The UAE

[1352figgfrl]

What should I expect when living in the UAE?

[Dee Sa]

the best of everything, single or with a family ? I lived there for 14 years, go for it, and you get a free ticket home once a year [unless your working for an airline then you get more] and if you dont want to come home you can have an air ticket to anywhere and you just pay the difference, house boy or house girl to look after you, your wages come free of tax or NI , accomodation found , but remember its like fantasy island and one day you will get fed up.
good luck , go and enjoy it.

[vehelpfulguy]

The UAE is not really one country but seven separate Arab states that joined together (at the suggestion of the British) to get the benefits of being one country.

The most famous is probably Dubai but Abu Dhabi is well known, I have only been to Dubai.

Because the area is mostly desert Dubai for example is really just a city on the coast and the city tends to just end, and is then surrounded by dessert.

Not sure if the others are the same, but if so it could make a great difference which of the seven states you plan to live in.

I am not sure how easy it is to get from one of the states to the other, so you may be "land locked" inside the state where you live.

Dubai of course (who are running out of oil) have made huge attempts to attract both tourists and business there, so there is a huge building program going on, and they are very open to people from the west (even though it is a Muslim country)

Here is a picture of Dubai

http://roundtableindia.files.wordpress.com/200 7/07/dubai.jpg

[KARL]

If you are materialistic, you will find lots of bling and plenty of people spurring you on to join the fiercest rat-race on the planet, among expats of all nationalities and the locals as well. If you are an outdoor sort of person, you will find that for about 5-6 months of the year you can go to the beach or travel across sand dunes to your heart's content. For some 3-4 months of the year most people stay indoors within air-conditioned envelopes (buildings and cars between them) because of the heat. If the question relates purely to work, then much depends on in which field it is and on which terms. The cost of living tends to be high unless your employment contract shields you from it in an effective way.

[1352figgfrl]

Thank you. I will be living in Sharjah for just a year. Single. Female. Any specific advice for single females in Sharjah?

[Mandyjane]

According to my friend who moved there this January, there are ups and downs - like anywhere I guess. She finds that the only friendly people are the ex-pats but they inhabit a rather insular world. She also has to pretend to be married to her boyfriend as the authorities frown heavily on co-habitation there, as do some of the ex-pats.

She is gradually finding her feet, aerobics classes and places to buy decent vodka however, I suppose it depends on your ability to amuse yourself.

Love
mandy
http://www.pricelesstravel.co.uk/
BuzzWorld