FAQS/Quesitons About Living in Dubai/Middle East

[damnitzdom]

I can imagine Chinese/Japanese business men but are there any "darker skinned" Asians? 

 

[damnitzdom]

I can imagine Chinese/Japanese business men but are there any "darker skinned" Asians? 

 

[36Hypno]

I was there for work for about 2 weeks back in 07. It was pretty cool. There was a ridiculous amount of construction back then so I assume it is real nice over there now. Have you been to the indoor ski resort at that mall. We only had time to take pictures of the inside from the mall portion. I need to go back.
I had no problems over there. When I was in the airport trying to find my luggage (the lost it in Germany because of my clippers) this dude was telling me how I should clean up because the women love black dudes. They definitely had some baaaaaad joints walking through the mall.I went with married coworkers who went back to their hotels after work so I didn't really explore as much as I wanted to. I was not rolling solo out there (it was my first time out of the country). But that was 4 years ago though. Like I said, I need to go back.

 

[36Hypno]

I was there for work for about 2 weeks back in 07. It was pretty cool. There was a ridiculous amount of construction back then so I assume it is real nice over there now. Have you been to the indoor ski resort at that mall. We only had time to take pictures of the inside from the mall portion. I need to go back.
I had no problems over there. When I was in the airport trying to find my luggage (the lost it in Germany because of my clippers) this dude was telling me how I should clean up because the women love black dudes. They definitely had some baaaaaad joints walking through the mall.I went with married coworkers who went back to their hotels after work so I didn't really explore as much as I wanted to. I was not rolling solo out there (it was my first time out of the country). But that was 4 years ago though. Like I said, I need to go back.

 

[frenchhustler19091]

Been in Kaust, KSA for about a month.
Way too strict for my likings + it's near impossible to get poon.

Nice place to visit though.

 

[frenchhustler19091]

Been in Kaust, KSA for about a month.
Way too strict for my likings + it's near impossible to get poon.

Nice place to visit though.

 

[mike493961]

Originally Posted by Law3001

Originally Posted by Je Ne Sais Quoi

Originally Posted by Law3001

Just picture Dubai being a New York of the middle east. Its the center of all business, entertainment, fashion for the region. 

Which part of Dubai would be equivalent to "da heightz"?

My bad Dubai is Manhattan

Ain't no where in the world like Da Heightz except Da Heightz

you right, the heights has no equal

 

[mike493961]

Originally Posted by Law3001

Originally Posted by Je Ne Sais Quoi

Originally Posted by Law3001

Just picture Dubai being a New York of the middle east. Its the center of all business, entertainment, fashion for the region. 

Which part of Dubai would be equivalent to "da heightz"?

My bad Dubai is Manhattan

Ain't no where in the world like Da Heightz except Da Heightz

you right, the heights has no equal

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by 2LipsLegit

Been to Dubai a couple times, my pops works probably half the year out there. The citys beautiful and all that, but beneath the surface it basically disgusts me. I would never wanna live there, much rather move back to Ethiopia/Uganda/Kenya

Man Kenya you need to keep the ratchet on you out there, them boys don't play

Yeah Dubai has its issues. One thing people trip is how western the city actually is. Women now dress how they want for the most part and there are plenty of bars and nightclubs now ( as compared to 5 or 6 years ago). Really what kills me is that will all censoring and no pda in public, you hit up Jumeriah beach friday night and nothing but prositutes roam the boardwalk and bars. And the local police just look the other way

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by 2LipsLegit

Been to Dubai a couple times, my pops works probably half the year out there. The citys beautiful and all that, but beneath the surface it basically disgusts me. I would never wanna live there, much rather move back to Ethiopia/Uganda/Kenya

Man Kenya you need to keep the ratchet on you out there, them boys don't play

Yeah Dubai has its issues. One thing people trip is how western the city actually is. Women now dress how they want for the most part and there are plenty of bars and nightclubs now ( as compared to 5 or 6 years ago). Really what kills me is that will all censoring and no pda in public, you hit up Jumeriah beach friday night and nothing but prositutes roam the boardwalk and bars. And the local police just look the other way

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by damnitzdom

I can imagine Chinese/Japanese business men but are there any "darker skinned" Asians? 

