DMBinHBurg
New Member
Typhoon,
What's your typical trips like? 4 on, 3 off? Is it commutable from the U.S?
What's your typical trips like? 4 on, 3 off? Is it commutable from the U.S?
Emirates pay??
- Thread starter david2000
- Start date
typhoonpilot
Well-Known Member
Typhoon......what is living in Dubai like? Do you enjoy living there? Have you ever felt threatened (or feared your safety) since you're a foreigner? Are you confined to a compound or is it safe to travel? [SIZE=-2]Kinda curious, since thanks to our current President, more and more people around the world hate Americans every day.[/SIZE] Forgive my ignorance; but I don't know much about living in Dubai.....hopefully you can shed some light on the matter. And, I do realize there is a bunch of this stuff posted on the Emirates 'jobs page' but I was curious to hear the opinion of someone who lives there.
Thanks!
Cruise
I call it a cross between Florida and California. One big city spread out down the beach. Lots of outdoor activities to include golf, tennis, four wheeling, kite surfing, etc, etc. You name it Dubai has it.
Never once have I feared for my safety. Well, okay driving is a bit of a challenge. Violent crime is rare and generally not against white expats. Walking through the city at 0200 is not a problem.
Compounds are something that exist in Saudi Arabia. I live in a nice neighborhood with no gates. Gated compounds do exist, but generally no different than an upscale community in the USA.
Dubai isn't utopia nor is it my home country, but it is very liveable and has almost everything I like in a city. No Power Bars at the grocery though :banghead:.
Typhoonpilot
Cruise
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the quick reply!
So, if I read the information on the Emirates site correctly, there is no 'commuting.' Everyone who works there....lives there. Correct?
killbilly
Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
I realize that it's in an Islamic country, but does the nightlife tend toward the secular?
What's the language barrier like?
typhoonpilot
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the quick reply!
Commuting does exist, but it is not the same as you might imagine. When guys say they commute it generally means their wife and children live back in the home country and they get there once or twice per month. Quite a few of the Zimbabwean pilots have had to move their families to Australia in order to get residence set-up ( they can never go back to Zimbabwe ). Most are in Perth and they get there for about 6 to 10 days per month if they are lucky. It's an 11 hour flight from Dubai and multiple time zones away. That kind of commuting is very hard on the body.
The night life is very good. Lots of live bands and top DJs from the UK are at the night clubs.
There isn't one unless you get way out in the desert. English is the language of choice here and everyone you are likely to come across speaks it to one degree or another.
May to mid-October is like living in a furnace. Think Houston in August. Not very pleasant really, but then late October to mid-March is very nice. Think Southern California without the fog.
Will do. Tony T. ,another senior Skywest check airman is on his way as well.
Typhoonpilot
Mrs.Alchemist
New Member
I was reading in a book (Culture Shock UAE) that the natives are not taxed, but foreign workers are. The book was a few years old, so I am not sure that it's true...?
The book is quite informative, and talks about how the life of foreign workers is generally seperated from the natives. Also, the fireign workers are divided between general laborers (mostly from India and Pakistan) and skilled professionals, like teachers and pilots.
According to the book, there are pretty much seperate rules for foreigners and natives... Muslims follow Islamic rules, and get tried by Islamic courts. Foreigners follow "western-like" rules. Muslims, for example, don't drink alcohol, but turn a blind eye to foreigners consuming it.
It's a pretty interesting book... Actually I could go on and on, but I don't want to bore you.
typhoonpilot
Well-Known Member
Ophir
Well-Known Member
This is a pretty interesting discussion. No doubt Emirates is going places (literally and figuratively) and it would be a great place to work. But I will paraphrase Typhoon from some other posts he has had elsewhere (I read lots of expat posts because I dream of doing it someday. But I don't think it will be UAE.)
Don't put the cart before the horse when considering moving abroad for work. You have to consider, first and foremost, that you will be leaving your country and moving to and working within a completely different culture. This may seem appealing but the considerations when moving abroad are vast and the culture shock, especially for the non-working spouse (you can't work there if you are there as the married spouse and don't have a job in place) can be really, really tough.
Personally, I have lived in Europe and despite the fantastic differences it was really tough. This comes in my forms and I wasn't really even working there. You may do just fine with these situations but the jist of the subject is that there is a huge number of challenges when considering living abroad. Good work and a nice city will only be some of the things that will support the choice to move.
Strangely enough, I was flipping through a Wall Street Journal yesterday ( I never read that paper, someone left it on the plane) and it had this article. The link is for the comparison write ups. Check it out. Interesting stuff.
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-ExpatLife_0710-26.html
Sorry if I am off base trying to paraphrase TP. Just didn't want that point to be lost on dreamy minds.
Don't put the cart before the horse when considering moving abroad for work. You have to consider, first and foremost, that you will be leaving your country and moving to and working within a completely different culture. This may seem appealing but the considerations when moving abroad are vast and the culture shock, especially for the non-working spouse (you can't work there if you are there as the married spouse and don't have a job in place) can be really, really tough.
Personally, I have lived in Europe and despite the fantastic differences it was really tough. This comes in my forms and I wasn't really even working there. You may do just fine with these situations but the jist of the subject is that there is a huge number of challenges when considering living abroad. Good work and a nice city will only be some of the things that will support the choice to move.
Strangely enough, I was flipping through a Wall Street Journal yesterday ( I never read that paper, someone left it on the plane) and it had this article. The link is for the comparison write ups. Check it out. Interesting stuff.
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-ExpatLife_0710-26.html
Sorry if I am off base trying to paraphrase TP. Just didn't want that point to be lost on dreamy minds.
Aero_Engineer
Well-Known Member
I have been to Dubai, although a muslim country but they are very foreig friendly. Their main well trained work force are all foreigners. you have a lot of options for "Fun time" but there are still limitations that you have to follow. Alla nd all working for Emirates out of dubai should be an awsome job and in future I definately won't mind flying for them.
typhoonpilot
Well-Known Member
I lose track of everything I've said over the years, but yes, one must go in with their eyes open and think about the long term ramifications of a move out of your home country. I have said, and continue to say, that a job at a good airline in your home country is a better option than becoming an expat. In regards to U.S. carriers I say that Fedex, UPS, SWA and some others may be a better long term option. I also say that younger guys shouldn't really go the expat route right off the bat. Going expat is something that you do after the airline you were working for furloughs you or goes out of business. It's not a first choice. I offer the advice on foreign carriers because there are a lot of us who fit into the category. Others who may fit into the category are guys in their late 30s or early 40s stuck at a regional who want that chance to fly international and a reasonable time frame for upgrade.
Even if it increases up to 5 or 7 years to upgrade at EK that is still an amazingly fast time to get into the leftseat of a widebody at a world class airline.
TP
skyrunner1500
Well-Known Member
Are there other upgrading mins if you've already been a qualified F/O at Emirates, than joining as direct entry captain?
typhoonpilot
Well-Known Member
Not sure I understand the question. If you mean what are the minimums for a First Officer at Emirates to upgrade?, the answer is 6000 hours total time, 4000 hours jet, and 3 years of service.
TP