Thinking of moving to Dubai / abroad for work
Discussion
Hi,
I'm currently working in IT in a parcel delivery company and am thinking of moving abroad to work for a few years. A colleague moved to Dubai and it made me think about doing the same. I'm fairly new to IT (first job after uni)and have about 1 years experience as a technical business analyst and then moved to a package support analyst supporting a CRM system (currently been doing for 4 months).
Has anyone moved abroad? Would you recommend it? Do people think I need some more experience before starting to look.
Thanks for any advice
I'm currently working in IT in a parcel delivery company and am thinking of moving abroad to work for a few years. A colleague moved to Dubai and it made me think about doing the same. I'm fairly new to IT (first job after uni)and have about 1 years experience as a technical business analyst and then moved to a package support analyst supporting a CRM system (currently been doing for 4 months).
Has anyone moved abroad? Would you recommend it? Do people think I need some more experience before starting to look.
Thanks for any advice
You’d have to be insane to want to live in UAE or any other country where Islam calls the shots.
I think first you need to ask why you want to leave England, but if you are strung on packing up shop then I’d suggest it’s probably easier getting a job with a multinational corporation and then asking to relocate - you’d have to be worth your salt of course.
For what it’s worth I’ve visited (for work and pleasure) most of what I would call nice parts of the world and I’m pretty confident that nothing can challenge England for its culture and quality of living - I'm here to stay.
I think first you need to ask why you want to leave England, but if you are strung on packing up shop then I’d suggest it’s probably easier getting a job with a multinational corporation and then asking to relocate - you’d have to be worth your salt of course.
For what it’s worth I’ve visited (for work and pleasure) most of what I would call nice parts of the world and I’m pretty confident that nothing can challenge England for its culture and quality of living - I'm here to stay.
GaryST220 said:
You’d have to be insane to want to live in UAE or any other country where Islam calls the shots.
That is a good point that people seem quite reluctant to tackle. Things in UAE or even Saudi or Bahrain can be good if you are earning the money but if it all goes wrong there is no easy way out. Your visa might be tied to your job so you can't leave without you boss releasing you, or you could let your guard down and do something that offends the local laws like holding hands with someone and end up in trouble. I worked as a teacher in Korea for a year, it was fun and quite an interesting experience, but not something I would do forever. Some do but it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. As you are still young you can go to Australia or NZ on a working holiday, it sounds like you work in an area they would pay quite well for but you might have to do a short stint in agriculture of you want more than one year.
Its not a viable question unless you have a job to go to.
The ONLY thing that matters when contemplating a job abroad is money. You are a w
e, nothing more nothing less, therefore whether you accept the compromises of being abroad depends entirely on what sum you are offered.
Everything else is secondary.
The ONLY thing that matters when contemplating a job abroad is money. You are a w
e, nothing more nothing less, therefore whether you accept the compromises of being abroad depends entirely on what sum you are offered.Everything else is secondary.
OP,
If you are considering moving to the UAE, take the advice of people who have done exactly that, and not the crap that some spout because they once went on holiday there, or read some st on the internet!
Post in the Middle East section of the forum.
I've been in Dubai for over 4 years and love it.
If you are considering moving to the UAE, take the advice of people who have done exactly that, and not the crap that some spout because they once went on holiday there, or read some s
t on the internet!Post in the Middle East section of the forum.
I've been in Dubai for over 4 years and love it.
DJRC said:
Its not a viable question unless you have a job to go to.
The ONLY thing that matters when contemplating a job abroad is money. You are a we, nothing more nothing less, therefore whether you accept the compromises of being abroad depends entirely on what sum you are offered.
Everything else is secondary.
