Our emigration: how does the Russian woman live in Dubai

Фото: Depositphotos

I moved to Dubai in March 2016. It was unexpected: until that time, I had not thought about moving at all, I did not know anything about the United Arab Emirates, and in general thought that the Arab world was not mine.

But in January, 2016, I received an unexpected offer to work in Dubai in a production company that is shooting advertising for television and the Internet. I talked to my future manager via Skype, leafed through several articles about life in the UAE - and decided to move.

Language and Visa

You do not need to have Arabic to move to the Emirates. I speak English fluently - I have an English diploma in education. For some industries, knowledge of basic English is sufficient.

But the UAE’s citizenship cannot be obtained by a foreign worker. After retirement, even those who were born in the United Arab Emirates in the family of a foreign worker and lived here all their lives returned. Citizenship is the prerogative of the native inhabitants of the Emirates.

To come to the UAE, I needed a temporary work visa. For her, a copy of a passport, a certified copy of a diploma, a signed contract and health insurance is enough - it is provided by the employer. The ticket to Dubai was also paid for by the company - this is the standard condition for employment in the Emirates.

When I flew to Dubai, I had to get a resident visa. This process usually takes about a month. The original of the diploma and the contract with the employer is sent to the immigration service. In parallel, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination: donate blood for hepatitis and ВИЧmake fluorography. Women must pass a pregnancy test. If the test is positive and the woman is not married, the visa will not be given. Medical examination is also paid by the company.

My residency card. Photo author

Country unit

In its current form, the state of the UAE appeared on the map in 1971 year. Prior to this, its territory was controlled by the UK. The UAE is a federal Muslim state with its capital in Abu Dhabi. About 9,5 million people live here, while the indigenous population (they are also called locales) is no more than 1,5 million.

In the UAE 7 emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Quwain. In fact, each of them is a small state with its own sheikh. The most influential sheikhs are Sheikh Abu Dhabi Khalifa ibn Zayed (President of the UAE) and Sheikh of Dubai Mohammed Ibn Rashid (Prime Minister of the UAE).

In each emirate in the UAE, as in the United States, in addition to the general has its own laws. For example, dry law was introduced in Sharjah - alcohol is completely banned. Women are encouraged to walk there in clothes covering their legs and shoulders. Dubai is much more liberal in this regard.

As in any Muslim state, in addition to the European calendar, there is a Muslim one. One month in it is equal to the lunar cycle, so each Muslim year shifts relative to the Gregorian by 10 — 11 days. All holidays depend on the lunar cycle, and it is never possible to predict exactly on which day a particular holiday will fall: a special astronomical commission is set up for this. Because of this, it is very difficult to plan trips: you never know for sure whether there will be a long holiday due to holidays or not. You get used to rely on chance.

Even in the UAE, the weekend is not a Saturday and Sunday, but a Friday and a Saturday. The reason is that the day for prayers here is not Sunday, as in Christians, and not Saturday, as in Jews, but Friday. You quickly get used to this, but when dealing with western colleagues there are difficulties: you often have to work remotely on Friday, but Sunday is usually more relaxed.

Map of the UAE. The largest emirate is Abu Dhabi, the capital is immediately located

Currency and banks

The official currency of the UAE is Dirham. In October, 2017, 1 dirham cost 16 rubles, 1 $ = 3,5 dirham. Cash is used mainly for taxi and food delivery, all other payments are non-cash. In Dubai, I lost the habit of carrying cash with me - I only have a bank card in my wallet.

An employer usually helps an expat bank account. Therefore, you do not choose a bank - you simply open an account on where the company is serviced. My company works with the bank "Emirates-en-bi-di." It is considered one of the largest and most reliable in Dubai.

Along with a debit card, customers are immediately strongly encouraged to have a credit card. Loans in Dubai are extremely easy to issue and at low interest rates, around 6%. The car here in general, you can actually buy in installments. But if you do not pay these small interest on time, they become very large. I have repeatedly met people here who vowed to cut their credit cards as soon as they repaid loans.

