What should your bring with you? Fridge? Oven? Toaster? We've great advice for you, including cost of electrical items here.
30 July 2013
| Last updated on 19 January 2020
Voltage
Without getting too technical, the voltage in Dubai is 220 V. This has an advantage over lower voltage, such as the 110 V, in that it is cheaper to transmit but 220 V is more dangerous than lower voltages.
So this means that the Dubai voltage IS NOT compatible with electrical goods from the USA and Canada, but IS compatible with Europe, including the UK, South Africa, New Zealand & Australia.
Do not despair if you are coming from the USA or Canada- if you do want to bring your white goods with you, you can buy a transformer or convertor here in Dubai or bring one with you- this will enable you to be able to use your electrical goods here.
Plugs
Dubai uses what is known as the G plug- which is the 3 pin plug like the ones used in the UK and other countries.
You will sometimes buy electronic goods here that have a 2 pin plug- you can buy adaptors for these. They are currently quite common but are being phased out by the Dubai Government shortly.
All new builds and most apartments have the actual plug sockets for the 3 pin plugs.
To move or not to move...
Electrical goods are quite comparatively priced here and of varying quality- from the budget to the luxurious. Whether you decide to bring or buy here is a decision you need to think about… ask yourself the following questions to help make your mind up...
- Is your company paying for the relocation shipping costs?
- Have you got restricted shipping space available?
- Is your company providing you a furnishing allowance on arrival?
- Have you got somewhere to store them in your home country?
- Could you sell them in your home country and use the money to buy new once here?
- Can you afford to buy new ones when you arrive?
- Are you white goods new or old? If they’re going to need replacing soon anyway why bring them?
- Your villa/ flat may come with major white goods anyway.
- Are you really attached to any of them?
- How do you know they will fit in your new home?
- Is your home going to have electric oven and hob or gas?
- How long are you planning to stay for? If it's not a long- term move are there things you don't mind buying the cheaper version of?
- Are you going to be staying in the same place the whole length of time? Bear in mind if you move after a year or so you are going to have different requirements. E.g. you might be in somewhere which has all the white goods but end up moving somewhere that has none.
Examples of electrical goods costs
Here are some example prices of standard white and electrical goods- we’ve given the price of medium range brands here- so you can get cheaper or there are more expensive versions available.
Fridge Freezer: 1,100 AED
Washing Machine: 1,000 AED
Dishwasher: 2,000 AED
Electric Oven with 4 ring hob: 1,000 AED
Microwave: 400 AED
Toaster: 80 AED
Kettle: 80 AED
LCD TV 32”: 1,200 AED
DVD Player: 200 AED
Iron: 100 AED
Vacuum Cleaner: 600 AED
You should try and work it out from a financial point of view - can you afford to move the goods, is it worth the cost/ space used? Can you store them or sell them before you move? Can you afford to buy them once in situ? Can you afford to ship them back? Can you afford to re-buy if you go home?
Other Top Tips
There are so many places to buy electrical goods here- we would recommend Carrefour, Sharaf DG and LuLu although there are hundreds of other places- you'll be amazed what you can get here. Most larger outlets deliver so sometimes it is better to just get everything in one place and have one delivery!
Most people here don’t have a tumble dryer- it’s so hot outside your washing dries in 20 minutes anyway! Combi ones or standalone dryers are available though.
It’s great to have a water cooler in your home- you’re going to need to drink a lot of water because of the heat and most people don't drink the tap water- bottled is the main usage.
You probably won’t need a hoover/ vacuum here- all villas and apartments have marble or tile floors and need rigorous sweeping and moppings- you’d be better off investing in a steam mop! If you are planning to put in big carpets and rugs you will definitely need a hoover due to the amount of dust here.
SEE ALSO: What clothes, toiletries and food you can buy in Dubai
For some unknown reason there are lots of top loading washing machines available here- front loaders are more expensive. Be careful with top loaders as you may not have anywhere to put it- most flats it would be under a kitchen cabinet and a top loader is not going to open!
Some buildings only have electricity for cooking, some have a gas supply and some you have to buy your own gas bottle, some have ovens and hob already fitted some have an empty space- so would really advise not bringing your oven with you unless you know for sure where you are going to be living. Most set ups are free standing ovens slotted into a space between cabinets- very few places have them built in to vertical cabinets.
Get as a big a fridge as you can afford- you will find you end up putting more things in it than you would at home due to the heat and need a large supply of cool drinks!
Waste/garbage disposal units in sinks are very rare in Dubai and we've asked around and no-one has heard of or seen one here- it's probably due to the gauge of the drains here which are slightly smaller than the norm.
Check out our Classifieds section- people are often coming and going and quite often selling whole households of goods- you can check out the prices and also plan to buy when you are here. This is also a great avenue for selling all your goods if you decide to move home. Take Me There>>