Imaging myself living in a travel destination encourages me to explore the nooks and crannies of the place more. How would I get to work, what type of work could I get, what life style would my salary afford me, where would I shop for food, and how can I fulfill all of my food cravings?
In Dubai, I would have to buy and drive my own car as there is no light rail, the buses are few and infrequent, and taxis are expensive and often require an hour wait. To buy my car, I would probably have to wait three months as new and used cars are in short supply here. Once purchased, lightening reflexes, 260 degree vision, and a photographic memory would be required to navigate through the speeding mazes of streets. If I drive too slow in the fast lane, I may be bumped from behind as a reminder to speed up or get out of the lane. If I drive too fast, I might hit something like so many other drivers do – Dubai ranks in the top 20 in the number of car accidents per capita in the world.
According to Annie, there are few Americans working in Dubai as it is still considered a bit of a backwater. Top flight specialists in finance, real estate, and construction migrate to other centers of the world where the pay is better and the opportunities of advancement are more extensive. Workplace discrimination is rife in Dubai. For instance, the newspaper occasionally publishes the rate of pay for varying skill levels of construction workers based on nationality. Indians and other south Asian workers get paid far less than a Chinese or a Korean for instance. Filipinos and Vietnamese fall in between. So, no equal pay for equal work. The majority of entry and mid level white collar jobs are filled by Indians and Filipinos.
English is the language of commerce here. Since Dubai has positioned itself as the financial and media capital of the middle east and is working towards being the computer related center, jobs are easier to find for expatriots. Native emiratis generally work for the government if they work at all. The Dubai government generously provides free housing, free utilities, free university education anywhere in the world, and a pension equal to the highest salary earned. If the family already owns property in this ever escalating market, why work at all? For me, my best shot at getting a job would be to find one once I arrived in Dubai and hope it pays enough to live in Dubai versus doing the 2 hour commute (15 minutes in the middle of the night) to the nearby emirate of Sharjah because I can’t afford the rent. If I could afford a nice place, the hassles of dealing with gardeners, property maintenance and household help to fight back against the ever encroaching sand seem to be overwhelming at times but, thankfully, relatively cheap. I could write pages about Annie’s experiences trying to get adequate much less competent service in these arenas but let’s boil it down to two simple words: very frustrating.
I would hopefully be able to go grocery shopping without stretching my salary too out of whack as grocery items are roughly equivalent to American prices. Food choices are geared more towards the European tastes as the major chains, Carrefour and Spinneys, are from France and England respectively. The selection of pork is carefully sequestered in a corner area clearly marked “For non-Muslims only.” Non-edible goods often are more expensive than the states. I found the equivalent of my laptop at almost double the price. Even then, if I bought it, I would have to be careful to make sure that all the advertised programs and capabilities are actually included. Buyer beware here.
As a confirmed “foodie,” I would be in utopia here. Restaurants of almost every ethnicity can be found in the many hotels and shopping malls. Many are excellent although the Chinese food seems a bit lacking. The tex mex and the Thai food I had were great. We went to the best middle eastern restaurant in Dubai – located in the Emirates Tower Hotel – and we were a bit underwhelmed. I regret that I never had the chance to smoke the shiksa (sp?) or the water pipe. It is not uncommon for restaurants to offer that 3 foot tall pipe with a choice of fragrant tobaccos for diners to smoke as they digest their food.
For me, living in Dubai could be doable…if only I didn’t have to work here from April thru December when the temperature ranges from 94 to 120 degrees everyday. Hmmh, but would an employer give me that vacation?
WOW! Sounds like even driving a BMW would be a scary proposition there! Interesting to hear about the lifestyle. I guess it is better than Saudi Arabia where, I understand, the women are not allowed to drive themselves.