Help - Living locations, Irish family looking to relocate to Dubai in 6 months

Hi guys, Myself and my husband and our 2 young boys are relocating to Dubai hopefully in 6 months. We don't know much about the ,moving process so I am trying to read as many threads as I can to find all the info I need. Basically we are trying to find out about living locations, what areas are the best for ex-pats. I would love to live somewhere were the community really get together and know one another as I have the fear of been isolated once my husband goes to work and the boys go to school because I plan to take 12 months off once I get to Dubai. The are would ideally be close to a good school too. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I know it would depend on budget but maybe use 150k per year as a guideline. 2 or 3 bed villa type, greenery etc, I don't want to be in an apartment. Thanks. Orla x If I were you I would opt for the springs. It's an amazing place, perfect for your family. Yes I think that's gonna be the spot. Without wishing to be a party pooper ..... personally I'd pause for breath or you may end up setting expectations for yourself/husband that can't be met. Let your husband apply for a job and get an offer, see what salary and allowances he gets then start planning villas and schools according to budget. There's no harm in dreaming but dreaming can lead to a big disappointment. Long gone are the days of western expats just being able to walk into lucrative jobs. Like I say I'm not a party pooper just being real.

Just thought of this: https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/guides/khda-dubai-2017-school-rankings-table-complete KHDA is the education authority here in Dubai. They assess and rank the (many) schools here. It's a great place to start, as all (open) schools are listed here. Don't necessarily go for the top ranked schools, we went to an amazing one, but because it was new did not get a very high score. Ask around the "Dubai Mums" FB page for some suggestions regarding good schools too.

Hi! We live in The Springs - on the plus side, it's a great community, and really close to the southern part of Dubai (JLT, where I work). The villas are somewhat over-priced though and you can get some really good deals a bit further out. I won't list them - previous posters have done an excellent job! Some of the villas are indeed showing their age. I know this sounds obvious, but select somewhere either close to the school(s) that the kids will be going to or close to the office. A plus here is that the school buses come to your front door to collect and drop off the kids. So you can maybe stay a bit further away than you might otherwise do. Re purchasing household stuff: as most posters have already said, most villas will be completely empty and you will need to start from scratch (except for kitchen units and some built-in wardrobes). BUT you don't need to buy new - there are flourishing FB pages which have some great second hand deals (type in Springs, Meadows, Lakes Flea Market for example). Ikea is also a good, reasonably priced alternative. Please do ensure that you have enough to cover housing and schooling - and check out prices before agreeing on a salary as both can be incredibly expensive. Water/electricity/waste collection are also fairly pricey. Hope this helps - please write back if you need any more details :-)

Hello Dubai is a great place to live and you will be moving at a great time of year. Springs area is good to live but some of the villa's can be quite "tired" so you will need to shop around. Some people say you shouldn't live further out but I disagree. Arabian Ranches has a real community feel to it and is 20 minutes from everywhere. If you don't want to drive there is a regular bus service and good local shops. The new communities of Mudon and Mira (in Reem) have lovely villa's and also really good communities. there are lots of ways to meet folk and in my experience most people are friendly and helpful. Expat Woman coffee mornings are a good place to start, every community has Facebook pages which will help you with questions, Arabian ranches ladies is another good club to join (and you don't have to live in ranches to join). Depending on your hobby there are lots of other groups - quilting, crafts, golf, tennis to name a few. There is literally a group for practically everything here. There was a group of Irish Ladies who met up regularly too. In terms of furniture you don't have to buy new and spend a fortune. The website called Dubizzle is great and once you know where you are joining most places have Facebook groups which buy and sell furniture. The thing to remember in Dubai is that people are always coming and going. So you can often get nearly new or indeed new furniture and electrical goods for very good prices. In terms of post we have an Emirates Post PO Box. We pay to have it at our villa - 700 AED per annum and we get 3 deliveries. Most of the post arrives - but not all - it's not 100% reliable but does mean you and your children can get birthday cards. It is a little cheaper if you have a PO Box that you go and collect the post from and there are plenty of them. A lot of companies provide temporary accommodation for the first 4 weeks of your time in Dubai and I agree with others that a serviced apartment is a good bet. My advice is to check what the company provides before you rent something yourself but if you have to do it yourself Barsha Heights (formally known as TECOM) have some good serviced apartment deals and you are close to the metro and reasonably well placed to get out and about searching for your new home.

