your company is willing to pay school fees and accommodation as you don't want to be taking out loans when you get here just to pay your rent upfront. I have friends who have 3 children and they get school fees paid for 2 and they have to pay for the youngest.

My oldest child (12) loves it here, my youngest (8) is not so keen, but he misses the laid back, outdoor lifestyle that we had in Australia. (Sorry, but the beaches here just don't compare!)But the opportunity to expose your kids to a multitude of cultures is great. Being here have a much better awareness of the world than their peers back home do. 

Internet City is in the 'new' end of town. You have two choices, I think. 1. Presuming you want a villa and not an apartment, you could live in Meadows, Jumeirah Islands or even the Palm. Depends on Budget. The down side to these areas (especially the Meadows) is that it is all a bit Truman Showish. All the villas look the same. They are gated communities. The upside is that it is about 10 minutes to DIC, there are bike paths etc for the kids to get out and about in the neighbourhood. The other choice is to live Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah which is about 15 minutes to DIC. I loooove this area, but we chose the Meadows anyway. Umm Suqueim is closer to the beach, has a better more 'unique' feel to it as the villas aren't all the same, and you don't have to drive 'out' of the development to get where you want to go. HOWEVER, the kids can't just get on their bikes and take off around the street, etc. So it's all up to what you want. Once you get here and have a look, you'll know what feels right for you. Schools: There are a few American schools here, do a Google search and you will find them. To be honest, you may not be able to pick and choose. If you can find a school that has places for all three of your kids, you'll be lucky. It's not like other places where you choose a school and off you go. Waiting lists are long, especially for the younger years. This might change come September when many people are rumoured to be leaving. Your first decision is whether you want US, British or IB curriculum and take it from there.


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

Just remembered the American Schools.

Dubai American Academy
American School of Dubai
Universal American School (This would be a trek to get to if you chose to live near your work, though!)


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## klaus3974 (Dec 8, 2008)

I agree with everyone here... this is the safest place I have lived so far (except for the mad driving) and a nice place to raise children. The key issue here is to get the right package... life can be very expensive here. Get the offer and come back to us for the maths.

You may want to get the Dubai Explorer guide... it is the bible.


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## timbozi (Jun 17, 2009)

All of you ROCK! Thanks so much for the quick replies! As soon as I have more details I'll post and await your thoughts. 

I'll continue to search the forum for more general info and see if I can find the "Dubai Explorer". Any other thoughts are always welcome!!!


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## Timberwolf78 (Jun 18, 2009)

timbozi said:


> All of you ROCK! Thanks so much for the quick replies! As soon as I have more details I'll post and await your thoughts.
> 
> I'll continue to search the forum for more general info and see if I can find the "Dubai Explorer". Any other thoughts are always welcome!!!


What company do you work for, if you don't mind me asking?


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## blueskydiver (Aug 20, 2008)

I ordered the "Dubai Explorer" from Borders in the states before we came over.. the information was great.. Have been here 7 months. Live in the marina area .. close to internet city.. It is very safe here. It can be expensive here for a family. Besides the cost of schooling, food and clothing are most expensive than the states.
As long as you have a good package you should be fine.. we are able to save quite a bit even with the cost of living being higher here..


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## timbozi (Jun 17, 2009)

blueskydiver said:


> I ordered the "Dubai Explorer" from Borders in the states before we came over.. the information was great.. Have been here 7 months. Live in the marina area .. close to internet city.. It is very safe here. It can be expensive here for a family. Besides the cost of schooling, food and clothing are most expensive than the states.
> As long as you have a good package you should be fine.. we are able to save quite a bit even with the cost of living being higher here..


Thanks Blueskydiver! Any suggestions on specific neighberhoods you would reccomend looking into or staying away from? Also, do you have kids? If so, do you have a suggested "budget" to make life liveable over there?

Thanks for your input!


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## blueskydiver (Aug 20, 2008)

We do not have young children.. infact our daughter and her three children just returned to the states from a visit here.. the kids loved it.. the 9 yr old wanted to stay and live with us..For a family the Meadows would probably be the best.. the kids would have a nice place to play..
Again.. as long as your package includes housing, transportation, airline tickets and school costs you should be fine..We even asked for allowances for utilities...
It has taken some time to get use to using taxis( they are very inexpensive here).
We are finding that even living here in the Marina it is easy to maintain a good lifestyle and be able to save money.
I would definitely recommend you bring plenty of clothes and comfort items.. the same things we are used to having in the states can be expensive here and the quality of clothing is a lot different than the states ... unless you want to spend for designer clothes..
where in the states are you coming from?


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