Working and Living in Abu Dhabi

[akflightmedic]

hey Guys, I've got a question for those who have been to the Middle East and have lived there.

I have an opportunity that might be too good to pass up. I have the opportunity to go to Abu Dhabi and work on their emergency department computer systems. Not sure of when I'll be going but probably within the next two months. It will be a semi-permanent placement of at least a year.

Lots of benefits and the like. Plus pay is insanely good.

I'm concerned about a couple of thngs

1. How are christians treated there, are there christian churches that I and my family attend?

2. How are their women treated there? do women there need a male escort to go out and about

3. Food - are there fast food restaurants that my son can get his happy meal

4. What are the driving requirements.

Lots of others but those can start it all.

Ruffles,

I have spent a LOT of time in Dubai/Abu Dubai simply because they are both connected and I often do not know which one I am in when I get out of the taxi.

I am getting ready to spend 7 days in Dubai again very soon for some other business development.

I say this....If you have the chance, jump on it! You will not be unhappy or disappointed and it will be a great experience. I know you home school or used to but I certianly encourage you to check out the local private schools because that would be a heck of an experience for any child and it is a fair mix of expats.

The emirates(Dubai and Abu) you are looking at are very progressive and quite liberal. From here on out I will say Dubai because both are similar.

Keep in mind, the ratio of foreigners to people from Dubai is 6:1. There are tons of expats, expats are what make Dubai succeed. People from all over the world are present in Dubai and it is basically a cultural extravaganza.

Answers

1: How are Christians treated?

Unless you are running around with Jesus Saves on your car, tshirts referencing such or jewelry...no one will know or really care. Yes, you are proud of your faith, but there is no need to advertise it or talk about it while there. I am pretty sure you can keep the faith within your family at home where it belongs.

As a business man, get used to hearing enshallah or "as god/Allah wills". Do not take offense because this is their country and their beliefs. DO not try to convert, you will get in trouble. Also you will hear Salam or sala a lakim (sp?) and the usual reply is A Lakim a salam.

Here is the funny thing, unlike Christianity, most people will never ask you about religion. AT most, someone will ask you if you are Muslim. All you have to do is say "No I am not". Guess what? That will be the end of the conversation and they will move on to next topic with no offense taken or given. Do NOT expand on this topic, do not push this topic.

Be prepared once you a close Muslim friend for them to ask you why you are not Muslim since the gods are one in the same, Jesus is one of the dividing factors...this is the time you simply say I believe what I believe and respect your beliefs as well and I really enjoy our friendship. Again this is not the time regardless of your feelings about the friendship to say anything that suggests they are wrong or to convert.

As for churches, I never looked for one and I have NEVER seen one. If they exist, they are discreet and you will find out about them by networking with other expats. You will not see a cathedral or church proclaiming Jesus is savior or crosses in the air....

In short, people treat people like humans. They asses you for who you are not what your beliefs are.

2. Your women and children are safe to venture out, they do not need escorts this is not Saudi Arabia. When you go to the mall, you will see women in head to toe burqas, you will see women with only head coverings, you will see women in shorts, skirts, and very short skirts. It truly is the culture mix there. Your best bet is to use common sense anda hint of modesty. The kids are free to run around in whatever, shorts, tanks, they get a free pass until they reach older ages.

The majority of my time is spent in shorts and sandals in Dubai. Do not wear slogan tshirts, do not wear American proud shirts, clothing items, it is simply best to avoid these things. You will not see people wearing hats so leave those at home as well.

3. There are TONS of fast food restraunts...McDs, Baskin Robins, KFC, Burger King, you name it, it is here. There are also plenty of other rests as well from many different countries. Lebanese, Persian,Russian, Japanese, Italian, Indian...very very good food.

You can buy pork at grocery stores and some restraunts serve it as well. Just do not expect to see it in most places you go or they will serve a beef bacon in its place. You are going to be introduced to many new fruits and veggies...I like this.

4. As for driving, you can drive there but man it is insane!!! The cabbies rule the road and they drive very fast and very crazy. I would look at hiring a FT driver or taking a taxi. Taxis are very cheap in Dubai and very reliable.

