Dear Family, Friends & Visitors,

... and here is 'LIVING IN DUBAI' ... hope your enjoyed  'MOVING TO DUBAI'  and return to our site for the next parts on our beautiful city Dubai.  Enjoy & love to you all ...

OCTOBER 2006 (Out of the Connector - your monthly guide to the UAE) ~ Mark Atkinson discussed aspects of living in Dubai for those who are thinking of moving to live and work in the beautiful city "DUBAI".

These included a brief background of the UAE and how the city has developed to what it is today, aspects of Dubai's culture, religion and economy, and the legalities of living and working as an expatriate.  In this part he looks at the more day-to-day aspects of life in Dubai.

Anything you could possibly want, you will find in Dubai.  The ultra-modern shopping malls all around the city are open all day and late into the evening, and contain most of the international 'off-the-peg' branded stores as well as a host of exclusive 'designer' shops.  Supermarkets are also open until late and, again, the choice of both international food brands and local goods is pretty much unlimited.

In terms of eating out, you will also be spoilt for choice, from lower budget outlets to fine dining restaurants.  But no matter what your budget, with such a widely multicultural society, the quality of many of the restaurants is excellent.

One of the downsides to Dubai's meteoric growth is the cost of living.  According to the Mercer Human Resource Cost of Living Survey, Dubai ranks as the 25th most expensive city in the world - a jump from 73rd place in 2005.  Main contributory factors include a 15% rise in inflation and a 60% hike in housing rents since last year.  While it is felt that this rate of escalation cannot continue, it is thought that prices will still continue to climb signigicantly into the future.

At present, with an increasing number of expatriates coming to live and work in Dubai, the supply and demand balance sits firmly in the lap of the property landlord.  Tenants are also often expected to pay a single cheque lump sum for the year's rent, although this may sometimes be divided into two or three 'post-dated' cheques.  This, plus a deposit and commission, can mount up to a considerable outlay before even receiving your first salary cheque.

HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, recently imposed a 15% annual rent increase cap.  Some unscrupulous landlords however bypass this by evicting tenants at the end of their annual lease and putting the property up for rent at a much greater increase.  In recent years, a government rent tribunal has been established to protect tenants against such practices.  From the accounts of some tenants who have sought help, the rent tribunal seems to be very effective.

But for those who have the means and/or the inclination, expatriates now have the option to buy property leasehold or freehold in Dubai - something that was not possible until about five years ago.  For those who receive a housing allowance as part of their package and do not wish to see it swallowed up in rent, or those who simply wish to make an investment, this initiative has proved to be incredibly popular and new property developments are often sold out 'off plan' within days or sometimes hours after coming on the market.

These developments are generally on designated housing estates, most of which are located in what is commonly termed as New Dubai, an extension to the original city stretching towards Abu Dhabi.  As a result, Dubai has expanded to around twice the size it was ten years ago.  Anyone who has lived in Dubai for the past five years or more will testify to the phenomenal transformation they have witnessed.

But buy with caution.  A number of cases have been highlighted recently where potential buyers have handed over hundreds of thousands of dirhams as a down payment to charlatant sellers or agents, only to find that the individual concerned, the property they were planning to buy and their down payment have disappeared into thin air.

The range and number of healthcare provision in Dubai is enormous.  Wherever you live or work in the city, there will be a healthcare facility reasonably close by.  There are many excellent and well-established clinics and hospitals, plus new facilities are opening all the time.  However, while many of the medical facilities here are excellent, the opposite can also be true and credentials should not be taken at face value.  the quality of facilities also varies from the state-of-the-art, in keeping with the image Dubai is so keen to project, to those that one would expect to see in a less-developed country.

Healthcare in Dubai is also often very expensive.  And as the growth trend continues and facilities become more and more state-of-the-art, it is likely to become more so.

On processing both your own and your children's residence visas, each family member is issued with a health card entitling you to use government hospitals and clinics for free and receive treatments and prescriptions at subsidised rates.  But the majority of healthcare is in the private sector, with often the best facilities.  It is therefore advisable to have health insurance.  If you have not already arranged this before you arrive, there are a number of insurance brokers in Dubai representing the top international health insurance companies.  Many of these health insurance companies also have regional offices in Dubai.  Some companies have their own insurance policy, which provides cover to their employees, the level of which may depend on the employee's position.  But this may or may not include spouses and children - something definitely worth checking.  Alternatively, some companies may build a health insurance allowance into the employees, package.

Very often though companies in Dubai offer no provision for health insurance at all.  If your company does not offer an overall insurance scheme, it is certainly worthwhile trying to negotiate such a provision into your own employement package or your spouse's, as getting an adequate level of cover can be very expensive.  This is especially so when the policy includes your spouse and children.

Insurance is particularly important where young children are concerned, as they are forever catching bugs, tripping over and so on.  These frequent trips to the doctor mean that the costs over the course of a year could be considerable.

