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1) What is dating like there? Are foreign men (Canadians, Americans, Europeans, etc into dating American women or are guys primarily into dating women with an 'exotic' look? I lived in Japan before and had a fantastic experience however my dating life suffered as an American female.
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While women are very much outnumbered by men in the UAE the number of "date-able" men is pretty limited. I would caution most women from coming here w/ the idea that they're going to meet the man of their dreams. THere are a good few English-speakers here. My experience was that these available men often fell into three groups: the young ones in their 20s w/ little desire for a serious relationship, the married ones w/ wives and family in tow, and the divorced ones w/ kids. There are even a good few w/ wife and kids in the home country who carry on w/ a girlfrfiend in the UAE. I won't say that the pool is great, and I've lived in the UAE as a single woman at 26 and again when I was in my early 30s. I wouldn't say that the western expat males go for the "exotic" simply because most Arab, Indian, and Pakistani women (presumably those that could be considered exotic) are off-limits in terms of dating (for the men). That really leaves Philipino, western, and Europeans women to choose from. A number of single women in the UAe do date men from Arab countries, as they tend to have more flexibility when it comes to dating than their female counterparts. I would advise you to be very careful, though. Some men in the region view western girlfriends as simply a place to sow their wild oats. This does not apply to all, but it certainly applies to many men from all over the Middle East and the subcontinent. In other words: be cautious.
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2) Can couples hold hands in public or is that forbidden?
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Within Dubai this is ok. I would not do this in Sharjah.
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3) If I were to make $52K/year including housing, would I be able to save some money (hoping to save at least half )and take a vacation to Europe? Is this reasonable?
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It's doable, but you'll find that much of your money will go towards housing. I'm guessing here, but I would say almost half. Perhaps some others can weigh in on the cost of a decent 1 bdr in Dubai these days. If you're carrying debt from home you'll find this a bit too tight. I know teachers hired on less than this, but they live paycheck to paycheck.
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4) Any suggestions as to schools to work for? I teach ESL and have experience teaching children to adults.
Thanks for your input.
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Do you have a teaching qualification for k-12? If not, do you have a Masters in TESOL or some related field. If it's "no" to either one of those I would recommend you consider another country. If you do have either one of thosoe qualifications I can offer some specific suggestions.