Anything else, just ask and I will find an answer for you. A very close friend of mine, former flight medic coworker lives and works in Dubai for a hospital as a medical case manager.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ruffles,

I have spent a LOT of time in Dubai/Abu Dubai simply because they are both connected and I often do not know which one I am in when I get out of the taxi.

I am getting ready to spend 7 days in Dubai again very soon for some other business development.

I say this....If you have the chance, jump on it! You will not be unhappy or disappointed and it will be a great experience. I know you home school or used to but I certianly encourage you to check out the local private schools because that would be a heck of an experience for any child and it is a fair mix of expats.

The emirates(Dubai and Abu) you are looking at are very progressive and quite liberal. From here on out I will say Dubai because both are similar.

Keep in mind, the ratio of foreigners to people from Dubai is 6:1. There are tons of expats, expats are what make Dubai succeed. People from all over the world are present in Dubai and it is basically a cultural extravaganza.

Answers

1: How are Christians treated?

Unless you are running around with Jesus Saves on your car, tshirts referencing such or jewelry...no one will know or really care. Yes, you are proud of your faith, but there is no need to advertise it or talk about it while there. I am pretty sure you can keep the faith within your family at home where it belongs.

As a business man, get used to hearing enshallah or "as god/Allah wills". Do not take offense because this is their country and their beliefs. DO not try to convert, you will get in trouble. Also you will hear Salam or sala a lakim (sp?) and the usual reply is A Lakim a salam.

Here is the funny thing, unlike Christianity, most people will never ask you about religion. AT most, someone will ask you if you are Muslim. All you have to do is say "No I am not". Guess what? That will be the end of the conversation and they will move on to next topic with no offense taken or given. Do NOT expand on this topic, do not push this topic.

Be prepared once you a close Muslim friend for them to ask you why you are not Muslim since the gods are one in the same, Jesus is one of the dividing factors...this is the time you simply say I believe what I believe and respect your beliefs as well and I really enjoy our friendship. Again this is not the time regardless of your feelings about the friendship to say anything that suggests they are wrong or to convert.

As for churches, I never looked for one and I have NEVER seen one. If they exist, they are discreet and you will find out about them by networking with other expats. You will not see a cathedral or church proclaiming Jesus is savior or crosses in the air....

In short, people treat people like humans. They asses you for who you are not what your beliefs are.

2. Your women and children are safe to venture out, they do not need escorts this is not Saudi Arabia. When you go to the mall, you will see women in head to toe burqas, you will see women with only head coverings, you will see women in shorts, skirts, and very short skirts. It truly is the culture mix there. Your best bet is to use common sense anda hint of modesty. The kids are free to run around in whatever, shorts, tanks, they get a free pass until they reach older ages.

The majority of my time is spent in shorts and sandals in Dubai. Do not wear slogan tshirts, do not wear American proud shirts, clothing items, it is simply best to avoid these things. You will not see people wearing hats so leave those at home as well.

3. There are TONS of fast food restraunts...McDs, Baskin Robins, KFC, Burger King, you name it, it is here. There are also plenty of other rests as well from many different countries. Lebanese, Persian,Russian, Japanese, Italian, Indian...very very good food.

You can buy pork at grocery stores and some restraunts serve it as well. Just do not expect to see it in most places you go or they will serve a beef bacon in its place. You are going to be introduced to many new fruits and veggies...I like this.

4. As for driving, you can drive there but man it is insane!!! The cabbies rule the road and they drive very fast and very crazy. I would look at hiring a FT driver or taking a taxi. Taxis are very cheap in Dubai and very reliable.

Anything else, just ask and I will find an answer for you. A very close friend of mine, former flight medic coworker lives and works in Dubai for a hospital as a medical case manager.

Thank you AK I knew you would be one of those who I really wanted to hear from.

The job is a computer consultant job that will put me in a majority of the hospitals over in Dubai/Abu Dhabi. I will be working on the emergency department piece of their software.

I'm just in the infancy stage of this opportunity so I've not talked much more than "insane money, wonderful work environment and New country"

I'm still working on getting more info.

