Top 5 Tips for Settling Your Expat Family in Dubai
For expats in Dubai, you’ve jumped a lot of hurdles before moving to the United Arab Emirates, which include formalities such as acquiring a visa, finding accommodation and landing a high-paying job. So if you’re wondering how your family is coping with the relocation, help is at hand from the team at Allied, who’ve successfully moved thousands of families around the world.
Taking part in an international relocation is a huge ordeal, whereby there is so much to consider and so many items to attend to before moving to Dubai. One of them is making sure your family settles in comfortably. If you are relocating with children, parents must know that their kids will be relying heavily on them to help ease any anxieties and attend to any concerns they have as swiftly as possible.
You might be wondering if your family will be able to adapt to the Arabic culture, or if there is a language barrier or if you’ll encounter any discrimination. Fortunately for expats in Dubai, assimilation into the local culture is relatively easy due to the city’s diversity. There are so many expats in Dubai that most cultures have learned to live in harmony with each other, so if your children are English speakers, you’ll be able to find suitable schools and your partner will be able to converse at the local market.
If you aren’t yet aware, the UAE has imposed a 5% tax since January 2018. Finding a stable job to financially support you and your family in Dubai will make settling in a lot easier overall.
For parents, the best way to maintain the wellbeing of your children is to consider the following:
Deal with emotional hurdles.
Children can feel more displaced than their parents when an international relocation takes place. If they’re a little older, they may become very emotional about leaving their friends, familiar routines and the environment they grew up in. Before you relocate with children, make sure you prepare your kids emotionally.
Validate their feelings and answer them as honestly as possible when they query you about the move. Tell them about the family’s moving plans as early as possible. Give them time to feel sad and make sure you are there to comfort them, especially if you are dealing with teenagers.
Finding a place to live.
Everyone will cope differently with a move abroad and some members of your family may adjust more easily to their new environment. Make sure you look for other expat communities and neighbourhoods of the same nationality as you to help make your family feel more comfortable. To find the right accommodation you can check PropertyFinder or Dubizzle.
Getting around Dubai.
Familiarise your family with everything they need to know about Dubai. Look on the internet for places to go and fun activities to entertain your kids. Having a favourite place to hang out will give your children something to look forward to in their new home.
Interacting with people.
There are many expat organisations in Dubai, where your family members can interact with familiar cultures from home. You will be able to make new friends who can assist and support you and your family.
Finding a good school.
Your children’s continued education is key as they will need to make friends as quickly as possible to cope with the moving process. They will be spending most of their time at school so enrolling them before you move to Dubai will help smooth the process.
Put your trust into a moving company that will not only transport your belongings but that can help you with the dos and don’ts for expats in Dubai. Your Allied's personal moving consultant will be with you throughout the entire moving process, so you can focus more on your family other than your furniture.
Contact our team for a free quote.