Possible Move To Dubai | ExpatWoman.com
 

Possible Move To Dubai

2
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 31 March 2015 - 08:59

Hi there,

This is a great site! I have just recently joined as we may be moving to Dubai this year. I am just putting the feelers out there and looking at areas and schools. We are originally from the UK but have lived in Australia for the past 9 years.

With the possible move to Dubai, my husbands new position would be in the Jebel Ali area. We have heard that the Dubai Marina is a great place to live. I just wondered what sort of dynamics live in this area? We have two children aged 8 and 4. I would love to hear from any families that live in this area and what schools are nearby. We are also open to other areas and have taken a look at Arabian Ranches, The Springs etc.

My husbands position is currently in negotiation stages, but we do know that the package would include $200,000 per annum for rent and the international schooling paid for. We may even get the full expat deal.

I would love any feedback from anyone who has recently made the move to Dubai that may have some advice to give.

Thanks!

138
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 April 2015 - 10:42
Thank you for the further replies, its really helpful. [b'>To be clear it was $200,000 AED offered for housing and not in USD or AUD, I know that there is a difference! [/b'> Will this stretch far for a decent 3 bedroom villa or apartment? Hi PommyBlonde, I think the reason people keep asking you to clarify is because you keep leaving a "$" with the number. Honest mistake, it takes getting used to. The ladies on here just want to make sure they are clear because as you and they say, there is a world of difference between what you can afford on a $200,000 vs 200,000 AED budget. Best of luck!
2
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 April 2015 - 02:28
Thank you for the further replies, its really helpful. To be clear it was $200,000 AED offered for housing and not in USD or AUD, I know that there is a difference! Will this stretch far for a decent 3 bedroom villa or apartment? We preferably would like to live and the kids attend school near to the Jebel Ali area. This is where my husbands job will be. He currently travels 1 hr 30 mins to work in Sydney and wouldn't like to do this again, so the closer to work, the better. We have heard the traffic and driving in Dubai to be a nightmare and quite dangerous, so I wouldn't want to be in the car all day travelling to and from the schools. Thank you kss I'll keep that in mind regarding the primary schools and transition through to high school. Thanks again!
118
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 April 2015 - 12:57
Hi good luck with the move, as someone has said, be very clear on the housing allowance before confirming your package! Re schools, you definitely want to start looking at schools way before you move here, places are very hard to come by, having said that new schools are opening all the time. The school will have a big bearing on where you want to live or you could end up spending all day in the car stuck in traffic jams, and driving here is not pleasant! I would suggest that with children of your ages you would want to look at community living, ie Ranches, The Villa, Falcon City, Springs, and if close to your school of choice your children will have friends close by. Jumeirah is lovely, very central. Depending on how long you intend to stay here one other thing to bear in mind re schooling is to try and look at primary schools that feed into their own secondary school, securing secondary places can be a bit of a nightmare, and then, if you are looking that far ahead, check out if the school offers A levels or IB depending or your preference. I know that seems way of and you may not be intending to stay that long, but trust me time flies!!! best of luck.
409
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 April 2015 - 11:08
You need to be clear on the housing allowance as there is a HUGE difference between $200,000 and 200,000 AED.
2
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 April 2015 - 08:53
Thank you all for your replies and advice. My husband will be discussing packages etc on the 14th Apr. The housing budget offered to us at the beginning was $200,000 AED (to be confirmed). So it all depends on this outcome. We have been watching the odd YouTube video regarding the various suburbs and will most likely choose one around the schools. We're looking at international schools with either the Australian or British curriculum. There seems so many! Is it best to start contacting the schools before we move? Also, I run my own ecommerce business from home, does anyone have any experience and/or advice in setting up their own business in Dubai? Thanks in advance!
285
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 April 2015 - 15:30
Marina and JBR are nice if you like living in a flat but traffic is a nightmare. Weekends and leaving in the morning for school are the worst. Also there are many places with loud music going until late at night so you need to choose carefully. Park islands and Jumeirah Island are close to Jebel Ali and offer living in a villa.
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 06 April 2015 - 13:17
$200,000 AUD or USD for housing? Very generous and will give you your pick for the most part. If it's 200,000 AED, then your choices are much more limited, but will still get you a nice place. We've always lived in Umm Suqeim since coming to Dubai and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else except Jumeirah next door. These are the original expat neighborhoods, very central, walkable for the beaches and many dining and shopping options within easy reach. The vibe is a bit different than the big master planned communities like the Ranches or Meadows/Springs, a bit more "local" and more "expat experience," and the villas run the gamut from mini palaces to small and old and rundown and the location cannot be beat. What many people do is to find the schools first then pick a house close by. School places are not easy to come by, although everyone manages to find a school eventually, even if it's not their first, or second or even third choice. edited by Tallybalt on 06/04/2015 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 06/04/2015</em>
8965
Posts
EW MASTER
Latest post on 06 April 2015 - 12:44
Hi there, This is a great site! I have just recently joined as we may be moving to Dubai this year. I am just putting the feelers out there and looking at areas and schools. We are originally from the UK but have lived in Australia for the past 9 years. With the possible move to Dubai, my husbands new position would be in the Jebel Ali area. We have heard that the Dubai Marina is a great place to live. I just wondered what sort of dynamics live in this area? We have two children aged 8 and 4. I would love to hear from any families that live in this area and what schools are nearby. We are also open to other areas and have taken a look at Arabian Ranches, The Springs etc. My husbands position is currently in negotiation stages, but we do know that the package would include $200,000 per annum for rent and the international schooling paid for. We may even get the full expat deal. I would love any feedback from anyone who has recently made the move to Dubai that may have some advice to give. Thanks! Traffic in certain parts of the Marina is awful. Since they built the tram JBR has been gridlocked with traffic. Be careful when choosing which part of the Marina you would live in as it isn't as an attractive place to live as it once was due to the traffic/construction
163
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 April 2015 - 11:26
on youtube you can see videos of each area in Dubai, that helped me. I think most places are very suitable for families. what I do notice is that a lot of singles tend to choose for the Marina too. just noticed, this doesn't mean ofcourse that this makes it less suitable for families.
 
 

ON EXPATWOMAN TODAY