Dubai Living Guide

It’s hard to get a true and fair perspective of what life’s like for expatriates living in Dubai nowadays, because the media went into hyper mode when it appeared the emirate was in meltdown, and did severe damage to this state’s reputation.  What the media’s actions also served to do was render it impossible to trust anything they now write about Dubai, because so much of what was written was so overblown and inaccurate.

So, on the one hand we can examine the media reports but ensure we do so with a pinch of salt thrown into the mix…this will show us that life is still ticking along but that the authorities and the locals are less friendly and more aggressive when it comes to ‘reclaiming’ Dubai as their own from misbehaving expats.  On the other hand you have the blogs and sites promoting Dubai which still vociferously sing the emirate’s praises – and anyone who questions what they’re saying will be ignored.

So in the interests of getting closer to the truth, we thought we’d call on our residents’ group in Dubai and find out from them how they’re doing.  The general consensus of opinion is that the lifestyle’s still good, the opportunities are fewer, and that the bubble that was ‘Dubai is heaven on earth’ has been popped – and now you need to learn how to get more from your life living in Dubai – perhaps by looking within!  Shopping malls and swimming pools are not the be all and end all in a Dubai resident’s pursuit of happiness.  If you’re already living in the emirate or thinking of relocating to Dubai, here’s our guide to getting the most out of your life in the UAE – or anywhere for that matter, because we’re going to get a little zen-like and suggest you look within for your happiness!

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We all now know that Dubai is an emirate of extremes.  It wanted to be famous as being the biggest and best at everything it set its sights on – from luxurious real estate developments to retail projects, from tourism attractions to sporting events – however, in its bid for rapid advancement it took on extremes of debt at a time when the world was poised on the brink of economic collapse.

As a result, we all now know that Dubai is as famous for its incredible mountains of debt as it is for its positive achievements – and a lot of mud has been slung at the failing fortunes of many in Dubai.  From high-earning executives who have lost everything to massive construction firms that cannot meet their debt repayments, many have been affected by the sharp negative downward swing in Dubai’s fortunes.

However, there continues to be two sides to Dubai – i.e., the good and the bad!  It’s not all tales of disastrous deals and failing fortunes in the emirate you know…although some would say that those who remain and who are living the high life are in denial!  However, we would just like to point out that life for many expats still thrives in Dubai – but is it a place you would now like to live?  Is it a destination where you can still make a life and find a fortune?

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Expatriate children traditionally return to their old home nation or another well-recognised country such as America or the United Kingdom to complete their tertiary education.  This has a great deal to do with the fact that parents and their student children want an internationally recognised university education.  After all, most employers will require this.

Therefore, the good news for parents with student children who are living in Dubai is that there are internationally recognised universities actually in the emirate.  Many are affiliated with British, French or America university campuses for example, and as a result you don’t have to leave the emirate and pay both international tuition fees and expensive living costs for your student child when they attend college in another nation.

In this, the final part of out four-part guide to schools, universities and education in Dubai, we’re going to look at 10 of the most popular tertiary education establishments in the emirate.

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