dubai

So my wife has a possible opportunity to go work in Dubai as a psychologist for about 150k (3x current salary) I am not sure it is taxable. Free housing. What would YOU do? I keep looking at it sideways scratching my head !

I have heard a lot of horror stories. Google around a bit. Personally, I would not consider it.

State Department link for UAE (United Arab Emirates) is:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1050.html

timm said:

So my wife has a possible opportunity to go work in Dubai as a psychologist for about 150k (3x current salary) I am not sure it is taxable. Free housing. What would YOU do? I keep looking at it sideways scratching my head !

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I have relative that worked as a chemical eng. in the middle east big bucks housekeepers everything taken care of along with No booze,drugs,porno just cokecola and bowling things like playboy mag were rare maybe its different now.

I went recently. It is an amazing place.

My advice is to go there on holiday if you are serious about it, to check it out first.

It does get hot, though. It was 47 degrees C about a month before I arrived, according to an Indian taxi driver there trying to make his fortune

Drinking isn't a problem as long as you can get into the hotel bars.

Recommended hotel is the Grosvenor since you can use its sister hotel's facilities too. If either of you can claim a birthday, expect a free upgrade to an apartment. Comfortable to say the least.

Do the Palm monorail, Burj Khalifa & Dubai Mall (in the evening to watch the fountain show - amazing!) and have drinks at the Burj Al Arab.

Comprehensively makes most parts of the world look poor and primitive by comparison.

I have read too many stories and seen too many documentaries that align with this article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

Hocky said:

I have read too many stories and seen too many documentaries that align with this article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

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Had a quick scan and most of it sounds about right.

Basically, though, as a US citizen, I don't think you'll have too many problems if you don't step out of line. Not saying there are no risks, but hey - if you never took any life would be dull.

Definately go there first on hols before making a decision. Very important I think.

User211 said:

Comprehensively makes most parts of the world look poor and primitive by comparison.

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That it does! What is more striking is the attitude of locals in power, it's all "I want, I get, I want , I get" in a spoilt-child kind of way.

This place is not a place I'd want to stay for any period of time, but it is an amazing place to visit.

Horror stories abound. The biggest problem is with debt. Non payment is a criminal offence, and if you are unable to pay then it's gaol for you. That's why you see so many abandoned cars at the airport!

I have several friends that have moved over to Dubai and Qatar to work as chemical engineers for oil companies after graduating. In general, if you are a US, Canadian, or European citizen you are treated very well as long as you respect to most essential of their rules such as being modest in older/traditional areas and not speaking ill of the various royal families and their ilk. As mentioned above, when you are in a tourist-centric area like a grand hotel or one of the tourism beaches it is not much different from the US since you are exempt from many of the local laws regarding social interactions (drinking alcohol, public displays of affection, etc). I have heard horror stories about sand storms lasting for weeks on end and 110*F+ heat in the summer months, but that's why much the the city's vital areas are indoor and connected via tunnel or enclosed walkways. But since it is a very different culture from ours and sometimes you can break the rules inadvertently, you just have to make sure you've got the emergency line for the local Embassy office on speed dial just in case.

Wow. The internet is a wonderful thing isn't it? I figured I'd throw this out there to you guys and I figured some would have experiences thanks for all of the responses.

We have some friends who recently moved to Dubai for a 2 or 3 year contract. They like it so far, and others have posted, provided that one is reasonably smart and observes the local cultural conventions (remember: you are a visitor to their country), everything should be OK. I'm hoping to visit them before they leave...

A move to Dubai is going to be a big one... definitely requires careful thought.

I'm moving several states west from Illinois and it was a tough enough decision, one that I had to think through several times over.

I can only imagine that a move that far away, to a remote area with people who are culturally different, would require you to be very thorough in your decision making process. Money is useless if you can't enjoy or be yourselves.

I'm not saying it can't be done - we were immigrants to this country once. But just know that visiting is not the same as living there.