Prepared by Max Sawaf, MD (Last update February 2009)

• ›› Introduction
• ›› Demographics
• ›› Business Climate
• ›› Medical Practice and Regulation in UAE
• ›› Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC)
• ›› Competitive environment for Hospitals and doctors in Dubai
• ›› More about the UAE...

Introduction

The seven Emirates created a federation in 1971 with its capital in Abu Dhabi. UAE had in 2007; 5.3 million people 19% of them or 900,000 are local Emirates. The population growth in UAE at 7% (Dubai is 8%) is the highest in the world with a GDP growth last year for the whole UAE of 5.2% to reach 100 Billion Dollars and to reach 200 Billion Dollar in 2015 as is expected to grow around 5% this year due to higher oil prices with record trade and budget surpluses. Dubai GDP recorded in 2007 a 16% growth and is expected to slow down to 0-3% over next two years due to the global recession and the really hard hit local real estate and tourism sections. 

Abu Dhabi is the largest Emirate with two million people while its capital, the city of Abu Dhabi, has about one million people. The city has a majority of Arabs and some 350,000 locals and is much more conservative than Dubai making it an ideal city to raise a family. It has also much lower traffic congestion and is spread over a smaller area. It is much greener than Dubai due to the millions of trees that were planted. The traffic is going to get worse as Abu Dhabi starts to catch up with Dubai however it will never be as bad as Dubai.

Abu Dhabi has 92% of the UAE oil and thus is a very rich state. At the current production rate, Abu Dhabi can keep pumping oil for the next 103 years without discovering any new oil fields. It is embarking on an ambitious plan to catch up with its sister city Dubai including building entertainment parks, new hotels, and a 25 billion Derhams new airport, a new airline (Ettihad), a new convention center, several new private hospitals, a new medical city under construction, the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, a Disney like park and several international schools.

Dubai city is home to 1.7 million people and Sharjah which is connected to Dubai through two bridges and a tunnel has 750.000 people. Dubai is projected to have more than two million people in 2010 and 3.1 million in 2020. The combined market in Dubai and Sharjah compromise a market of two million people made up of about 10% Emirates, 23% Arabs and Iranians, 55% Asians mostly Indians and Pakistanis, 12% Westerners including 60.000 British (out of 100.000 living in UAE), 30.000 Russians and 14.500 Americans. Ajman is the city next to Sharjah and is only 45 min-90 min drive from our Hospital depending on traffic. Ajman has 150.000 people. Ras Al Kheima has 100.0.000. Al Ain is a beautiful small city because it is less humid and has 250.000 people with the same population mix as Abu Dhabi. It is 135 km from Dubai and equally far from Abu Dhabi.

Currency. A US Dollar equals 3.67 Derhams. A Derham which is pegged to the US Dollar equals 100 Fils. You are free to exchange money and transfer money. Inflation is rising high due to increased oil revenue, rapid expansion of touristic, real state  and infrastructure projects.
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Demographics. Dubai was the third fastest growing city in the world after Las Vegas, Nevada and Dublin, Ireland until the recent global recession. Dubai is an open pro-business city.

There is no income tax although there are hidden taxes such as sponsor fees, road fees, visa fees and licensing fees. Insurance penetration is 70% and growing. Only 7% of GDP depends on Dubai’s dwindling oil reserves. Construction, trade, manufacturing and tourism account for most of the GDP. The federal government‘s GDP is 60% derived from oil.

900.000 UAE nationals live in UAE, about 200.000 of them in Dubai and Sharjah. Sharjah is only 20 Km from Dubai but traffic can be bad at rush hour (One hour commute). UAE has a very high birth rate and a per capita income of 27.600 US Dollars per year, second highest in the Middle East after Qatar.

UAE's GDP of 4.8 million people is 60% that of Saudi Arabia which has 18 million Saudis. The UAE has the third largest oil reserves in the world. It produces 5.6 million Barrels a day and has invested Billions to expand capacity. DELETE A sentence here. The government Investment Fund exceeds 500 billion Dollars and is a cushion against bad times. With the US needing more oil every year for its Recreational Vehicles for the next twenty years and the explosive needs of China and India; the current recession may last 2-5 years but the future is bright.

