Dubai is fine for expats but terrible for saving money. The Emirate is basically bankrupt so they are trying to get as much money from expats as they can. They've just introduced 5 percent VAT on everything, liberalized gas prices (I spend less on gas here than I did there) and raised the cost of fees - and you pay fees for everything from getting a driver's license to renewing your visa and getting a license to drink alcohol.

Most of the jobs that young people would get here - like working in a store, being a secretary, etc. - are filled by highly qualified Filipinas and Eastern Europeans who are willing to work for basically nothing.

There are lots of places to go overseas if they want to work and save money (Bangkok, Uruguay, Europe) but I would say Dubai is definitely not it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't take birth control with her or else she could be arrested. Seriously. A friend of a friend works for the state department and spends half her job helping stupid Americans get out of trouble in Dubai after failing to follow their laws.

I don't know why any American woman would choose to live there.

+ 1,000,000

Why the +1,000,000?

Birth control is not illegal and can be obtained without a prescription over the counter in Dubai.

There are thousands of American women happily living in Dubai. Have you ever been to Dubai?

It's not a perfect place, but Americans, both men and women, get into a lot of trouble in all countries worldwide. The UAE shouldn't be singled out. Consular staff worldwide could tell you many stories. Caribbean islands, in India, in Thailand, in Europe, you name it. You break the law, you are not protected by virtue of your US passport.

Anonymous wrote:Can't take birth control with her or else she could be arrested. Seriously. A friend of a friend works for the state department and spends half her job helping stupid Americans get out of trouble in Dubai after failing to follow their laws.

I don't know why any American woman would choose to live there.

+ 1,000,000

Had a relative who lived there. Had a party and invited people who worked for her husband. They proceeded to get drunk---and she was a nervous wreck that they were going to get in trouble. Apparently, it's okay for expats to get drunk--but, not for the locals. They never had anything but a dry party for the employees after that.

Anonymous wrote:Can't take birth control with her or else she could be arrested. Seriously. A friend of a friend works for the state department and spends half her job helping stupid Americans get out of trouble in Dubai after failing to follow their laws.

I don't know why any American woman would choose to live there.

And that burns me up! If someone knowingly breaks the law in another country, they should be on their own! It's so arrogant for someone to think they are above the law.

Anonymous wrote:Can't take birth control with her or else she could be arrested. Seriously. A friend of a friend works for the state department and spends half her job helping stupid Americans get out of trouble in Dubai after failing to follow their laws.

I don't know why any American woman would choose to live there.

Birth control is not illegal in Dubai and can be bought over the counter without a prescription.

A lot of American women in Dubai. And British and Australian and other western women. And, of course, Arab and Indian women.

Dubai is not a place to save money, unless you have an extremely high paying job.

Can't take birth control with her or else she could be arrested. Seriously. A friend of a friend works for the state department and spends half her job helping stupid Americans get out of trouble in Dubai after failing to follow their laws.

I don't know why any American woman would choose to live there.

Cohabiting outside marriage in Dubai is common among young westerners. Just be discreet. The authorities won't conduct door to door witch hunts but if something happens and their attention are drawn to you, they will be forced to act upon it. You will be arrested, you will be deported. While very rare, it does happen. The UAE operates on this model, there are many laws, as long as you're not caught they don't care, but if they are forced to recognize that you're breaking the law, they will arrest and prosecute you.

I'd be more worried about saving money in Dubai. It's a VERY expensive city. Rents are very expensive, groceries and social activities are very expensive. A typical beer or cocktail can easily cost $12-$15 USD. It's a fun town but it comes at a cost. Always make sure you get a proper package/salary before moving out there. So many people move to Dubai and end up not saving a penny despite the tax exclusions, although they usually manage to have a blast.

Source: Lived in Dubai for many years and loved living there.

It's not insane - there are literally 100s of thousands of British people (married and single) in the UAE who are doing just that. If he is British, he can indeed earn money there tax free. If your sister is American, Americans pay taxes on worldwide income (regardless of origin) above a certain overseas exemption amount. Dubai rent is very expensive and is usually paid for 6-12 months upfront. Some jobs provide an advance - otherwise they'll need to save up for rent.

Assuming both have visas, most of the time co-habitating in Dubai is not a problem as many areas are heavily populated by expats and most just don't care, but if you get south of the law for some reason, you can certainly get in big trouble (jail, deportation) for co-habitating, drinking without a license, etc. Literally millions live there fine. There are tons and tons of British because it's so economically favorable for them. The city feels a bit like Vegas without the gambling.

If it were your brother moving there I wouldn't be as worried, but your unmarried sister should not move there and live with a man. Tell her if she goes out and gets raped in Dubai, she can be put in jail for having sex without being married.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-courts-norway/woman-jailed-in-dubai-after-reporting-rape-hopes-to-warn-others-idUSBRE96K0AK20130721

From my own personal experience of living in Dubai for 5 years, they should get married to cohabitate for their own protection. Visa runs only get you so far. Or just live separately and be independently employed.

Dubai is beautiful, culturally diverse, fun. It is very safe in general, though vehicular accidents are extremely high. There are also some drawbacks — human rights violations are an issue, the laws for unmarried couples and women in general can be strict and unfair (to westerners), it is expensive, they could never become citizens, etc.

If they are thinking moving there would help them pocket money I think they underestimate the cost of living. For example, to rent an apartment, you typically pay for an entire year upfront. If they want to have a lower cost of living and skip some taxes they should move to NH!

Surprisingly, they should be just fine. While unmarried cohabitation and sex outside of marriage are both illegal and punished, it usually doesn’t present a problem. That said, there is a risk of unintended extra-marital pregnancy and that means she will need to leave the country immediately (or get married). Or, if the police are called for some other reason.

Visas may be a problem if they aren’t independently employed. But people regularly do visa runs to Oman to renew there visit visas. And they combine it with a booze run to Ras al Khaimah. Win win.

Before doing this, though, they should do some research. I suggest they start with the Dubai Forum at expatwoman.com.

Late 20's. I'm related to one and have never met the other (sibling lives in another state and they've had an overseas relationship - he lives in England). She presented the idea that they are going to move there to save money being paid tax free. This is insanity, right? i know I should MYOB but this just seems insane for a girl that has never even visited the Middle East.