You can manage your account through an application, SMS or Internet bank - this is easy, the transaction takes place within a few hours at most. But branch service is extremely slow and inefficient compared to Russian banks. Almost no issue can be resolved on site with an employee. For example, during the year I was not able to open a savings account: I was sent to the branch from the Internet bank, they offered to write to technical support on the Internet in the branch, technical support offered to call and enter a special code and card number there - at this stage just stuck. I decided that I didn’t really need another account, and gave up.

The average salary in the service sector is for workers in cafes and hotels - about 7000 — 8000 Dirham ($ 1900 - $ 2150). It used to be more, but because of the large number of Filipinos, prices fell. Filipinos have pushed out the services of Russians and citizens of the CIS countries.

There are no taxes and salary deductions in the UAE. As far as I understand, they initially did this in order to motivate specialists from other countries to come here to work. In fact, people went to the desert, where there is nothing but oil. So the state encouraged foreign companies to open their business here.

The tax situation is gradually changing. From October 1, 2017 introduced VAT on cigarettes and energy, from January 1, 2018 promise to introduce 5% VAT on all products and services. But there is no income tax, and that’s fine.

Accomodation

Due to the financial crisis, 2008 in Dubai has extremely complicated the system of renting housing: then, many went broke, leaving the country, abandoning expensive cars right on the streets and not paying the rent. After that, the state decided to insure landlords.

Absolutely everything is rented here, but the state wants to guarantee financial security for landlords. You can officially rent a house for at least one year. Pay rent by bank checks. Checks can be two, three, four, six - so many parts you divide the annual cost of rental housing.

There is also a complicated deposit system. For example, you want to rent a small one-room apartment without furniture for 48 000 Dirham (768 000 Р) in year. The owner is ready to divide the payment into an 4 check, which means that money will be withdrawn from your account for rent once in 3 a month. Then at the first payment you will need to give dirham to the owner or agent of 23 000:

• 12 000 Dirham ($ 3000) in the first three months;
• 4000 dirham ($ 1000) - deposit for furniture;
• another 4000 dirham - agent commission;
• 3000 dirham ($ 760) - deposit for utilities, internet and registration.

Another 5000 — 8000 dirham will have to be spent on furniture when you move into an apartment. Not everyone is ready to pay such a large amount at once. Someone takes a loan, someone is looking for neighbors to share housing with them. There is also a good, but rare option: to rent an isolated room in a villa. I did that.

My area is not near the beach: I’ll go to the sea for about 20 minutes. In Dubai, there are several urban beaches and many beaches in hotels. You can sunbathe while lying on a towel, or pay for a day on a sun lounger at the hotel, and get the opportunity to use the pool and spa - it costs 200 — 400 dirham ($ 50-100) per day. There is no place to walk here, but this is typical for most of Dubai: in many areas there are no sidewalks for pedestrians at all. Dubai is not a place for long walks.

In this villa I am renting a room. Photo author

Transport and car

Almost everybody drives a car in Dubai, and public transport is poorly developed. There are two metro lines, but they are convenient only to those who live and work near the coastline. There are also buses, they connect residential and work areas with the center. But if you live and work far from the center, the car is the only way out. You can ride a taxi, the prices are quite bearable by Dubai standards. 10-kilometer going to work costs me about in 30 — 35 dirham ($ 9). For a couple of months I took a taxi with Pakistani drivers who speak English very badly, and then I realized that I still want to drive myself.

The main disadvantage is that all gas stations in the country are state-owned and very few of them. If gasoline runs out, and you missed the right turn, a very high risk of getting stuck somewhere in the desert with an empty tank and wait until someone you know brings you a canister.

I rent a Mitsubishi Atrazh Author’s photo

To get my license in Dubai, I had to re-train and take all the tests, although in Russia I drove the car for almost 10 years. Citizens of the European Union and the United States can simply exchange their rights, but for the Russians such exceptions do not. My experience only allowed to reduce the number of study hours: I had them 20 instead of 40. I was in no hurry to learn and passed it in about six months. If you want, you can pass everything in two or three weeks.

The number of black points can be reduced if you attend special lectures on safe driving. A year later, black scores burn.

Parking

In Dubai, when planning the urban space immediately took into account the need for parking. There are a lot of them here. There is no way to park anywhere. Almost every house has underground parking for residents or allotted space outside the house.

