Dubai v Sharjah

[Kad]

Hi,
I'm looking for some info on living in Sharjah as my husband has just been offered a job which will see him posted a Sharjah Airport.

We've been to Dubai a few times on oliday but we're not familiar with the Sharjah area.

Would it be worthwhile living in Mirdiff and for him to travel to Sharjah and if so 1. How long is the drive and 2. What are the rental prices like in Mirdif.

Or would we be better looking to settle in Sharjah - we've got a company apartment there for the fist 6 months anyway.

One other thing I noticed on other threads is that it seems to be stantard for the employer to pay for school fees, so far that has not been mentioned. Should we push for this?

K x

[desertengineer]

Hi Kad,
I am living in Mirdiff. There is a very nice shortcut way to go to Sharjah Airport from mirdif.
From Mirdiff first you will pass by Muhaisnah area which is neighbor region of Mirdif..Than there is a straight way to Sharjah. All people dont know this road. Thats why it is a nice way to reach in between Mirdif and Sharjah Airport.
Or Directly Emirates road which has 7 lanes in one direction right now.
Sharjah rules are different than Dubai. Thats why I suggest you to live somewhere in Dubai , like Mirdiff. ( But Dubai is quite more expensive than Sharjah to live in.)
The way with this shortcut will take appr. Morning :35 minutes ( From Mirdif to Sharjah ) and Evening : 1 hour ( From Sharjah to Mirdif )
Villa is in between 150k to 250k AED annually.
School pay : This is negotiable with ihe employer in UAE.

[Elphaba]

If you have company accommodation for 6 months, you will have time to see where you want to live and if you want to stay in Sharjah.

Sharjah is a rather less 'fun' emirate than Dubai. It is more traditional and is dry, that is no alcohol is sold. For these reasons rent etc is generally cheaper then in Dubai. There is also rather less to do in the evenings etc

Without knowing where is Sharjah your husband would be working it is impossible to say how long a journey might be. It will vary depending on whether he is just over the Dubai border or more over the other side. Another warning, traffic out of Sharjah is dreadful every morning as many people (especially the lesser paid) live there, but work in Dubai. Going in the opposite direction wouldn't be so bad.

Regarding schooling, if you can get an allowance for that great, but please note that not everyone moves to the UAE on a full package. Just make sure that you either have an allowance to cover school fees, or have budgeted for them properly.

[Kad]

Thanks for the help guys, I did make a mistake though the accomodation being provided is actually in Ajman and not Sharjah as I first stated and my husband will be working at Sharjah Airport.

[Elphaba]

Ajman is on the other side of Sharjah from Dubai & it isn't dry.

As I said earlier, use your first few months to see what you think of certain areas. If you like a quiet life, you may be happy in Ajman, but it depends on what you want, access to schools etc.

[Geordie Armani]

there are no schools in Ajman, education would have to be in Sharjah