[spenac]

How does the wife and kids feel about being away from home, grandparents and other family, friends, etc? If they are not happy all the money in the world will be worth nothing.

[MudMarine]

I've spent considerable time in the middle east, and you will most likely be housed on a secure compound of some sort. Think of it as walled in villas.

The previous poster is correct about the average Muslims perception of Christians. They are going to be curious about you but their culture dictates that they show great respect and hospitality towards you and yours. Keep in mind that probably less that 5% are Christian in the country. What they know if Christianity they get from their satellite TV and from word of mouth. Make sure the respect goes both ways and there should not be a problem. I wouldn't expect to be able to take the family to Sunday school and Church however, unless your company has made some sort of arrangements. Churches as you know they just don't exist for the most part. Even if they did, I personally would avoid them because they would attract attention to you and your family.

As far as the culture goes, take the time to box your own and learn their's. Its amazing how far you can go if you make it a point to learn a new phrase to use with someone you meet with regularly. It definitely builds good rapport. Learn to try new foods. That lamb brain stew that you thought was impossible starts looking good when your the guest of honor. Try out the new foods slowly. Obviously the locals can handle them, but they will give you GI hell since your body is not ready for them.

I would seriously ask what kinds of activities your wife and kids would have access to while you are at work. If you are living on a compound, its going to be limited, unless your wife likes to photograph sunsets and your kids like sandboxes. hahaha Women don't do much driving in Muslim countries for the most part. She's not going to be going to the mall.

Make sure you get on a first name basis with a contact at the Embassy to include a good contact number. I will admit I'm a little jaded because I was involved with security work but I will tell you up front that regardless of how liberal Abu-Dhabi/Dubai (which ever one your going to) is, I would not take my wife and kids there to live for all the dinars in the palace. The minute you get yourself into a bad habit, like taking the same route to work everyday, visiting the same market at the same time, the same church, the same restaurant, is the minute bad things start happening. Remember, unless you grow a beard and start wearing a dishdasha you will stand out like a giant among pygmies. Have a plan.

Stay Safe

Mud

[Just Plain Ruff]

I've spent considerable time in the middle east, and you will most likely be housed on a secure compound of some sort. Think of it as walled in villas.

The previous poster is correct about the average Muslims perception of Christians. They are going to be curious about you but their culture dictates that they show great respect and hospitality towards you and yours. Keep in mind that probably less that 5% are Christian in the country. What they know if Christianity they get from their satellite TV and from word of mouth. Make sure the respect goes both ways and there should not be a problem. I wouldn't expect to be able to take the family to Sunday school and Church however, unless your company has made some sort of arrangements. Churches as you know they just don't exist for the most part. Even if they did, I personally would avoid them because they would attract attention to you and your family.

As far as the culture goes, take the time to box your own and learn their's. Its amazing how far you can go if you make it a point to learn a new phrase to use with someone you meet with regularly. It definitely builds good rapport. Learn to try new foods. That lamb brain stew that you thought was impossible starts looking good when your the guest of honor. Try out the new foods slowly. Obviously the locals can handle them, but they will give you GI hell since your body is not ready for them.

I would seriously ask what kinds of activities your wife and kids would have access to while you are at work. If you are living on a compound, its going to be limited, unless your wife likes to photograph sunsets and your kids like sandboxes. hahaha Women don't do much driving in Muslim countries for the most part. She's not going to be going to the mall.

Make sure you get on a first name basis with a contact at the Embassy to include a good contact number. I will admit I'm a little jaded because I was involved with security work but I will tell you up front that regardless of how liberal Abu-Dhabi/Dubai (which ever one your going to) is, I would not take my wife and kids there to live for all the dinars in the palace. The minute you get yourself into a bad habit, like taking the same route to work everyday, visiting the same market at the same time, the same church, the same restaurant, is the minute bad things start happening. Remember, unless you grow a beard and start wearing a dishdasha you will stand out like a giant among pygmies. Have a plan.

Stay Safe

Mud

Mud thanks for that post.

Everything I've read about safety over in Abu Dhabi is leaning me to being comfortable over there.

The companies that I've been talking to have multiple people (expats) over there that have families.