Indians/Pakistani's are the largest group in Dubai, followed closely by Filipino's and Malaysians. Like i said earlier you find very little actual local arabs in Dubai. Most Arabs you do see are actually from the outlying countries, you can tell mostly by how they speak arabic.

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by damnitzdom

I can imagine Chinese/Japanese business men but are there any "darker skinned" Asians? 

Indians/Pakistani's are the largest group in Dubai, followed closely by Filipino's and Malaysians. Like i said earlier you find very little actual local arabs in Dubai. Most Arabs you do see are actually from the outlying countries, you can tell mostly by how they speak arabic.

 

[b smooth 202]

Is the culture over there ready for drug reform? What is the general attitude towards legalizing/decriminalizing marijuana?

 

[b smooth 202]

Is the culture over there ready for drug reform? What is the general attitude towards legalizing/decriminalizing marijuana?

 

[frenchhustler19091]

^ Before coming to Saudi Arabia I had to sign a contract saying that possession of any drugs, alcohol, or porn could lead to death sentence. They don't play around....

From what I hear though Dubai is much more open minded but I still don't thing reefer would fly.Thank God I'm coming back to Cali in a week.

 

[frenchhustler19091]

^ Before coming to Saudi Arabia I had to sign a contract saying that possession of any drugs, alcohol, or porn could lead to death sentence. They don't play around....

From what I hear though Dubai is much more open minded but I still don't thing reefer would fly.Thank God I'm coming back to Cali in a week.

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by 36hypno

I was there for work for about 2 weeks back in 07. It was pretty cool. There was a ridiculous amount of construction back then so I assume it is real nice over there now. Have you been to the indoor ski resort at that mall. We only had time to take pictures of the inside from the mall portion. I need to go back.
I had no problems over there. When I was in the airport trying to find my luggage (the lost it in Germany because of my clippers) this dude was telling me how I should clean up because the women love black dudes. They definitely had some baaaaaad joints walking through the mall.I went with married coworkers who went back to their hotels after work so I didn't really explore as much as I wanted to. I was not rolling solo out there (it was my first time out of the country). But that was 4 years ago though. Like I said, I need to go back.

yeah its changed over the years, just basically becoming more and more western/liberal. The city is massive will some much more entertainment.

This is a great site for things to do it Dubai.

http://www.timeoutdubai.com/

One cool thing is that every mall ( and trust me there are alot of malls) have something cool to do. Like Midriff City Centre, they have a indoor skydiving dome.

Also alot of American Artist are putting on concerts, at large arenas and small clubs. I say Busta Rhymes at a club for $15 and he did all his hits, and was walking around talking with people. Kanye just had a big concert a few weeks ago. Jay-z, people like that.

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by 36hypno

I was there for work for about 2 weeks back in 07. It was pretty cool. There was a ridiculous amount of construction back then so I assume it is real nice over there now. Have you been to the indoor ski resort at that mall. We only had time to take pictures of the inside from the mall portion. I need to go back.
I had no problems over there. When I was in the airport trying to find my luggage (the lost it in Germany because of my clippers) this dude was telling me how I should clean up because the women love black dudes. They definitely had some baaaaaad joints walking through the mall.I went with married coworkers who went back to their hotels after work so I didn't really explore as much as I wanted to. I was not rolling solo out there (it was my first time out of the country). But that was 4 years ago though. Like I said, I need to go back.

yeah its changed over the years, just basically becoming more and more western/liberal. The city is massive will some much more entertainment.

This is a great site for things to do it Dubai.

http://www.timeoutdubai.com/

One cool thing is that every mall ( and trust me there are alot of malls) have something cool to do. Like Midriff City Centre, they have a indoor skydiving dome.

Also alot of American Artist are putting on concerts, at large arenas and small clubs. I say Busta Rhymes at a club for $15 and he did all his hits, and was walking around talking with people. Kanye just had a big concert a few weeks ago. Jay-z, people like that.

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by B Smooth 202

Is the culture over there ready for drug reform? What is the general attitude towards legalizing/decriminalizing marijuana?

Never gonna happen. Its haraam (Forbidden). No drugs, no porn, but alcohol is can be bought in the airport after you go through customs, and at bars in center places in the city. Most big hotels have bars as well. Its all in the Burj Dubai, Jumeriah section of Dubai.


But like I said, there are drugs, but only the wealthy and connected can get them. The penalties are too harsh to mess. Basically with the UAE everything results in jail time and getting deported. American or not, you have to play by their rules.