Springs is lovley and green, great for family life

Hi guys, Myself and my husband and our 2 young boys are relocating to Dubai hopefully in 6 months. We don't know much about the ,moving process so I am trying to read as many threads as I can to find all the info I need. Basically we are trying to find out about living locations, what areas are the best for ex-pats. I would love to live somewhere were the community really get together and know one another as I have the fear of been isolated once my husband goes to work and the boys go to school because I plan to take 12 months off once I get to Dubai. The are would ideally be close to a good school too. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I know it would depend on budget but maybe use 150k per year as a guideline. 2 or 3 bed villa type, greenery etc, I don't want to be in an apartment. Thanks. Orla x If I were you I would opt for the springs. It's an amazing place, perfect for your family.

That's good to know, Ill defo check Ikea out. I was reading somewhere about postage and not getting it delivered to your door as you need to go to some central location to collect everything, is this true? Would that be the same for Ikea, im sure they would come to your villa? Maybe I need to stop reading some stuff online ha. Hopefully we will make the move in Jan, we have literally just started to talk about it, my husband is an Engineer so im hoping he will find something so we can start the process. If I could I Would go tomorrow, im stuck in my hectic 9-5 office job and cant wait to feel the sun on my face and take some time out :) We don't even know how to apply for jobs, tats another post I should probably stick up.:) If you want your post delivered here, you need to set up a post box with the post office. Even then it's debatable if you will receive it. It's not like the good old Irish postman!! Ha!! We haven't bothered, just get stuff couriered within Dubai and get our international post when we get home. Everything else can be delivered here...from your big furniture and electrical items down to laundry, milk and McDonald's!!! Any time of day or night!!! So yes, ikea no problem. The shopping festival is usually in February so you will get some really good deals then!!! As for applying for jobs, sorry can't help you there!!! I'm not working here and we were transferred here with hubbys job but you will definitely get answers if you post it on a separate thread. I'm guessing you would apply directly to companies or some might have recruitment fairs! Good luck!! So your telling me ill never receive a birthday card from home with my few euros in it? Now that's a bummer, I may give my Iban to everyone before I leave ha. I'm getting so excited about the move now, just hoping all works out and goes to plan x Ha ha, good idea! Or just get them to pay up now in advance!! ? It is an exciting time. Enjoy it and try not to get too stressed with it all!!

That's good to know, Ill defo check Ikea out. I was reading somewhere about postage and not getting it delivered to your door as you need to go to some central location to collect everything, is this true? Would that be the same for Ikea, im sure they would come to your villa? Maybe I need to stop reading some stuff online ha. Hopefully we will make the move in Jan, we have literally just started to talk about it, my husband is an Engineer so im hoping he will find something so we can start the process. If I could I Would go tomorrow, im stuck in my hectic 9-5 office job and cant wait to feel the sun on my face and take some time out :) We don't even know how to apply for jobs, tats another post I should probably stick up.:) If you want your post delivered here, you need to set up a post box with the post office. Even then it's debatable if you will receive it. It's not like the good old Irish postman!! Ha!! We haven't bothered, just get stuff couriered within Dubai and get our international post when we get home. Everything else can be delivered here...from your big furniture and electrical items down to laundry, milk and McDonald's!!! Any time of day or night!!! So yes, ikea no problem. The shopping festival is usually in February so you will get some really good deals then!!! As for applying for jobs, sorry can't help you there!!! I'm not working here and we were transferred here with hubbys job but you will definitely get answers if you post it on a separate thread. I'm guessing you would apply directly to companies or some might have recruitment fairs! Good luck!!