Something that is generally not covered by health insurance is maternity, unless you are incredibly well-organised and have made a maternity provision in your policy for a predetermined time before conceiving.  But like general health, there are many excellent maternity facilities in Dubai.  Many of these offer maternity packages, which again can be costly, especially in the case of multiple births, or when factoring in any complications to mother or baby that may arise - caesarean sections, incubators and so forth.

Medi Clinic
Dr Bernahard Fischer (General Practitioner)
Telephone Number:  +971 4 348 8601
Address:  4/923 Al Wasl Road, Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai

The Dental Studio
Dr Jaco Smith (Dentist)
Telephone Number:  +971 4 395 5095
Address:  Villa 61, Umm Al Sheif Street, Umm Seqeim, Dubai

The Dental Studio
Dr Eric Tonge (Orthodontist)
Telephone Number:  +971 4 395 5095
Address:  Villa 61, Umm Al Sheif Street, Umm Seqeim, Dubai

In terms of crime, Dubai is considered one of the safest cities in the world.  One feels generally secure walking around after dark and the threat of abduction, paedophilia and so on is much less of a concern amount residents then it would be in the west.  While it is possible that crime is often not reported in the local press, it is almost certainly true that crime levels in Dubai are far below those of most other cities around the world, where crime would be the chief concern.

The standard of driving however is appalling and the UAE is thought to have one of the highest levels of road fatalities in the world.  According to UAE government traffic studies, one person is injured every two hours and one person dies approximately every 15 hours on UAE roads.  As a proportion of its population, the UAE has over three times the death rate of UK roads and about one and a half that of the US, and figures are climbing.  A population increase of over seven-fold since 1975 has only compounded the problem.

Being the world's most rapidly growing city brings a number of other safety issues within the community.  Many residents refer to Dubai as a large building site, and true enough, it is hard to find anywhere in the city that is not cordoned off in one way or another with bollards, barrier tape and traffic diversion systems.  And while safety regulations for building sites in Dubai are well established, it is not unusual to find uncovered manholes or open trenches left unattended overnight, plasterwork falling from an enourmous height with few precautions taken, or men working at heights on shoddy scaffolding with no safety harness.

Dubai's sunny climate means that many families have access to a swimming pool, often as a part of the villa or apartment complex they are living on.  These pools are sometimes fenced off for child safety reasons, but often they are not and there has been a recent spate of tragic accidents involving children.  If you have access to a pool, you might want to consider checking the safety arrangements.  Some pools have lifeguards for example, or if the pool has fencing, the gate may be locked with keys held by tenants.

There are no quarantine laws to bring pets into the UAE, although there may be restrictions for some countries.  If you are thinking of bringing your pet to the UAE and need clarification or importation assistance with someone that knows the ins and outs, you can contact either Dubai Kennels & Catery  or the Ajman Pet Resort +971 50 6476487.  Also visit K9Friends , FelineFriends & Pet Dubai .

There are a number of excellent vets around the city, but all pets must be registered and be collared with an annually-renewable municipality identity disc, otherwise they will be treated as a stray.  There are a great deal of strays in the city.  It is often sad to see as many do not fare well, especially in the harsh conditions of the summer months.

The municipality often culls strays, most commonly by laying down poison or shooting.  So if you do have a pet, you need to take every precaution to ensure that it does not get mistaken as a stray.

If living in an apartment, you might also want to check the policy on pets with your landlord, as many landlords do not permit them.

There are many schools in Dubai covering a wide range of curriculums, including British, American, International Baccalaureate and CBSE.  The facilities and standards of education are often excellent.  In other cases they can be well below one's expectations and credentials cannot always be taken at face value.

Education in Dubai can also be extremely expensive and fees are increasing in line with inflation and the cost of living.  You or your spouse may be on a package where your company contributes to the cost, although such perks are becoming less common as Dubai becomes increasingly popular and the employment market becomes more competitive.  It is also important to look at any 'hidden' costs, such as registration fees, transportation if applicable, uniforms, medical fees or extracurricular activities.

A handful of the more popular schools also operate a 'debenture' system - a lump sum fee paid up-front to safeguard your child's place.

The debenture system was particularly relevant a few years ago, when available places at schools were not keeping pace with the number of expatriates moving to Dubai, with many being forced to return home as a result.  This is now changing however, with new schools, often extremely well resourced, opeing all the time.  Still, many schools are over-subscribed, and it would be wise to look into this in advance.

Every activity, wheter it is sports, arts & crafts, music, drama, dancing or hobby interests, is available here in Dubai, for every age group through private establishments, clubs or voluntary networks, and many of these are listed in the Greenpages at the back of Connector.  Schools also generally offer a wide range of extracurricular activities.  Bar the intense heat of the summer months from May through to September, Dubai's climate is conducive to an active and healthy outdoor life.

Visit  Dubai Kidz  & DubaiParent  for more information.