UAE workforce: The workforce in the private sector in Dubai where more than 45.000 companies were operating in 2006 is compromised of 2.4% UAE locals mostly in banks and insurance companies, 1.9% Europeans, 9.4% Arabs, 84.5% Asians and 1.8% others. 58% of the companies are officially owned by UAE nationals but a lot of them are silent partners and the expatriates are the true owners.

Abu Dhabi has more locals working in the oil industry, the government ministries and the army. It has also most of the diplomats of all embassies.

UAE has the highest internet penetration in the world. Most westerners and rich locals live in beautiful Jumeirah in Dubai where the Emirates Hospital and CosmeSurge are located across the street from the Beach.

Key job providing sectors are

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Business Climate. UAE has few malpractice lawsuits, business friendly labor laws and too many doctors with below average facilities and expertise.

The Dubai Health Care City (DHCC) is designed to attract capital, brand names and new hospitals and well trained doctors. The vision of Sheikh Mohammed is to make Dubai a center for business, family and medical health tourism in addition to being a center of trade, tourism, finance and media.

Liberalization is occurring at a fast pace. Real Estate ownership is now open to non-nationals with 20 year low interest financing (20-50% down-payment required). The agency laws and sponsorship laws are expected to be phased out over three to five years in order to join the WTO.

E- Government services are ahead of Europe. Six million tourists descended on Dubai in 2008 prior to the global recession, but currently hotel occupancy is significantly lower.

Tourism is slowing down but is still fairly significant. Hotels are operating at 30-70% capacity even in the hot summer season. Dubai’s airport is the fifth busiest in the world. Dubailand 35 Billion Derhams project will spread over a three billion square feet area (Dubailand is the size of Singapore and is three times the size of Disney World in Orlando), and will include among other things a wax museum and a theme park and will require 50.000 professionals to maintain it.

In 2006 Dubai received 755,000 British tourists, 552,000 Saudis, 458,000 Iranians, 449.000 Indians, 386,000 Russians, 336,000 Germans 156,000 Americans, 140.000 Lebanese, 71000 Jordanians and 60.000 Syrians.

Congestion in Dubai and Sharjah is bad and is gradually increasing as road construction and parking spaces cannot keep up with Dubai's explosive growth (653,000 cars in Dubai and increasing 18% per year on 11000 kilometers of roads. If you can afford it, living close to work is my #1 anti-aging advice. Currently 5% of the population use the 516 public buses and 5000 taxis. To ease traffic Dubai is investing in mass transit with a target of having 17% of the public using mass transportation by year 2020. The metro in Dubai is expected to start operating in September 2009 and there are plans to link all major cities in UAE by train.

The city of Dubai is so dynamic and cosmopolitan it resembles at times being in Frankfurt's airport. Arabic is the official language but English is widely used. Alcohol is restricted to hotel based restaurants.

Dubai is building a great zoo, a recreational city, one of the largest in door ski centers in the world, a huge monorail system for public transportation, Sports city, Gold and diamond city, Dubai Finance City, Dubai Health City, oil services city, charity services and aid city, textile city, furniture city, in addition to the completed Internet city, Media city, three man made palm islands, Dubai Pearl, Dubai Marina and the Knowledge village. A two billion Dollar convention city is planned in Jabal Ali within the Jabal Ali new airport city and will be open for business in 2009. It will spread over three million feet and will be the largest convention center in the world with 19 exhibition halls.

Dubai is history in the making and represents an island of stability, freedom and growth in the middle of troubles waters. It is benefiting from the flight of Arab tourists and Arab capital from the recent “war on terrorism”. It has one of every five cranes in the world. Bank loans increased from 400 Billion Derhams to 405 Billion last year (a one percent increase) proving that most of the building boom is financed by direct foreign investment mostly from the GCC countries.

Abu Dhabi has started an ambitious plan to catch up with Dubai. It surely has the means to do it with 10% of world oil production and more than 500 Billion Dollars in savings (Abu Dhabi Investment Fund). Both cities are great cities to live in; however, the competition is fierce.