Paid parking usually costs 2 — 4 Dirham (32 — 64 Р) per hour, this is not extortionate prices at all. But the roads in Dubai are excellent, it is very nice to drive along them. At the same time, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the world's highest skyscraper Burj Khalifa.

Dubai skyscrapers, view from the highway

View of Dubai from the Burj Khalifa skyscraper

Entertainment

Dubai is a city of malls and hotels. The most affordable entertainment here is shopping, going to a spa, restaurant, bar or club.

From September to May, the city comes to life, musical performers come. Liam Gallagher will arrive this November, tickets from 350 Dirham (5600 Р). At the same time of the year, a wide variety of sporting events take place - rugby, cricket, golf, horse riding and camel tournaments. In the new building of the Dubai Opera you can watch Russian ballet and listen to Mozart (prices for the gallery are from 200 dirham).

My favorite place is Alserkal art space in the industrial zone of Dubai. This is a former warehouse, where artists and musicians were allowed. There are independent exhibitions and performances, you can watch art-house cinema and get on an unusual master-class on clay modeling. This hipster place seems detached from everything else in Dubai, and it's very cool that it is.

The design of the space is quite laconic, but I like evening walks in the area, when the lights and signs are lit

As in any big city, in Dubai there is always something to do in your free time. Unlike Moscow, here I had more time for a hobby. I go to dance, sing in the choir, play the piano and write scripts. On Saturdays I go to the sea, and then I go to play the local variant “What? Where? When? ”Called“ 60 seconds ”is a franchise played by Russian speakers all over the world.

The hardest time in Dubai is summer, from May to September. It becomes unbearably hot and humid, the temperature under 50 ° C, do not go outside. Many people with a more or less free schedule go abroad. The city is dying out, the malls are empty, the concerts are postponed until autumn. In the summer it is very difficult to think of something to do in the evening after work. Of course, you can always go to visit or to the cinema, have a tasty dinner or go in for sports, but there is not enough opportunity to go out into the fresh air and attend a cultural event.

View of the Madinat Jumeirah Shopping Mall

In the malls of Dubai, you can see anything, such as the skeleton of a real dinosaur, as in the Dubai Mall

Or a ski slope with artificial snow, as in the "Mall of the Emirates"

Tourism

In the UAE there is much to go: you can go to the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah, to the Indian Ocean in the state of Fujairah, to the green Al Ain or to the capital of Abu Dhabi. From Dubai to get to any of these places can be a couple of hours. Near the UAE is Oman, there is more greenery and mountains. Many residents of the Emirates go there to rest for the weekend.

Desert Liva in the emirate of Abu Dhabi

Religion and limitations

Despite all the stereotypes, Dubai, in my opinion, is a fairly liberal place. To live here, you just need to remember that you are in a Muslim country, and follow local rules. Couples can not publicly express their feelings, kiss, it is better not even hold hands. Officially, you cannot live with a partner if you are not married, although many live unofficially. If righteous neighbors come to such a couple, you can go to jail. Therefore, the neighbors here are trying to be friends. In Ramadan, you should not eat, drink water and smoke in public places, except for specially designated ones.

This is exactly the minimum that everyone should know. Respect another culture, be polite - and no one will look askance at you. In clubs and bars you can easily walk in a short dress, on the beach - in a bathing suit. Expats can buy alcohol in bars and shops, but in stores for this they need a special license. You can get it by asking for a certificate from the place of work and from the landlord that they are not against the fact that you drink alcohol. Most expats do without a license.

To buy alcohol in Dubai, you must have such a license card

On the website of the em-em-ai trading company, which sells alcohol in the UAE, it is step by step written how to obtain a license

In the UAE there are very strict penalties for crimes. Even the smallest theft can be put in prison. Cameras are located throughout the city, and usually it does not take long for the police to catch the criminals. As a result, the city is very safe. Many do not lock the doors of their apartments, boldly let cleaners go there while they themselves are at work. At night, it’s not scary to go to the store or even walk through the park. It is quiet and calm here, and although there are precedents, there are much fewer of them than in other megalopolises. In 2017, Abu Dhabi was recognized as the safest city in the world.