I have only heard stories about Saudi Arabia, but my father has been going their for years and its bar far the strictest of all the ME.

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by B Smooth 202

Is the culture over there ready for drug reform? What is the general attitude towards legalizing/decriminalizing marijuana?

Never gonna happen. Its haraam (Forbidden). No drugs, no porn, but alcohol is can be bought in the airport after you go through customs, and at bars in center places in the city. Most big hotels have bars as well. Its all in the Burj Dubai, Jumeriah section of Dubai.


But like I said, there are drugs, but only the wealthy and connected can get them. The penalties are too harsh to mess. Basically with the UAE everything results in jail time and getting deported. American or not, you have to play by their rules.

I have only heard stories about Saudi Arabia, but my father has been going their for years and its bar far the strictest of all the ME.

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by Furrell

Originally Posted by Law3001

Originally Posted by Furrell

Since you are in Dubai a lot, do you see the effects of Dubai essentially being broke and owing its creditors billions taking effect throughout the city?



*Those 1-year laborers are essentially slaves that have their passports taken from them. ABC News covered it a few years back.

Not at all

. Here's the thing about the U.A.E, its a tiny country with only 7 cities making up the nation. But each city operates as its own seperate nation in way. One example is that Alcohol is legal in some places in Dubai, but in Sharjah (which is only a mile away) its not.



So the problems of Dubai are solely for the most part of Dubai. The president of Dubai basically is responsible for fixing the mess. But since Dubai is apart of the UAE as a whole, their economy is vital for the rest of the UAE.



So last year Abu Dhabi and its government sent a bailout of 10 billion. With that they also took on some Dubai's biggest money holes ( the worlds Tallest Buliding, the Burj Khalifa). Also other Saudi states like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain paid out some of the debt as well.







In regards to the 1 year laborers, there has been some reform. First Passports are no longer held. Truth is that law has been in place for sometime, but wasn't enforce until this past year. Also what changed is that workers are given a mandatory 30day vacation with that one year visa. What was covered in the ABC piece was one year contracts for laborers, but what they should also have focused on is that Starbucks, McDonalds, Krispy Kreme and other American brands were doing the same thing.



But alot of the those problems primary are dictated by what company you work for. You come here to work on a construction site, you get one year visa, a low pay and a place to stay. You come here to work in the IT department somewhere, well the benefits are a whole like greater

. Alot of companies well pay top dollar for american educated professional and offer great incentives ( high rise apartments in high demand districts, company cars, bonuses, health care)



Also know companies like Mcdonalds, Starbucks, etc are offering health care to its workers (entry level workers). Also for laborers too, some companies really take care of their employees, some don't so its really just finding the right one

Thanks.

Another question, what Americans are firms hiring out there? Just people with engineering, IT backgrounds or people that speak English fluently? I know that there are jobs overseas that pay well for fluent English speakers but finding them is damn near impossible.

English teachers are in high demand. But you be surprised on how many people speak english here, its almost like the second language ( or third with most speaking Hindi with all the indians here). I'm not sure about american firms, but alot of European companies have office in Dubai. There is place called Media City in Dubai, they are looking heavy media production experts (video editors, post production, computer animators, visual effects).

 

[law3001]

Originally Posted by Furrell

Originally Posted by Law3001

Originally Posted by Furrell

Since you are in Dubai a lot, do you see the effects of Dubai essentially being broke and owing its creditors billions taking effect throughout the city?



*Those 1-year laborers are essentially slaves that have their passports taken from them. ABC News covered it a few years back.

Not at all

. Here's the thing about the U.A.E, its a tiny country with only 7 cities making up the nation. But each city operates as its own seperate nation in way. One example is that Alcohol is legal in some places in Dubai, but in Sharjah (which is only a mile away) its not.



So the problems of Dubai are solely for the most part of Dubai. The president of Dubai basically is responsible for fixing the mess. But since Dubai is apart of the UAE as a whole, their economy is vital for the rest of the UAE.



So last year Abu Dhabi and its government sent a bailout of 10 billion. With that they also took on some Dubai's biggest money holes ( the worlds Tallest Buliding, the Burj Khalifa). Also other Saudi states like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain paid out some of the debt as well.







