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Dubai
Lifestyle
The inimitable Dubai lifestyle
is being enjoyed by greater numbers of Britons annually
and according to the latest statistics from the British
embassy in the UAE the number of Britons living in Dubai
has doubled in just four short years to reach 100,000 in
the emirate and 120,000 in the UAE as a
whole.
The UK currently has far reaching
plans to extend their investment into the UAE – which
they deem one of the most important emerging markets in
the world – and if their plans come to pass the number
of British citizens making up the population in Dubai
could double again in an even shorter period of time! We
examine the Dubai lifestyle awaiting
expatriates…
The vast majority of Western
Expatriates living and working in Dubai thoroughly enjoy
their lifestyle; they enjoy a high standard of living, a
tax free salary, eight months of a perfect climate
annually, a broad social network, fantastic healthcare
and educational welfare services and facilities and a
wide range of employment opportunities.
Most
expatriates join some form of hotel based club soon
after arriving in Dubai – these clubs offer beach and
sea access, sporting facilities, fine wining and dining
and some even have kids clubs and a range of
recreational pursuits available. The clubs are a great
place to make friends and business contacts, they are
fantastic places for those with families to network,
find out about the best schools, babysitters, doctors
and after school activities and even more importantly
they are the best way to escape the hustle and bustle of
the awful traffic and the hectic office life.
In
terms of socializing outside of work and away from hotel
and beach clubs, expats living in Dubai quickly make
friends and find out the best places to go to eat, drink
and be merry. Dubai is not a ‘dry’ emirate, those with a
license (which are easy to come by) can buy alcohol and
often social activities are centered around hotels or
private clubs which all have alcohol licenses –
unfortunately socializing in a hotel can come at a hefty
price but this is almost par for the course in Dubai
where the cost of living is most certainly
high!
And finally, expatriate children in Dubai
have access to some of the best international schools in
the world. The best schools following the British
national curriculum are affiliated with the Office for
Standards in Education and are regularly assessed by
OFSTED, certain schools offer the international
baccalaureate which is rapidly becoming accepted
worldwide as the best qualification that high school
students can apply to university with.
What
to do in Dubai
Living in Dubai life can seem
incredibly fast paced at times, with expatriates
enjoying working hard and playing just as hard; and to
truly get the best out of the emirate it’s essential to
live there for at least six months…
Those
who just go on holiday to the UAE will never even scrape
the surface when it comes to experiencing the wealth of
things to do in Dubai - but for all those on a
restricted timescale or for newly arrived expats keen to
get a good grounding in what to do and what to see in
Dubai here’s our guide to the essential ‘must
experience’ attractions.
Getting Around
The
Big Bus Company’s tours of the city and beach area may
well be the ultimate touristy thing to do but they are
also the only way to see half of the delights of Dubai
and even seasoned expatriates living in Dubai sometimes
welcome visitors because it gives them another excuse to
hop on board!
Included in the price of a ticket
are all sorts of extras such as a free walking tour,
entry to the Dubai Museum and free entry to Sheikh Saeed
Al Maktoum House as well – so you can see the sights and
get a bit of history into the bargain!
History &
Culture
Talking of history, for those who
would like to learn more about Dubai than merely where
to shop for the best bargains, the Dubai Museum is a
great place to start but the Dubai Heritage and Diving
Villages are not to be missed. The centre covers Dubai’s
development in terms of architecture, pearl diving and
various maritime themes and the displays are
informative, visually dramatic and well worth a visit.
For a cultural experience the theatre, music and
fine arts are all well represented in the
emirate,
Desert
Experience
A 4x4 desert safari is yet another
great tourist activity – or for the more romantic among
you why not go for a sunset picnic in the desert dunes?
Be sure to take a camera to capture the stunning sunset,
the vibrant colours and the dramatically changing aspect
of the desert as the sun goes down and the moon
rises.
Family
Fun
Until ‘Dubai World’ Dubai’s giant theme
park is completed, the family favorite destination is
probably Wild Wadi Water Park which is the worlds most
advanced and innovative water theme park and a water
theme park like no other you will have ever experienced.
It is certainly not just for kids and I defy anyone not
to have a totally fantastic day out at the
park.
Shopping
The Dubai
Shopping Festival is now a world famous annual event but
for those who can’t wait for January to come round again
never fear – Dubai is the shopping capital of the world.
For those in search of the true flavour of Dubai try the
souks and the gold and spice markets, for those in
search of designer labels and high octane shopping try
the Wafi Centre Shopping Mall or the Al Khaleej Centre.
Those who’d like a tamer price tag and a more family
centric experience both Deira City Centre and Lamcy
Plaza malls are great.
There really are so many
things to do in Dubai that this article barely scrapes
the surface – but hopefully it gives readers a few
suggestions of where to start when planning their
itinerary.
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