Working in the Abu Dhabi

[Anonymous]

Which American women loved it there? That’s the problem, people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. I lived there for three years and it was the worst. Especially as a woman.

+1

[Anonymous]

OP here. For the women who were there, were you single there or married? Did/would that change anything? My wife works and surprising her company has a presence there. Obviously this is a situation where both is us have to turn the key in the sub.

I’m tempted by the adventure and ability to save money and spend a lot of down time with the family by traveling. They said they would fly us out for a week and even pay for flights back home. Sometimes it sounds too good to be true or maybe I am naive.

[Anonymous]

500K

Seriously, they pay ridiculously good.

Ignore the people that don't know what they are talking about. My husband and his coworkers all work in the middle east. UAE and Oman are the sweet gigs. Families love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:500K

Seriously, they pay ridiculously good.

Ignore the people that don't know what they are talking about. My husband and his coworkers all work in the middle east. UAE and Oman are the sweet gigs. Families love it.

What type of work does he do and what is life like for your family? How is it doing the normal errands like grocery store, pharmacy, dr appointments etc?

[Anonymous]

This is going to sound bad, but you need to know.

Are you white? Then go for it.

Are you brown/black/Asian? I’d advise against it.

There’s a very clear racial hierarchy there:

1. Gulf Arabs
2. White expats
3. Non-gulf Arabs
4. Filipinos/Asians
5. Indians/blacks

I lived there for many years. I’m white: my best friend was an Australian woman of Asian descent. She was treated like trash.

[Anonymous]

Most of the PPs here are posting nonsense. I live in the region and am very familiar with the UAE. You and your family will be in an expat community and school and, if you choose to go for this, will have a lovely time. You can enjoy a ton of travel within the region given your vacation time. Your wife and daughters will not be treated like "second class citizens" as the expat life is very separate from the situation for locals and the dynamics of Asian and African laborers coming from developing countries. My only caution would be the heat- the only outside activity possible for much of the year is the pool! I say go for it if it makes financial sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which American women loved it there? That’s the problem, people.

I posted earlier about teachers who were happy there. A fairly diverse group in terms of racial and religious backgrounds. Two women that were single parents and brought their kids. One of those women is a lesbian.

My understanding is that it’s a very sheltered experience. You live in company housing with other Westerners. Excursions and curated cultural experiences are provided for you with drivers and interpreters. You can go out and wander around solo if you want, but it’s rare anyone picks that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of the PPs here are posting nonsense. I live in the region and am very familiar with the UAE. You and your family will be in an expat community and school and, if you choose to go for this, will have a lovely time. You can enjoy a ton of travel within the region given your vacation time. Your wife and daughters will not be treated like "second class citizens" as the expat life is very separate from the situation for locals and the dynamics of Asian and African laborers coming from developing countries. My only caution would be the heat- the only outside activity possible for much of the year is the pool! I say go for it if it makes financial sense.

So be complicit in a classist/racist system? Cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the PPs here are posting nonsense. I live in the region and am very familiar with the UAE. You and your family will be in an expat community and school and, if you choose to go for this, will have a lovely time. You can enjoy a ton of travel within the region given your vacation time. Your wife and daughters will not be treated like "second class citizens" as the expat life is very separate from the situation for locals and the dynamics of Asian and African laborers coming from developing countries. My only caution would be the heat- the only outside activity possible for much of the year is the pool! I say go for it if it makes financial sense.

So be complicit in a classist/racist system? Cool.

But isn't that life basically anywhere? Our old racist/classiest systems haven't caught up with modem notions of intersectionality and the detrimental social and political effects of racism, classicism, nationalism, sexism etc.

I'm a female PP who lived in the UAE for a several years. I would say go to see more of the world and give your kids that perspective. But don't expect Utopia. On the other hand, your privilege protects you from it being a hellhole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is going to sound bad, but you need to know.

Are you white? Then go for it.

Are you brown/black/Asian? I’d advise against it.

There’s a very clear racial hierarchy there:

1. Gulf Arabs
2. White expats
3. Non-gulf Arabs
4. Filipinos/Asians
5. Indians/blacks

I lived there for many years. I’m white: my best friend was an Australian woman of Asian descent. She was treated like trash.

I'd put black American expats above Filipinos. That place is horribly racist, as is most of that region. I'm black and my Filipino coworker couldn't go anywhere without being with me or our white boss. Otherwise, she would be chased out of stores. This is a well paid professional.

1. Gulf Arabs
2. White expats
3. Non-gulf Arabs
4. Western Blacks/Hispanics
4. Filipinos/East Asians
5. South Asians/Africans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the PPs here are posting nonsense. I live in the region and am very familiar with the UAE. You and your family will be in an expat community and school and, if you choose to go for this, will have a lovely time. You can enjoy a ton of travel within the region given your vacation time. Your wife and daughters will not be treated like "second class citizens" as the expat life is very separate from the situation for locals and the dynamics of Asian and African laborers coming from developing countries. My only caution would be the heat- the only outside activity possible for much of the year is the pool! I say go for it if it makes financial sense.

So be complicit in a classist/racist system? Cool.

LOL because America isn’t racist?

As my Arab father in law once said: “Did you know Americans used to make black people use separate water fountains? WHO DOES THAT?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to sound bad, but you need to know.

Are you white? Then go for it.

Are you brown/black/Asian? I’d advise against it.

There’s a very clear racial hierarchy there:

1. Gulf Arabs
2. White expats
3. Non-gulf Arabs
4. Filipinos/Asians
5. Indians/blacks

I lived there for many years. I’m white: my best friend was an Australian woman of Asian descent. She was treated like trash.

I'd put black American expats above Filipinos. That place is horribly racist, as is most of that region. I'm black and my Filipino coworker couldn't go anywhere without being with me or our white boss. Otherwise, she would be chased out of stores. This is a well paid professional.

1. Gulf Arabs
2. White expats
3. Non-gulf Arabs
4. Western Blacks/Hispanics
4. Filipinos/East Asians
5. South Asians/Africans

+1
I have an Asian friend married to a white guy, she told me she had to take her husband with her to do ordinary errands like going to the market to buy food, since they never took notice of her (assuming she was a maid) and had to have her husband order things. Of course they were extremely nice of the white husband, even taking his orders before the local arab ppl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the PPs here are posting nonsense. I live in the region and am very familiar with the UAE. You and your family will be in an expat community and school and, if you choose to go for this, will have a lovely time. You can enjoy a ton of travel within the region given your vacation time. Your wife and daughters will not be treated like "second class citizens" as the expat life is very separate from the situation for locals and the dynamics of Asian and African laborers coming from developing countries. My only caution would be the heat- the only outside activity possible for much of the year is the pool! I say go for it if it makes financial sense.

So be complicit in a classist/racist system? Cool.

I know right? America is so not racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the PPs here are posting nonsense. I live in the region and am very familiar with the UAE. You and your family will be in an expat community and school and, if you choose to go for this, will have a lovely time. You can enjoy a ton of travel within the region given your vacation time. Your wife and daughters will not be treated like "second class citizens" as the expat life is very separate from the situation for locals and the dynamics of Asian and African laborers coming from developing countries. My only caution would be the heat- the only outside activity possible for much of the year is the pool! I say go for it if it makes financial sense.

So be complicit in a classist/racist system? Cool.

LOL because America isn’t racist?

As my Arab father in law once said: “Did you know Americans used to make black people use separate water fountains? WHO DOES THAT?”

No, American is not racist. We have come a long way and ignoring what we have accomplished is just STUPID. Ask your Arab father in law who treats a woman as a piece of property and a third class citizen, regardless of skin color, see if he answers you honestly.