In regards to the 1 year laborers, there has been some reform. First Passports are no longer held. Truth is that law has been in place for sometime, but wasn't enforce until this past year. Also what changed is that workers are given a mandatory 30day vacation with that one year visa. What was covered in the ABC piece was one year contracts for laborers, but what they should also have focused on is that Starbucks, McDonalds, Krispy Kreme and other American brands were doing the same thing.



But alot of the those problems primary are dictated by what company you work for. You come here to work on a construction site, you get one year visa, a low pay and a place to stay. You come here to work in the IT department somewhere, well the benefits are a whole like greater

. Alot of companies well pay top dollar for american educated professional and offer great incentives ( high rise apartments in high demand districts, company cars, bonuses, health care)



Also know companies like Mcdonalds, Starbucks, etc are offering health care to its workers (entry level workers). Also for laborers too, some companies really take care of their employees, some don't so its really just finding the right one

Thanks.

Another question, what Americans are firms hiring out there? Just people with engineering, IT backgrounds or people that speak English fluently? I know that there are jobs overseas that pay well for fluent English speakers but finding them is damn near impossible.

English teachers are in high demand. But you be surprised on how many people speak english here, its almost like the second language ( or third with most speaking Hindi with all the indians here). I'm not sure about american firms, but alot of European companies have office in Dubai. There is place called Media City in Dubai, they are looking heavy media production experts (video editors, post production, computer animators, visual effects).

 

[hazeleyed honey]

Originally Posted by 2LipsLegit

Been to Dubai a couple times, my pops works probably half the year out there. The citys beautiful and all that, but beneath the surface it basically disgusts me. I would never wanna live there, much rather move back to Ethiopia/Uganda/Kenya

You are not the only one that feels that way. Many do.

I have a few friends (Arab backgrounds) who thought that having Canadian university degrees would give them the upper hand when they move to the UAE. Friends have complained about the heat, and how beyond the fake architecture, there is no life. It is all fake. As Arabs who are non-Emirate, they are considered second class. Ex-pats of European and North American descent are put even before the non-Emirate Arabs, and then the lowest class are the Indians,Sri Lankans, Indonesians. Filipinos (whom they treat like slaves), etc. I heard it is also very expensive to live there for housing. 

Basically, if you do not have money or you are not an ex-pat, you will not have it as good as you envision it to be.

I will be frank. The Emirate (Gulf in general) culture, some aspects of it disgust me beyond words.

To OP, you live in Sharjah?  Isn't it the more religious kind of city? My parent's friends and their kids moved from here to there. The oldest son now lives back here. They live/lived in Sharjah and that's the type of picture they painted of it to me. They are quite religious too.
  

 

[hazeleyed honey]

Originally Posted by 2LipsLegit

Been to Dubai a couple times, my pops works probably half the year out there. The citys beautiful and all that, but beneath the surface it basically disgusts me. I would never wanna live there, much rather move back to Ethiopia/Uganda/Kenya

You are not the only one that feels that way. Many do.

I have a few friends (Arab backgrounds) who thought that having Canadian university degrees would give them the upper hand when they move to the UAE. Friends have complained about the heat, and how beyond the fake architecture, there is no life. It is all fake. As Arabs who are non-Emirate, they are considered second class. Ex-pats of European and North American descent are put even before the non-Emirate Arabs, and then the lowest class are the Indians,Sri Lankans, Indonesians. Filipinos (whom they treat like slaves), etc. I heard it is also very expensive to live there for housing. 

Basically, if you do not have money or you are not an ex-pat, you will not have it as good as you envision it to be.

I will be frank. The Emirate (Gulf in general) culture, some aspects of it disgust me beyond words.

To OP, you live in Sharjah?  Isn't it the more religious kind of city? My parent's friends and their kids moved from here to there. The oldest son now lives back here. They live/lived in Sharjah and that's the type of picture they painted of it to me. They are quite religious too.
  

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by Law3001

English teachers are in high demand. But you be surprised on how many people speak english here, its almost like the second language ( or third with most speaking Hindi with all the indians here). I'm not sure about american firms, but alot of European companies have office in Dubai. There is place called Media City in Dubai, they are looking heavy media production experts (video editors, post production, computer animators, visual effects).

Any chance you know the prerequisites to teach English there? Like I need a doctorate slash masters or is a BA good enough?