Cost of Living. Rent in UAE tripled from 2005 to 2008, before being hit by the recession. Deflation in real estate rent, energy and food prices is expected to be the norm in 2009. Dubai’s commercial rent is now 50$ per square foot. This makes it cheaper than London (100$) and Hong Kong (60$) but more expensive than Singapore (30$) and surprisingly New York (50$.)

Excluding rent, UAE scores very well in terms of cost of living.

Medical Practice and Regulation in UAE.

Labor laws are a dream (liberal workman compensation laws compared to Europe or USA, no threat of unfounded sexual harassment suits by nursing staff, equal opportunity law, needle stick act, OSHA, Medicare, privacy act...) all the things that make doctors in America want to quit medicine. There are no personal or corporate taxes. However health care regulators are becoming extremely demanding with more and more regulations and fines in order to improve quality of health providers.

There are no State, federal or social security taxes. No VAT on goods although the UAE has in 2005 asked the IMF to draw up plans. There are hidden taxes in the form of surcharges for utilities, fines, municipality permits and license and visa fees.

Hidden government taxes average about 10% -15% of the practice income and are climbing every year (license fees, residence visas, a recently enacted 5% rental property tax, sponsor fees...). Malpractice law suits are infrequent and professional insurance premiums are very low but are climbing.

While US based doctors definitely earn much more “gross income” than their counterparts in UAE, the quality of life is better, raising a family is easier and more predictable but the rat race is becoming as bad as the west. Of course you will miss your family, but you will also have a lot of friends to chose from in this cosmopolitan city. European doctors and nurses earn about the same as their counterparts in the west after factoring in taxes. It is easy to ignore that the best things in life are free. Dubai sun and sand is two of them. Low level crime is another.

Regulation of medical practice. Think of the Emirate of Dubai as a separate State like in the USA. The Dubai government requires that a physician obtains a license by the Dubai Department of Health (DOH). Abu Dhabi has its own licensing authorities (HAAD). All other Emirates in the UAE require a separate license obtained by the Ministry of Health in Abu Dhabi (MOH). The Dubai Health Care City (DHCC) requires yet another license. A physician may not practice in more than one Emirate at the same time and may not open a practice without a UAE local sponsor/partner unless working in a free zone such as DHCC.

You can import any equipment without a problem but must pay 5% import tax or custom duty. While you can save 25-50% on some items bought directly from abroad, be careful buying equipment that needs heavy or frequent maintenance.

The private sector is booming all over the Middle East since the governments are gradually privatizing health care and the population is exploding. The Gulf people have one of the highest fertility rates in the world with the average family having six children.

In term of insurance (fee for service) we are about four years behind the USA. But the game of catching up has started. It will take 3-6 years in my estimation for us to get where the US is now (capitation, HMO’s ...etc…)

The malpractice insurance is low since it is still very uncommon to sue.

There are tons of doctors but few truly superb ones in terms of having the magic six requirements:

• Good US education or equivalent with a sub-specialty
• Three to five year post graduate experience
• Ethical (honest medical advice and ethical practice)
• Personable/charming personality (Good looking and sharp dressing is a plus)
• Able to work as a team (Not egomaniacs)
• Motivated enough to want to be available to their patients.

For authentication services, we recommend the following two agencies which cost some money but saves a lot of time and hassle:

• www.uslegalization.com
• Express Document Authentication Services
  717 Dartmouth Avenue
  Silver Springs, MD 20910
  Phone: 3014957700
  Contact person: Ms. Brigitte Siegall

Licensing in UAE: A physician wanting to practice in the UAE has to have his or her future employer (sponsor) applies for him or her to get a license. There are four licenses, one granted by Dubai government after successful examination and entitles the holder to practice only in Dubai, the other is granted by GHAS which allows you to practice in the cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and the third option is to pass the Abu Dhabi Ministry exam (MOH) which entitles its holder to practice anywhere in the UAE except Dubai and Abu Dhabi. A separate license by Harvard International is issued for the Dubai Health Care City.

The requirements to take the exam are the following:

• Must submit the application filled by employer
• Updated CV
• Medical school certificate
• American Boards all equivalent
• A certificate of good standing from the state Board or Medical Syndicate in home country
• A recommendation letter.
• Photocopy of passport clearly showing expiration date
• Four photographs
• Certificate of experience detailing your practice after graduation obtained either from your hospital or medical society.

