Move to Dubai from SF

[Engineer]

You could trying phoning again but in Dubai, they really will tell you any old BS over the phone.

Phone three times and you WILL get three completley diffrent replies

[SFDubai]

Hi Guys - so got a lil bit more information on the move. Has anyone heard of Global alliance corp movers. They have given me a rough estimate of following

- 20ft container just for the car. I need to drive it to their warehouse in Oakland and leave it to them to load to the container. (Oakland is just 10 miles from where we are). Cost - approx $5k. Doesn't include expenses on the Dubai side.

- 40ft container for household goods. They will send a truck to pick up stuff. We are expected to pack and load. The truck will then take it to the warehouse and they will load into the container. Cost - approx $4k-$5k. I'm guessing it will cost me $1k to find people to pack and load it in the truck.

My questions

- for those of you who have moved from the US or anywhere else, does these rates seem reasonable ?

- what other costs am I looking at the other side - from Dubai port to release the goods and car. I read in one of the posts that I should be looking at a 4%-5% charge on duty for the car. Anything else? I suppose there will be some additional costs for transportation of household goods from port to home in Dubai ?

Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks

[SFDubai]

One other question - how long does it take to settle down and get your basics t care off ? Trying to see how far in advance I should get to before starting my work? Wife and kid will be home to take of letting cable and tel guys in. So it's more about banking and other stuff (??) that I need to take care of .

I'm sure you've all had experiences on the timeline.
Thx

[fcjb1970]

Originally Posted by SFDubai

One other question - how long does it take to settle down and get your basics t care off ? Trying to see how far in advance I should get to before starting my work? Wife and kid will be home to take of letting cable and tel guys in. So it's more about banking and other stuff (??) that I need to take care of .

I'm sure you've all had experiences on the timeline.
Thx

You have brought a smile to my face grasshopper. Arriving early offers you no benefit. The things that you need to do require you to get your visa first, and you cannot get your visa until after you start work.

The timeline is..start work. Immediately you want to go and do you medical exam. It takes a few days to get the results and then give that to HR and make sure they actually start processing your visa. If all goes well you can get your visa within about 2-3 weeks of starting work. At that point you can start to do the other things you mention. You will learn patience like you have never known.

[SFDubai]

Mmm my man, that doesn't sound too promising at all.. However, beginning to build up on my tolerance level ( Esp trying to get a straight answer from AlNaboodah)

[fcjb1970]

A couple good things to do in advance of arriving is make copies of your passport and also get a bunch of extra passport photos. You will need the passport copy to get your sim card, which you can do right away without a visa. Also if you plan on using a phone from the USA you may want to check into if it is locked by your provider.

Everything in the beginning seems to require a passport copy and passport photo(s), so having the photos on hand can save some hassles.

[BedouGirl]

On the subject of passport photos here, you and your family will also need them for your visa but it's a specific size, in colour, with a white background, face on, not smiling. Off the top of my head, I cannot remember how many or the size but your company should tell you that. On that note, I see you mention which company you will be working for. Be a little careful about using the name on a public forum, you never know who may read something and misinterpret what has been written. That may sound a little paranoid, but it's always best to be aware. Back on the subject of passport photos, I heard Kodak has gone bust. It amazes me when I think of how much we must all spend on photos here for everything.

[SFDubai]

Thanks for the response.

Not too sure where I've listed the name of the company I will work for. If you're referring to Al Nabooda, it is the Audi dealership where I'm not able to get an answer from. However in relation to that, I think it is not possible to get warranty on US and European version cars in the middle east (at least for Audi).

[BedouGirl]

Ooh sorry, misread, but anyway it didn't hurt to mention. Note to self, remember to read and read again 

[suzieq123]

We leave tomorrow from Virginia for our move, so I will be able to give you some better info in a week or 2. But, they people say a lot of passport photos, I'd start with at least 20 each. I'm shocked at how fast we've gone through them! Good luck, I'm originally from SF so it's near and dear to my heart.