First of all thanks to members who have posted their experiences.....a lot of good information is available here already. Some of them are dated, and hence the reason for this new thread.
I am an Indian citizen living in the US for 10 years now. I have a job offer in Dubai and i am looking to move in mid July (I know its hot!!!). I have a US drivers license, IDP issued from AAA in the US, Indian Passport, no Green card for US. My questions are shown below
1. Driver License in Dubai- I have many years of driving experience in US and India. Looks like I have to take 16 classes and then the practical tests. Reading through some of the older posts it seems like there used to be a wait list to get into these classes... is this still the case?? I do not mind paying a little extra to get in front of the line, hence looking for recommendations on which official school to get in touch with. Also anyone with recent experience, could you please share the details of the cost involved for expedited classes and tests??
2. Shipping Car to Dubai - I am taking one of my Cars along with me to Dubai along with my furniture and other indispensable items. Once the Car reaches Dubai, if I do not have a Dubai License by then, how will I get it registered??
3. Bank account and Money transfer- Not sure how long it takes to open a Bank account since I may not have a residency visa stamped on my passport for a while. I also may need to wire transfer between accounts in the US and UAE- is this easy to accomplish and a done thing in Dubai???
4. Converters for Electrical/ Electronics appliances- I am taking a lot of items that are rated 110V (TV, DVD, Home Theater etc..). Are converters available in Dubai that steps down the 220 V to 110V?? How much do they cost??
5. Renting a car- I am looking at renting an SUV (Prado for example) until the time i get my License upon which the company will lease a vehicle to me. How much do u think a Prado would cost to rent these days?? Also suggestions for the best places to rent a car??
I am an Indian citizen living in the US for 10 years now. I have a job offer in Dubai and i am looking to move in mid July (I know its hot!!!). I have a US drivers license, IDP issued from AAA in the US, Indian Passport, no Green card for US. My questions are shown below
1. Driver License in Dubai- I have many years of driving experience in US and India. Looks like I have to take 16 classes and then the practical tests. Reading through some of the older posts it seems like there used to be a wait list to get into these classes... is this still the case?? I do not mind paying a little extra to get in front of the line, hence looking for recommendations on which official school to get in touch with. Also anyone with recent experience, could you please share the details of the cost involved for expedited classes and tests??
2. Shipping Car to Dubai - I am taking one of my Cars along with me to Dubai along with my furniture and other indispensable items. Once the Car reaches Dubai, if I do not have a Dubai License by then, how will I get it registered??
3. Bank account and Money transfer- Not sure how long it takes to open a Bank account since I may not have a residency visa stamped on my passport for a while. I also may need to wire transfer between accounts in the US and UAE- is this easy to accomplish and a done thing in Dubai???
4. Converters for Electrical/ Electronics appliances- I am taking a lot of items that are rated 110V (TV, DVD, Home Theater etc..). Are converters available in Dubai that steps down the 220 V to 110V?? How much do they cost??
5. Renting a car- I am looking at renting an SUV (Prado for example) until the time i get my License upon which the company will lease a vehicle to me. How much do u think a Prado would cost to rent these days?? Also suggestions for the best places to rent a car??