I Have Children. Should I Live in Dubai?

Despite the rapid emergence of Dubai as an exciting place to live, work, do business, shop and even holiday, the appeal of the nation does not seem to be diminishing as we thought it might.  So often something that appears fashionable turns out to be a flash in the pan, but when it comes to living in Dubai and earning a tax-free income and living in luxurious real estate, it seems the appeal is long lasting!  I wonder why!

Anyway, all that aside, today we’re going to be addressing an increasingly pressing concern felt by parents around the world who see the appeal and potential in Dubai but who have children and who are therefore naturally concerned about the type of lifestyle their children will have if they move to the UAE.  If you have children and are considering whether a move to live in Dubai makes sense, read on for some facts and opinion…

Depending on which way you look at things, Dubai can be considered a hedonistic lifestyle destination where you can work hard, play harder, earn a fortune, spend a fortune and have a good time.  Or it can been seen as a place where you can financially get ahead, maybe even further your career and certainly live an interesting life as an expatriate in a unique destination.  Either way, Dubai is appealing to many people which is why it has one of the fastest growing expat populations in the world, a rapidly developing residential property landscape and a developing reputation as a land of fiscal opportunity.

To support the increase in the number of international citizens arriving each week, a great deal of investment has gone into the development of services, facilities and amenities specifically for expatriates.  One area that has seen investment is international schooling in Dubai – illustrating the fact that of those moving to live in this particular emirate, a large proportion have children in tow.  Where once Dubai was home to just a handful of international schools, today the number of educational institutions catering to the children of British, American and European children has soared to over thirty. 

This level of choice is a positive factor for parents considering moving to live in Dubai.  However, the cost of an international school education in Dubai is most certainly a negative factor.  Fees vary depending on the school and the age of the child, but you’re looking at paying at least GBP 8,000 at the best secondary schools for annual tuition – then you can factor in uniforms, laptops, extra equipment and school trips on top and you’re quickly getting up to some seriously high sums of money.

If this is not a factor to deter you from moving to Dubai with your children then that’s fine.  The next thing you need to consider is the level of gridlock that Dubai suffers every morning and afternoon during rush hour when everyone in Dubai is attempting to get to work, college or school.  This is not an issue to be overlooked.  It can take parents up to two hours to get their children to school and themselves to the office and there is an almost weekly increase in the amount of aggression you encounter on the roads at these peak times of the day.  Naturally, if you can afford a nanny, a chauffeur or you have a spouse who does not work, you will not have to suffer the journey, the school commute times, the pollution and road aggression – but your children still will.

If this does not deter you, fine.  The next point you need to consider is that the weather in Dubai is not conducive for outdoor play for the majority of the year.  In the summer it is simply too hot to allow children to safely and comfortably play outside.  Added to the temperature is the pollution in the most populated areas of the emirate.  So, where can and do children hang out to play or socialise?  They can congregate at friends’ air-conditioned homes or they can hang out at the shopping malls which is where the majority of teenagers centre after school, at the weekends and in the holidays.

This means children quickly adapt to the highly materialistic, consumer driven way of life that Dubai somehow manages to inspire in all of its residents – even those who never considered themselves shopaholics before they moved to live in Dubai!  If your pocket does not baulk at the thought of your offspring spending their spare time and your spare cash in the shopping malls of Dubai, fine.  However, what about the fact that your children will not be getting fresh air, they will not be able to play outside for most of the year and the interaction they have with their peers will be in a less than natural environment most of the time?

We don’t think that Dubai is the best place in the world to raise children or educate them for the above illustrated list of reasons.  However, there can be a benefit to enjoying a brief sojourn in the United Arab Emirates with your family – it broadens children’s horizons, generally makes them more tolerant and certainly more understanding that there is a far wider world out there – and of course, it can benefit you financially speaking!  Furthermore, we’re not naïve, idealistic or even unrealistic and we accept that some people have little or no choice about living in Dubai when they have children.  If you fall into this bracket then you can at least rest assured that there are many more parents like you, that the standard of international education in Dubai is exceptional and that, if you can afford it, there is a lot for children to do such as shopping, going to private beach clubs and visiting adventure parks so they are unlikely to get bored!

Further Living in Dubai Articles

Share this article with others.