Anyone Lived in Dubai?

[Ship Shape]

Thinking of relocating to Dubai with work as a really good opportunity has come up - anyone been there / know what its like? Be sad to leave Sing though...

[Strong Eagle]

I haven't lived there but I have visited. It is a mix of old and new, with the new going gangbusters. Economic development is where it is at... sort of the Singapore of the Middle East. More than 800 MNC's have their Middle East headquarters there.

It is rather a pretty city, but very hot. Although it is Islamic, alcohol is available at most any hotel bar, as are prostitutes. Old town Dubai and the central area of the town show what it used to be like... then as you move away you see high rise office buildings and many very well done buildings.

There is a very large mall there, called City Mall, that will now be joined by an even larger mall. You can buy virtually anything there. It is strange to see an expat woman with her tits hanging out of her tank top, standing next to a woman covered head to toe in a Burkha.

The city seems to be generally tolerant of western ways but you should be aware of custom... holding hands and kissing in public is a no-no... and one should be respectful of fasting by not eating in public.

In Dubai, it is either paved over, it is green and watered, or it is sand. There isn't much else. For me, living there for a while would be OK, especially if I got to see more of the surrounding area, and I met several expats who really liked it. Only about 30 percent is Arab... the other 70 percent are Indian, Pakistani, Lebonese, Iraqi, Chinese, who all come to work.

Me, I'd take Singapore, but only because it is a jewel compared to most cities.

[project1980]

I haven't lived there for long, but been there twice to visit someone who relocated there for work purposes in the construction industry. First off, I guess the pay package was attractive - salary in USD, with house, car, etc. Apart from that, he'd much rather be living in Singapore. I personally felt there was no 'life' there... like, where we have kids growing up, going to school, and people growing old here in Singapore, majority of those guys there are mainly just working and working...for those old sheikhs drowning in gold I don't see many making it their home to live in for long. Make money, create the city, come home to somewhere more comforting...life's so harsh in the desert.

[mumbaigirl]

my sis moved there recently and has been complaining of the high cost of living... especially rental..... 1 bedroom smallish apartment is S$30k per annum.