ExpatWoman.com - free and friendly site for expat women

ExpatWoman.com : the Site

The aim of the site is to provide useful and relevant information for women either living in the UAE or contemplating a move here. Guide books, and professionally written pieces certainly can be useful, but they don't always give you the slant on information that you need. You will find that the city/country profiles and many other articles here, have been written by expatriate women, sharing their knowledge and experiences. Our own team have a wealth of experience between them and look forward to helping you make the most of life in this fabulous city !

On top of this archive of personal experiences, we have a developed an online women's magazine, covering broad range of interesting topics, and dotted in there you will also fine audio files from our sister site, www.DubaiPod.com. We offer several support services; the very popular information board, orientation tours, job ads, and run over 500 events a year, from coffee mornings through to fashion shows, courses to small business support.

Our flagship site covers Dubai & the northern Emirates. We have also been delighted to introduce www.ExpatWomanAbuDhabi.com, covering Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, www.ExpatWomanQatar.com and www.thebridgets.com for women wanting to meet other women, to get together to socialise and support each other as newcomers. Set up for single girls, the group also welcome married women who are looking for more evening/weekend events . The sites are ever-changing, ever-growing ;

there's never a dull moment......

I launched the site in May 2000, looking to provide the services I would have liked to have found on arriving in Dubai. Married to Tim, mum to James (13), Matt (11) and Sam (9), we had lived in Milan and Den Haag before coming here, ten years ago. I am very interested to see how expat women re-invent themselves as new experiences and opportunities come along. In a previous life I was a management accountant, then I had the boys and very much enjoyed being a full-time mum for seven years before returning to work, developing ExpatWoman. I had the idea to do this rather than accounting as I only wanted to work part-time.... hahahaha! Be careful what you wish for !

It could have gone either way but despite being the only guy on the team, I can honestly say I have the best job ever ! I was born in the UK and then spent some 15 years of my life growing up on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad & Tobago. I moved to Dubai from the UK in October 2006 with my wife Julie, who had been offered an exciting teaching position for a newly built school. My career background is 100% hospitality, so working with the ExpatWoman team here has certainly been a new direction for me. However, I am glad to say that I have finally found my niche. When not working, I like to spend my time sampling various cuisines, watching the occasional video, listening to a variety of eclectic music and just enjoying the many things that make Dubai such a wonderful and exciting place to live.

Hi my name is Sallie and I have been a resident of Dubai for the last fourteen years during which time I have enjoyed spells as a full time employee, full-time mum and in recent years a combination of the two. I am mum to Olivia and Max who are both at Jess and married to Mark who has his own business here in Dubai.In my years here I have seen Dubai grow and grow and the opportunities for woman who either work or don’t, have grown in tandem. Dubai is a fabulous place to spend your time be it on a short or long-term basis. My main focus is developing the advertising that supports this wonderful site, but you'll also find me at one of the events or catch me waxing lyrical for ExpatWoman on the radio or in our Emirates Today Column.

Lise Stokes - Key Accounts Manager

I have lived in Dubai for 14 years with my husband and our boys, Harry (7) and Oscar (5). This city has been good for us and I have been able to indulge my passion for horses and develop my hobby, playing polo. A few years ago I got involved with what has become the annual charity polo match in aid of Foresight, and it has been a great pleasure to see that initiative grow. I work on the advertising and events side of the business. I particularly focus on the Health, Dental & Beauty pages. I was responsible for launching the ever-popular botox nights. And before you ask, no I haven't ! My parents are French / Irish so I also help out with orientations for French families arriving in Dubai.

Editorial & Events Support Team

These are the ladies who help us on a part-time ad hoc basis, and so often are 'at the front line' ; the first point of contact for ladies arriving in Dubai, be it at a coffee morning or an orientation. They are a lovely, welcoming, fun and friendly bunch of girls ; always happy to meet newcomers. Each has her own story and you can hear some of them, with interviews recorded for www.DubaIPod.com. Over the last few years we have also expanded our editorial team, drawing on the expertise and local knowledge of women in the region. They enrich the site through the range of themes and perspectives introduced on a monthly basis.

Dawn Bekker

Helga Meyer

Helga co-runs the Mercato and Burjuman coffee mornings, and is a quirky, arty, lovely, gentle soul ! Helga is also on hand for orientations for German families arriving, being a native German speaker.

listen to my interview

Jill McSorley Valle-Editor,ExpatwomanQatar.com

Hi, I’m Jill, and I’ve been in Doha since October of 2006. I live here with my husband, Jose, and our two dogs. Before this adventure, I spent a year in El Salvador, but most of my life I have lived in small towns throughout northeastern US. Of course Doha has been a bit of a change! When I’m not planning ExpatWoman events or contributing to the website, I try to swim, ski, and travel as much as possible. If you have any ideas for events or happenings that you would like in Qatar, I’m the girl to call!

Judy Rickatson

Judy co-runs the Burjuman and Mercato coffee mornings with Helga, and helps with orientation mornings for newcomers. Very sensible ! and full of good ideas, Judy is keen to welcome anyone to come along and join the friendly coffee morning groups.

listen to my interview

Helen Schrader

Helen has launched a fortnightly coffee morning in Sharjah. She is very interested in the Arts & Cultural insights that Sharjah has to offer, which are considerably more than many expats think... a little jewel often overlooked. Helen also helps us to arrange day trips to Sharjah from Dubai.

Marwa moved to Dubai 3 years ago. She's a busy mom of a toddler with a baby on the way. She became concerned with healthy eating and nutrition during her pregnancy and feeding her baby toddler. She wants to help moms offer their children healthy, appealing, and nutritious meals that they will actually eat in addition to providing a common platform and support network for moms everywhere. Marwa loves to experiment in the kitchen and try out new crazy ideas and recipes with her daughter Sara J.

So that's the whole team. We seem to be ever-changing but that's the very nature of life for expat women. I have come to accept change as a natural state of being ! So...ExpatWoman.com.... written by women for women. We aim to have something for everyone. Make yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up, and work your way through the magazine, the guides, the pods, the information board..... better bring the coffee pot and a few biscuits !