100% agree. only bikers with no brains would come to the sandpit for the ambience The ONLY thing that matters when contemplating a job abroad is money. You are a w
e, nothing more nothing less, therefore whether you accept the compromises of being abroad depends entirely on what sum you are offered.Everything else is secondary.
i'd also add that; for those in the early stages of their career; it can be massive leg up as much more is expected of you and there are far more challenges involved in 'getting stuff done' than there are in the uk.sorry OP but i doubt you'd be taken on with the experience you have at present. i could hire 4 indians with MBA's for the kind of salary i imagine you'd 'settle' for when fantasising about the expat lifestyle. in my company we don't hire any expats below middle management as it's not cost effective to do so.
we have a very highly paid IT bod on the ME subforum if you want the insider view.
Yawn.
The only sensible advice is given by the few above, the Middle East can give you a great lifestyle but that lifestyle comes at a cost.
You sound too inexperienced to get something at the moment, gone are the days of pre-GFC whereby any man and his dog could get a job there (in fact the dog might have been relatively senior in the organisation).
The only sensible advice is given by the few above, the Middle East can give you a great lifestyle but that lifestyle comes at a cost.
You sound too inexperienced to get something at the moment, gone are the days of pre-GFC whereby any man and his dog could get a job there (in fact the dog might have been relatively senior in the organisation).
GaryST220 said:
Youd have to be insane to want to live in UAE or any other country where Islam calls the shots.
I think you'd have to be insane to believe comments such as this. I've lived and worked all over the Middle East (Saudi, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar & Oman) for years. Comments like the above are just uninformed nonsense. I all the time I've been there & the hundreds of people I've known there I can only think of 2 "incidents".First was a guy driving having had a beer, swerved to miss a camel, it a high kerb & broke the wheel off. Police came along took him to the station, decided to breath test him, said he was a drunk drive & threw him in the cells. Where he stayed for a day. Not pleasent, but he got out next day, with nothingmore than a slap on the wrist.
Second was a guy driving utterly pissed about 1 in the morning, took a wrong turn & ended heading up a private road to an Emir's palace. Got stopped by Police & pulled out of his car. Seeing his hotel room key in the car, they put him in the back, drove him back to the hotel & dumped him in reception.
Most of the scare stories you will see do not tll the whole truth. there is usually a lot more beneath the surface. You'll go to these places & as long as you are not acting like a total twonk you'll have no issues from these evil Muslims.
On the practical side, it's a great opportunity to earn good money early in your career & before yo have family ties. It's not cheap to live there, so check any offer package very carfully. Do your homework on a potential employer also, some are not as honourable as others.
Just go for it, yo'll not look back with regret.
GT03ROB said:
I think you'd have to be insane to believe comments such as this. I've lived and worked all over the Middle East (Saudi, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar & Oman) for years. Comments like the above are just uninformed nonsense. I all the time I've been there & the hundreds of people I've known there I can only think of 2 "incidents".
First was a guy driving having had a beer, swerved to miss a camel, it a high kerb & broke the wheel off. Police came along took him to the station, decided to breath test him, said he was a drunk drive & threw him in the cells. Where he stayed for a day. Not pleasent, but he got out next day, with nothingmore than a slap on the wrist.
Second was a guy driving utterly pissed about 1 in the morning, took a wrong turn & ended heading up a private road to an Emir's palace. Got stopped by Police & pulled out of his car. Seeing his hotel room key in the car, they put him in the back, drove him back to the hotel & dumped him in reception.
Most of the scare stories you will see do not tll the whole truth. there is usually a lot more beneath the surface. You'll go to these places & as long as you are not acting like a total twonk you'll have no issues from these evil Muslims.
On the practical side, it's a great opportunity to earn good money early in your career & before yo have family ties. It's not cheap to live there, so check any offer package very carfully. Do your homework on a potential employer also, some are not as honourable as others.
Just go for it, yo'll not look back with regret.
It’s a country built on slavery and flimflam, I’m not sure why anyone would want anything to do with it. Crazy or insane? Personally I’d say there is a strong case for both.First was a guy driving having had a beer, swerved to miss a camel, it a high kerb & broke the wheel off. Police came along took him to the station, decided to breath test him, said he was a drunk drive & threw him in the cells. Where he stayed for a day. Not pleasent, but he got out next day, with nothingmore than a slap on the wrist.
Second was a guy driving utterly pissed about 1 in the morning, took a wrong turn & ended heading up a private road to an Emir's palace. Got stopped by Police & pulled out of his car. Seeing his hotel room key in the car, they put him in the back, drove him back to the hotel & dumped him in reception.
Most of the scare stories you will see do not tll the whole truth. there is usually a lot more beneath the surface. You'll go to these places & as long as you are not acting like a total twonk you'll have no issues from these evil Muslims.
On the practical side, it's a great opportunity to earn good money early in your career & before yo have family ties. It's not cheap to live there, so check any offer package very carfully. Do your homework on a potential employer also, some are not as honourable as others.
Just go for it, yo'll not look back with regret.
Thanks for mentioning Saudi Arabia though, I enjoy a laugh. Been to any public executions recently?
Anyway I can’t wait until that entire region runs out of oil because then they’ll be back in the desert with their camels, where they belong. Unless of course they started exporting egg timers
Ah well, as you were.
GaryST220 said:
It’s a country built on slavery and flimflam, I’m not sure why anyone would want anything to do with it. Crazy or insane? Personally I’d say there is a strong case for both.
They were taught well by thir former colonial protector! . To be fair however if you had worked on construction sites in the sub-continent, you'll understand why people from this region will choose what you call slavery. GaryST220 said:
Thanks for mentioning Saudi Arabia though, I enjoy a laugh. Been to any public executions recently?
No I try to be home of a Friday GaryST220 said:
Anyway I can’t wait until that entire region runs out of oil because then they’ll be back in the desert with their camels, where they belong. Unless of course they started exporting egg timers
Shame them daft Arabs elected to invest their ill-gotten gains in foreign assets, to start buildng a "pension" fund for when the oil/gas runs out as opposed to spunking it up the wall like a certain country very close to home that had substantial oil/gas assets. But hey ho each to his own! 
GaryST220 said:
It’s a country built on slavery and flimflam, I’m not sure why anyone would want anything to do with it. Crazy or insane? Personally I’d say there is a strong case for both.
Thanks for mentioning Saudi Arabia though, I enjoy a laugh. Been to any public executions recently?
Anyway I can’t wait until that entire region runs out of oil because then they’ll be back in the desert with their camels, where they belong. Unless of course they started exporting egg timers
Ah well, as you were.
This was bought up a while ago. Slavery? No-one is being forced to work here against their will. Also, wasn't England built on slavery back in the day. Proper slavery? Where do you live and pay-into Gary?Thanks for mentioning Saudi Arabia though, I enjoy a laugh. Been to any public executions recently?
Anyway I can’t wait until that entire region runs out of oil because then they’ll be back in the desert with their camels, where they belong. Unless of course they started exporting egg timers
Ah well, as you were.
The UAE could stop pumping oil today and its citizens could live very happily ever after without a care in the world. I think they have approx 90 years of oil remaining at current extraction levels, which might be handy for somewhere like the UK when it has its begging bowl out in decades to come.
I think Dubai would be a cultural challenge for most Westerners, but it would be the climate that would kill me (quite possibly literally!).
It is, remember, a desert and just because it's by the sea doesn't mean it'll have nice fresh sea breezes, it won't.
If you fancy a beer, you'll be forced into a lifestyle of ex-pat parties. At least they have Nandos!
Honestly, it wouldn't appeal to me, but if I was young and keen to make a load of cash, maybe it would for a couple of years.
M.
It is, remember, a desert and just because it's by the sea doesn't mean it'll have nice fresh sea breezes, it won't.
If you fancy a beer, you'll be forced into a lifestyle of ex-pat parties. At least they have Nandos!
Honestly, it wouldn't appeal to me, but if I was young and keen to make a load of cash, maybe it would for a couple of years.
M.
marcosgt said:
I think Dubai would be a cultural challenge for most Westerners, but it would be the climate that would kill me (quite possibly literally!).
It is, remember, a desert and just because it's by the sea doesn't mean it'll have nice fresh sea breezes, it won't.
If you fancy a beer, you'll be forced into a lifestyle of ex-pat parties. At least they have Nandos!
Honestly, it wouldn't appeal to me, but if I was young and keen to make a load of cash, maybe it would for a couple of years.
M.
This is probably one of the most ill informed posts on PH everIt is, remember, a desert and just because it's by the sea doesn't mean it'll have nice fresh sea breezes, it won't.
If you fancy a beer, you'll be forced into a lifestyle of ex-pat parties. At least they have Nandos!
Honestly, it wouldn't appeal to me, but if I was young and keen to make a load of cash, maybe it would for a couple of years.
M.
marcosgt said:
I think Dubai would be a cultural challenge for most Westerners, but it would be the climate that would kill me (quite possibly literally!).
It is, remember, a desert and just because it's by the sea doesn't mean it'll have nice fresh sea breezes, it won't.
If you fancy a beer, you'll be forced into a lifestyle of ex-pat parties. At least they have Nandos!
Honestly, it wouldn't appeal to me, but if I was young and keen to make a load of cash, maybe it would for a couple of years.
M.
Serious question, and please don't take the wrong way but have you been there?It is, remember, a desert and just because it's by the sea doesn't mean it'll have nice fresh sea breezes, it won't.
If you fancy a beer, you'll be forced into a lifestyle of ex-pat parties. At least they have Nandos!
Honestly, it wouldn't appeal to me, but if I was young and keen to make a load of cash, maybe it would for a couple of years.
M.
Firstly there is not much of a cultural challenge left in the middle east. The heat is serious but unless you are working outside you move from a/c'd environment to a/c'd environment. If you fancy a beer you have a large selection of bars & with a residents permit can buy it for consumption at home.
I can understand how it wouldn't appeal to many. But as overseas places to work go it's not at all bad.
Thats not strictly true Rob. The climate is a pain in the bks. Trust me on this...some of us are ginger and freckles. The ex pat lifestyle, esp the drinking and social side also takes some getting used to, esp if you still have a homelife back in the UK. As I said in my first post...its all about the money and whether its worth the compromises you have to make.
ks. Trust me on this...some of us are ginger and freckles. The ex pat lifestyle, esp the drinking and social side also takes some getting used to, esp if you still have a homelife back in the UK. As I said in my first post...its all about the money and whether its worth the compromises you have to make. I have worked outside the UK most of my life.
Unless you are very skilled/ have lots of experience in a specific field or have a large number of aquaintances in the region do NOT move abroad on spec.
Personally I would think from your original post that the OP does not have that level of experience.
The expat lifestyle: successful expats do not hang around socializing with other expats in bars etc all the time. If you want to succeed you need to socialize where the locals do.
The cultural differences can be enormous, even in countries in the west. THere is a reason why companies prefer to hire people who have already experienced a range of different cultures, adapting to being a working expat is not always easy- and I realize that makes for a catch 22.
For a good test of whether you can make living in dubai apply to jobs advertised for Dubai in the UK.
Unless you are very skilled/ have lots of experience in a specific field or have a large number of aquaintances in the region do NOT move abroad on spec.
Personally I would think from your original post that the OP does not have that level of experience.
The expat lifestyle: successful expats do not hang around socializing with other expats in bars etc all the time. If you want to succeed you need to socialize where the locals do.
The cultural differences can be enormous, even in countries in the west. THere is a reason why companies prefer to hire people who have already experienced a range of different cultures, adapting to being a working expat is not always easy- and I realize that makes for a catch 22.
For a good test of whether you can make living in dubai apply to jobs advertised for Dubai in the UK.
My cousin moved to Muscat for 3 years as an after sales manager for a large car dealership. He loved it and made a load of money. He used to drive into Dubai on a regular basis to socialise. I visited him in Dubai and talking to him and his friend, they both agreed it was a great move. He's back in the UK now earning a lot less but he's happy. His collegue came back to the UK (Coventry) and lasted two weeks before going back out and taking a job with another company out there.
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