Hi, Yes, I would suggest to get a hotel or hotel apartment first while looking for places to live. There are so many areas to chose from and it is important to really see which one fits your family. Some people like living further out from the traffic and congestion and some like living in the middle of it all. So you really have to see which area fits your family the best. Here is my take on some areas. Each area pretty much has it's own shopping center for groceries and restaurants so that's never a problem. The most "going out" places is the Marina and Downtown Dubai. Motor City- Great community with lots of families. You will need a car as it is a little further from the malls, etc. But they also have there own shopping centers with restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Arabian Ranches- Also great community with families, but again you will need a car as it is right next to motor city. They also have shopping center close. The good thing is that taxi's are really cheap here so even if you don't get a car you can still afford to get around. The Greens- a little closer to the busy areas with great community. Just be careful not to get too far out as you will isolate yourself. Expat woman has some great meet ups to meet people and they list them on this website. Ikea is the best place to buy furniture, especially if you are here only a short time. There are facebook pages in each area that people do sell second hand furniture. There are a lot of expats coming and going. I live in Motor City. It is just myself and my husband but we like it because it is easy to get to as traffic in Dubai is crazy. Also, we have a dog so it's a great green area. We have everything we need here. But the mall is about 15 mins away. So no big deal. And when we do go out we just take a taxi and it is easy. Honestly you just have to come and explore each area to see what is best for you. Hope this helps a little. Oh and don't bother with postage. You will never get your mail. If you want to order stuff online I suggest stop and ship. Make sure your husband gets a good contract. You will need at least 170,000dhs for a villa and make sure they cover your kids school as that can be very expensive. Dubai is very expensive and only worth it if the company pays for your rent and kids school.

Great thanks. Another question for you. What do most people do when they first get over? Do stay in short term accommodation while in search for the permanent one? I just ask because they are all unfurnished so I would need time to furnish it? Is there good furniture shops or do people tend to buy 2nd hand? Yep most people would stay in serviced/ hotel apartments. That way you can cook yourself and have some living space. We stayed in a hotel and I was going crazy just in the one room all the time with just a kettle!! There are lots of serviced/hotel apartments and really reasonably priced. Yes, almost all villas are unfurnished. You will probably need to buy everything including washing machine, tumble dryer, cooker, fridge etc. Depending on what month you arrive, a lot of the stores do sales for snapping up electrical. As for furniture shops, depends what you are after and how much you want to pay. Marina, The One have lovely stuff but is expensive. There is Home Centre as well and that's more reasonable. IKEA will probably be your best friend when it comes to furnishing your villa without breaking the bank. And for 200AED they will assemble everything too!! If you want to buy second hand, there are Facebook pages for buying and selling. The seller must collect which puts some people off. Once you get here and get your villa, you will have a better idea of what/how much you will need!

That's brilliant, I really appreciate your help. I did come across The Springs and I really liked it so its good to know there will be people like me living there, its a relief. Its such a daunting experience but I know it will be for the best once we get settled x Yes it is daunting, I agree. But once you get here and see how lovely it is and how friendly everyone is, you will be a lot more at ease. It will be pretty hectic for first month or so finding your feet and a house/furniture/school etc but once that's all done you will be able to enjoy it. We really love it here. Here is a link to houses in springs on property finder today. Hope it works! This should give you an idea of what you can get within your budget. Ok, it didn't work. :angry: But if you go to property finder or dubizzle they will give you an idea of what's available!

That's brilliant, I really appreciate your help. I did come across The Springs and I really liked it so its good to know there will be people like me living there, its a relief. Its such a daunting experience but I know it will be for the best once we get settled x Yes it is daunting, I agree. But once you get here and see how lovely it is and how friendly everyone is, you will be a lot more at ease. It will be pretty hectic for first month or so finding your feet and a house/furniture/school etc but once that's all done you will be able to enjoy it. We really love it here. Here is a link to houses in springs on property finder today. Hope it works! This should give you an idea of what you can get within your budget.

Hi guys, Myself and my husband and our 2 young boys are relocating to Dubai hopefully in 6 months. We don't know much about the ,moving process so I am trying to read as many threads as I can to find all the info I need. Basically we are trying to find out about living locations, what areas are the best for ex-pats. I would love to live somewhere were the community really get together and know one another as I have the fear of been isolated once my husband goes to work and the boys go to school because I plan to take 12 months off once I get to Dubai. The are would ideally be close to a good school too. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I know it would depend on budget but maybe use 150k per year as a guideline. 2 or 3 bed villa type, greenery etc, I don't want to be in an apartment. Thanks. Orla x Hi Orla, I think you and your family will love Dubai. There are a lot of Irish here! Accommodation wise you would get a two bedroom villa in Springs for your budget, maybe a 3 bed for a bit more. Springs is very green and lots of families live there. All the different springs compounds (I think there are 15) are built around lakes with lovely walks and most have a shared pool with lifeguard and playground for kids. There are two small malls nearby, the town centre being the biggest of the two and another one under construction at the moment. There are many schools nearby too, Dubai British school in springs, jumeirah park British school and an international school to name a few. I think the two British schools get good reviews but you can see the school inspection reports online. If there is anything else, just ask! bye: