UK to Dubai - a good move or not??

Just ask yourself what you have to lose - obviously assuming you have the financial means to relocate and rent etc. Your friends ad family will be queuing up to visit so in terms of two years away from them it will fly by. What you have to gain on the other hand:- A chance to live the lives you want to live every weekend. For some that is brunches, boat parties etc. But you don't need to live like that if you don't have the means to. Evening picnics on the beach watching kite surfers, camping in the desert with a 2nd hand tent and an omelette paratha for breakfast from a streetside cafe on the way home, barbecues with good friends - all very very cheap ways of having a great time here. Bear in mind that most people take a year to feel truly settled and you won't want to go home after two years ;). Oh and I disagree with previous posters re children, obv yes life is more expensive with school fees etc but in terms of cultural diversity and awareness and having friends from all corners of the world, the UAE is an amazing place for your children to grow up. Good luck with your decision :)

Its really hard to say whether I think the move would add much to your life outside of work, as that all depends on your husband's salary. The style of life after all depends on your pocket money once bills/rent are paid etc. I moved here with my husband in 2011 for his job, we had/still have no children, I was 25 when I moved here, his first salary was not great at all. But our thinking was, it will get us there and opportunities will arise from being there - which it has thankfully - but I could not find a legal job for 10 month. It was very hard for me as everywhere was asking for UAE experience but I obviously never had it. You will find UAE experience a must for the higher paid jobs. Point being, we could not save a penny for years with me not working for so long and on his salary. With you giving yourself that 2 year margin, you may very well not go home with savings (husband's salary dependent and of course your ease at finding a job) but you will definitely be able to have quality time before settling down like you ask, as there are things that you can do here that are an amazing experience! Also, I would say come and try Dubai now while you are child free as once you have children, as it may be alot harder financially (schooling fees alone) to have a quality life here. Come, try it out, you have nothing to lose! :biggrin:

I'd say definitely take the opportunity. It will be such an adventure for the two of you. It's a very different life to that at home and if you're coming with the security of your husband's job then I think it's perfect. We came in 09 and absolutely love it. We planned for a year or two, but are still here with no plans to go home. Having said that we have had friends that came for a couple of years, built up some savings, had a baby and then went home. Savings definitely seem easier if you don't have children here. This is a bit of a tangent, but bear with me... When we were deciding on whether to come or not, we thought about some friends/neighbours of ours in London who had moved to New York for 18 months for work and then come back. It really felt like nothing had changed while they were away, same restaurants, same bin day etc. Our lives had continued day in/day out (very happily) and they just slotted back in after their adventure. It made me think that 18 months is a short period of time in the scale of things and time passes anyway. Have the adventure! FFx

I moved here from the UK in 2006 due to the industry I worked in all but collapsing When I arrived it wasn't as busy, accommodation/food/going out etc was very cheap however the cost of living is now very high I rent a modest one bed apartment which has a communal pool/gym Ideas of cost are 1 bed apartment 1200GBP per month ( Has to be paid in 4 cheques up front) Deposit for apartment was 700GBP ( paid upfront) If you use an agent to find you said apartment the deposit for that is 5% of the annual rent ( Paid upfront) Utilities deposit 345GBP paid upfront Housing tax/water/electric/air con 100GBP per month. If you air con isn't included in your utilities add another 40-50GBP onto that bill Internet and mobile phone 120GBP a month. Data and internet packages are expensive here compared to home I own my car outright however car insurance has to paid upfront in one payment. Mine for a 3.2l car is 260GBP Petrol has recently gone up I only use mine for work and occasional trips to the mall and on average is costs me 35GBP a month Food if you buy branded from Waitrose/Spinneys can cost around 80GBP per person per week ( Depends on what you eat) Gyms are expensive here. Expect to pay around up to 60GBP per month per person for an equivalent of Fitness First Alcohol is more expensive. a pint of beer is around 5GBP as is a vodka tonic If the role is good for your Husbands career and the money is good, relocation costs are covered, help with setting up housing etc costs then I would say go for it. I am here purely to save for my future. If I could earn at home what I do here then I would leave in a heartbeat. I have loved my time here as I came from a very small city and I can honestly say Dubai has enriched me and taught me things about different cultures/nationalities that I would never of known about at home. It is very social and apart from a few months in the height of the Summer the weather is beautiful. It has its downsides as many places do but if it is only for a few years then go for it. I cannot help with your role though as I can honestly say I have never seen those roles advertised here ( Have never looked though) P.S I love NI and go to Belfast to visit my BF at least once a year! :biggrin:

I'd say go for it. It's a new adventure. If you were thinking to continue working from home in dubai, keep in touch with all the contacts you have and see if they have any branches in dubai and any job openings. Otherwise I'd look at banks or insurance companies. I have a similar style of job (not financial calculation related) but in the sense that it doesn't matter where I am I can sit and proof read documents and highlight areas that need attention. I'm supposed to be in the office, however most of the time I work from home and just go to the office to attend meetings and collect documents. It's more of a private arrangement with my employer.

Hi, 1) Dubai is rather costly. If the package is good, you will have a great time. Many of your new friends will be on quite big salary ... you will see that they dont care about 500 Dhs here and there ... However, you are young and will like it, esp for a limited time, even on less money. 2) Generally, I would consider it a wise step to come to Dubai for 1 or 2 years, esp as long as you have no kids. It can promote your DH's career significantly, and also both of you will gain soft skills and life-experience. Therefore my advice: Dubai is waiting you. By the way ... there are quite many expats from UK in here...