When I tell my friends from Russia that I live in Dubai, many people wonder if they are making me wear a veil here. In fact, for all the time in this country, I have never faced disrespectful treatment to me because I am a girl. Quite the contrary: it is not customary to drive up on the street with vulgar comments and suggestions to meet. You can be sure that no one will touch you with your finger and insult you with a word, because for this you can get to the police.

Experienced expats warn new ones about existing censorship. You should not scold in social networks and even in private correspondence of the sheikh, publish bad reviews about the country, spread rumors and gossip or post photos of burning buildings. For this they can be fined, imprisoned or deported. In Muslim culture, it is not customary to talk about bad things, moreover, they are very concerned about maintaining a positive image of the country.

Products

Prices for products in Dubai are very high, because almost everything is imported from neighboring countries. In the UAE, they grow their own tomatoes, cucumbers, apples and, of course, dates, but almost everything else is purchased abroad. The advantage is that there are so many expats here that it is easy to find products from any country in the world. In stores like Carrefour there is, for example, a separate section with Russian food.

Russian Food Section at Carrefour

The most expensive - alcohol. Prices for a glass of wine or beer are the same, the average price in an inexpensive bar is 40 Dirham ($ 10). But with a normal expat salary, this does not really affect the wallet, if you know when to stop.

Spice department in the supermarket

I don't eat much and usually go to the supermarket once a week. I hardly cook at home, so I buy mainly breakfast (cottage cheese, yogurt) food, sausage, cheese, fruits and vegetables. I spend about a week on food about 200 — 300 dirham (3200 — 4800 Р), about the same I spend on lunch at work.

My supermarket shopping for a week

In Dubai, a lot of restaurants Lebanese, Chinese, Indian, Filipino cuisines. Russian cuisine is represented poorly, but there is one wonderful restaurant “Eshak” with Georgian and Uzbek cuisine, and borscht and dumplings are also prepared here. I go here when I start to miss Khinkali. My colleagues are Lebanese, so from the very first days I was introduced to Lebanese dishes: Manusha flatbreads with spicy mix Zatar, Yogurt Labne, Fatush and Taboulet salads. Everything is very tasty, but most of the dishes of Lebanese cuisine are served cold. I do not have enough hot food and soups in it.

Most of the restaurants in Dubai are chained: you will find the same names in almost any mall and tourist place. Small private restaurant business is getting accustomed badly.

A separate story here with ordinary drinking water. Here it is paid, as in Russia. In a restaurant, ordering water, you need to specify which one you want: local (desalinated) or imported. If not clarified, then instead of a bottle of water for 8 dirham ($ 2) you will be brought an expensive glass bottle for 30 — 40 dirham ($ 7.5 — $ 10.17).

People

In Dubai, a lot of Russian speakers. If you wish, you can generally limit your social circle so that you don’t need English. There are, for example, Russian girls who do manicures at home for their Russian clients and have been living in Dubai for years with a tourist visa. Many Russians in Dubai work in the service sector, for example, in hotels and lounges. There are Russian-speaking doctors, translators. In my experience, the attitude to the Russians in the city is benevolent.

Over time, I began to miss communication in my native language. So I got into the club "60 seconds." It turned out to be interesting and close to me in the interests of people with whom I have fun.

In addition to Lebanese, who work mainly in advertising, there are a lot of Filipinos, Pakistanis and Hindus in the city. Every nation has its own role. Filipinos mainly work in the service sector - in restaurants, lounges, hotels, as they have good conversational English. Most taxi drivers are Pakistanis, and workers at construction sites are mostly Hindus. Nevertheless, a person with higher education, brains and good English always has a chance to get a high-paying job here, regardless of nationality or skin color.

Conclusions

At the same time, this is a city where 40 was desert a few years ago. Dubai is growing and developing, but it will take a long time for it to have its own traditions and culture. I, as a person who had previously lived in Moscow and London, lack cultural diversity and leisure opportunities here. And the fact that almost all expats come here for a period of 2 — 5 years, only proves: all acquaintances, friendly and romantic relationships here are temporary.

For a year and a half in Dubai, I gained invaluable experience in communicating and working with a variety of people, learned more about Arab culture, and learned to rest and relax anew. Now I feel comfortable and easy here. But I don’t have enough of the mad rhythm of life in Moscow, so I think that after a while I’ll be pulled back to Russia or Europe.

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