Any users located in Dubai?

I actually just got back from a two week vacation in Dubai. My parents were living there. Great place. Very sandy though and hot. Things to keep in mind:
You need a liscense to purchase alcohol from stores and to drink it in your home. There is only one store that sells alcohol (but they have multiple locations) Africa and Eastern. It also costs a bit more.
Elistat is no longer the only phone provider, there is now a second cellphone provider available, but Elistat still has a stranglehold on the marketplace. VOIPs are blocked by the government to help Elistat keep their monopoly. The internet is also heavily blocked for content, Youtube barely works in my experience, but ASSEMbler works just fine!
Free parking from 1pm-3pm if I remember correctly!
There are only two legal satelite providers. Showtime is based in Saudi Arabia and has lots of movies and tv shows (just started the final season of Friends actually) but they are censored quite a bit. I don't remember the name of the other one,, but it carries BBC and similar channels. If you have the right connections, you can get AFN, but keep in mind that you cannot legally have it.
They changed the rules on driving three months back. Previously you could drive with a US liscense, now you need a Dubai liscense.
They love Americans and Brits!
Cheap tobacco, but smoking in public was banned last month.
Camels!
Indoor skiing!
Cheap gas!
Construction is constantly going and roads are constantly changing. Just because you could get home one way one day, does not mean you can get home the same way the next. When I got there there was a sign for an exit for Festival City off the highway, but no exit. By the time I left, there was not only an exit, but it led to a mosaiced tunnel under the highway and to Festival City.
When you take a taxi you need to give them directions, you can't just tell them an address.
Lots of malls and gorgeous architecture.
I could say tons more, but don't want to go on for too long. There are some negatives, but I think they are far out weighed by the positives! I loved the supermarkets too! Particularly Spinney's.

 

The prices are ok. I had luck, I got a sealed Star Craft 64 for about 20 Euro. I sold it on ebay for 80 Euro :icon_bigg

You can try to deal for the older stuff. It worked for me. I bought a DC Millenium controller and a sealed green transparent DC VMU. Together for about 15 Euro.

 

Actually, if your employer trys to bully you into quitting or they fire you without reason you can have them sent to jail for three days. Then they have to deal with further penalties. The employment laws actually protect workers more than one would think.

 

Thanks a lot for all the info samael64!!!! - you have answered a lot of my questions - didn't know smoking in public was recently banned......hmmmmm

Taxi's could be a problem as my misses doesn't drive, and couldn't find her way to the shops, let alone give directions!

Aiming to travel out at some point in the next two weeks to see the place for myself. Can't wait!

Barc0de - I'll be interested in more on that shopping centre if I do move out there, pirates are always cool! :nod:

 

No problem. As I said, I can go on for a bit more. If you have any more questions send me a PM, if I can't answer it my Dad can as he actually lived and worked there while I just visited.

 

Small world, Jumeirah just signed on as one of our clients last month, I was just working on some graphics for them today. They have another hotel that's on an artificial island in the shape of a palm leaf.

 

if you go to Abu Dhabi, be sure to check out the Grand Mosque and the new airport. My dad played a great role on both as a civil engineer ^_^

 

Hey, my dad is a civil engineer too.

 

off topic, but where is he situated ?CA?

 

Hawaii actually, thats where I was born and raised. My parents will most likely be moving soon though to either Pennsylvania or Texas depending on my dad's company.

 

i ve heard some cool things about hawaii. I hope i go there for myself one day

 

I'd say it is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't recomend living there...

 

y isnt hawaii ideal for living then samael?

 

Not to put to fine a point on it as this is getting a bit more OT but the high cost of living and racisim.

 

Have just agreed to take the job and will be leaving mid sept!

Have a sh*t load of things I need to sort out still - expect some nice items I can't fit in storage coming up for sale soon! :nod:

 

looking forward to your garage-sale

 

Yay! Cant wait!! ^^