My wife is not comfortable going out in a foreign country without me so I'm pretty sure she won't get into any set pattern of movement.

I only entertain the Abu Dhabi opportunity as a last resort. The job market for my industry SUCKS BIG DONKEY BALLS right now and I'm really hurting for fundage. I'm possibly gonna go work for Wal Mart. Who knows.

I know I just need a freaking job and if it's over there then I know they pay well so that's where I will go. I've always said "its not how much money you make but how much you love the job" but I don't believe that anymore. I've become jaded.

[akflightmedic]

I've spent considerable time in the middle east, and you will most likely be housed on a secure compound of some sort. Think of it as walled in villas.

The previous poster is correct about the average Muslims perception of Christians. They are going to be curious about you but their culture dictates that they show great respect and hospitality towards you and yours. Keep in mind that probably less that 5% are Christian in the country. What they know if Christianity they get from their satellite TV and from word of mouth. Make sure the respect goes both ways and there should not be a problem. I wouldn't expect to be able to take the family to Sunday school and Church however, unless your company has made some sort of arrangements. Churches as you know they just don't exist for the most part. Even if they did, I personally would avoid them because they would attract attention to you and your family.

As far as the culture goes, take the time to box your own and learn their's. Its amazing how far you can go if you make it a point to learn a new phrase to use with someone you meet with regularly. It definitely builds good rapport. Learn to try new foods. That lamb brain stew that you thought was impossible starts looking good when your the guest of honor. Try out the new foods slowly. Obviously the locals can handle them, but they will give you GI hell since your body is not ready for them.

I would seriously ask what kinds of activities your wife and kids would have access to while you are at work. If you are living on a compound, its going to be limited, unless your wife likes to photograph sunsets and your kids like sandboxes. hahaha Women don't do much driving in Muslim countries for the most part. She's not going to be going to the mall.

Make sure you get on a first name basis with a contact at the Embassy to include a good contact number. I will admit I'm a little jaded because I was involved with security work but I will tell you up front that regardless of how liberal Abu-Dhabi/Dubai (which ever one your going to) is, I would not take my wife and kids there to live for all the dinars in the palace. The minute you get yourself into a bad habit, like taking the same route to work everyday, visiting the same market at the same time, the same church, the same restaurant, is the minute bad things start happening. Remember, unless you grow a beard and start wearing a dishdasha you will stand out like a giant among pygmies. Have a plan.

Stay Safe

Mud

Your information is applicable to countries such as Saudi...it has no relevance to Dubai or Abu Dhabi and is full of misconceptions, those of one who has spent very little, if any time there and is instead grouping it with other Muslim countries and their rules/habits.

As I posted, there are tons of family's there from all countries wearing normal clothes and receiving normal respect. Women drive everywhere, they are not shrouded (unless they choose) and there is no standing out or staring from the people. They do not have walled villas/compounds, they live in houses, hotels, or apartments just like in the states.

I am in Dubai constantly, just incorporated a business there and have a lot of expat friends who live and work there as well.

Overall good post, but wrong country.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Your information is applicable to countries such as Saudi...it has no relevance to Dubai or Abu Dhabi and is full of misconceptions, those of one who has spent very little, if any time there and is instead grouping it with other Muslim countries and their rules/habits.

As I posted, there are tons of family's there from all countries wearing normal clothes and receiving normal respect. Women drive everywhere, they are not shrouded (unless they choose) and there is no standing out or staring from the people. They do not have walled villas/compounds, they live in houses, hotels, or apartments just like in the states.

I am in Dubai constantly, just incorporated a business there and have a lot of expat friends who live and work there as well.

Overall good post, but wrong country.

Ak any chance to work for you? I'm really in need of a job and I'm willing to travel to get it. PM Me if there is a chance?

[Richard B the EMT]

Is there much resentment regarding the Abu Dhabi prison incident?

[chbare]

I have to agree the UAE is one of the safest countries I have ever known.

Take care,

chbare.

[akflightmedic]

Is there much resentment regarding the Abu Dhabi prison incident?

I am confused???

Are you thinking of this place in IRAQ???

Abu Ghraib

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse