MORE (girly) questions about moving to Dubai

[Elphaba]

Don't worry about buying cars immediately, you can lease easily. Believe me you will have plenty on your plate to start with.

Your employer has to provide you with medial insurance by law with effect from July 2008, but make sure it is quality comprehensive cover.

There are a number of gyms, although I understand that they aren't cheap. Most apartment buildings will have a gym, albeit rather basic and most have a pool too.

[cairogal]

A couple things about clothes, you can find Gap, Banana Republic, and Marks and Spencers. I never shop at Gap or Banana Republic, but my friends always insisted that the quality of the clothes sold in the UAE chains were a bit sub-par. One thing I do love about the UAE is that tailors and great textiles abound. If you have a favourite pair of trousers, shirt, of skirt you can get great copies made once you find the right tailor. The cost including material and labour is typically less than the ready-made price.

Oooooooo, i hadnt thought about tailors and getting things made. Thats a great option. I usually get my mum to do that kind of thing for me!! Thanks for the tip.

[BLM]

Going back to cars...me being the OTT organised person that I am (something I can just tell is going to cause me LOTS of frustrations in Dubai ;-)), I've already pre-booked a monthly rental with Hertz. I found them to be one of the cheapest online:

(30 day rental) 2188AED + 50 for extra driver. Collision damage waiver insurance as standard. 950AED deposit which conveniently is also the excess for collision damage waiver ins.

It works out to be about £310 for a month, I'm sure someone on the forum will come back with a cheaper suggestion ;-) But picking it up at the airport on arrival means it's hassle-free...

[cairogal]

Originally Posted by BLM

Going back to cars...me being the OTT organised person that I am (something I can just tell is going to cause me LOTS of frustrations in Dubai ;-)), I've already pre-booked a monthly rental with Hertz. I found them to be one of the cheapest online:

(30 day rental) 2188AED + 50 for extra driver. Collision damage waiver insurance as standard. 950AED deposit which conveniently is also the excess for collision damage waiver ins.

It works out to be about £310 for a month, I'm sure someone on the forum will come back with a cheaper suggestion ;-) But picking it up at the airport on arrival means it's hassle-free...

What sort of car is that for? I do believe you can find cheaper for Toyota Echos, Semi-compact Mazdas, etc....more like 1500-2000. No?

[BLM]

It's a Toyota Yaris, so pretty small! That was the cheapest deal I could find online

Do you drive a manual or automatic in Dubai? Can't decide what to look for in a permanent car. Quite paranoid about safety too as I read in my resident's guide that people die on the roads in accidents every day in Dubai...

[cairogal]

Originally Posted by BLM

It's a Toyota Yaris, so pretty small! That was the cheapest deal I could find online

Do you drive a manual or automatic in Dubai? Can't decide what to look for in a permanent car. Quite paranoid about safety too as I read in my resident's guide that people die on the roads in accidents every day in Dubai...

The big franchises tend to charge more. Try United Car Rentals. Renting from local agencies is usually much cheaper. Try these guys:

GREEN OASIS RENT A CAR
Po Box 34777
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Telephone:
Facsimile:
+971(4)3350001
+971(4)3350007

You could rent a car for the first week from someone like Hertz while you sort out a cheaper option like the one's mentioned above. I rented from Green Oasis last January. It was a relatively new Corolla.

[Equus08]

Originally Posted by Elphaba

Right!

3. There are loads of good hairdressers.

Majority of them are SALOONS.

[Elphaba]

Dubai caters well for cowboys......



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