In the case of surgeons, a list of the surgeries they usually perform is required to be submitted with the application.

Items 3 and 4 must be authenticated by the UAE consulate in the country where certificates are issued. American Board certification entitles doctors to a quasi automatic licensure. An interview is required with a licensing committee and rarely does a qualified person fail. The interview is usually a routine affair for board certified physicians although I strongly recommend that you study/refresh your memory for a few weeks.

Depending on the qualifications and training of the individual the committee would be tough or lenient. A three year post graduate experience is strongly preferred and five years is even better.

Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Licensing:
To apply for licensure as a ‘General Practitioner’ including Dentistry to work in the private sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi you are required to demonstrate the following:

• You have successfully completed and hold an accredited recognized primary medical qualification in your own country
• You have successfully completed and can demonstrate a one(1) year internship ‘General Practice’ program. Plus you must show evidence of practice as a non training grade registered General Practitioner (GP) or Dentist for a minimum of two(2) years experience
• You hold a current and valid license to practice as a registered Medical Practitioner (General Practice) in your home country without any conditions or limitations
• You are proficient in reading and writing English (all examinations conducted in English)

To apply for licensure as a ‘Specialist Physician\Dentist’ in work in the private sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi you are required to demonstrate the following:

• You have successfully completed and hold an accredited recognized primary medical qualification in your own country
• Specialization certificate obtained after a fulltime structured residency program/ course of no less than 3 years duration for Physicians and no less than 2 years duration for Dentists in a university centre, teaching hospital or where appropriate, in a health establishment approved by the competent authorities.
• No less than 3 years post certification
• You hold a current and valid license to practice as a registered Specialist Physician in your home country without any conditions or limitations
• You are proficient in reading and writing English (all examinations conducted in English)

To apply for licensure as a ‘Consultant Physician\Dentist’ in work in the private sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi you are required to demonstrate the following:

• You have successfully completed and hold an accredited recognized primary medical qualification in your own country
• Specialization certificate obtained after a fulltime structured residency program/ course of no less than 3 years duration in a university centre, teaching hospital or where appropriate, in a health establishment approved by the competent authorities.
• No less than 8 years post certification in an acute care hospital and no less than 3 years as Consultant
• You hold a current and valid license to practice as a registered Specialist Physician in your home country without any conditions or limitations
• You are proficient in reading and writing English (all examinations conducted in English)

LICENSING APPLICATION CHECKLIST
The following checklist provides you a guide on the documents that you are required to submit along with your application form. Proof of originals is required upon submission. All attached documents for licensing require legal English translation because these documents may have to be reviewed by Non – Arabic speaking officers.

• Completed application form with completed declaration by Private Health Care Facility including their official stamp
• Current and up to date detailed resume with 5 passport photographs
• Passport and Visa (Residence or Visit) – valid and current
• High school leaving certificate. This is not a strict requirement for Physicians, Dentists and pharmacists
• Professional qualifications – Certificate/ Diploma/ Degree/ Post Graduate
• Transcript of professional training – must include theory and clinical hours
• Practicing Professional License – valid and current from home country
• A certificate of ‘Good Standing’/ Registration or License from each country where you have been employed to meet minimum requirement of 2 years experience post internship If you worked in a country and for a government facility where you practiced on your ‘home license’ (e.g. Saudi Arabia) please ensure to summit certificate of employment in place of certificate of ‘good standing’
• Relevant Experience:
• Official certificate of service from an authorized person at health facility. Preferably from HR
• Experience must be in a substantive post (Volunteer work and training is not acceptable)
• UAE MOH Evaluation/Licensure if applicable

Once you have completed the above, please return to our office to submit. We will only accept and proceed with your application once we have received all the above required documentation. We will then be in contact with you on the progress of your application
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Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC).

Much has been broadcast about DHCC in very impressive marketing material. A physician working there would not need a sponsor and would be free to buy or lease his office. Most insiders do not believe that DHCC will meet the unrealistic deadlines that they hope to meet in terms of readiness. It is worth highlighting that the DHCC consists of three elements, namely:

a. The University Medical School and Hospital,
b. The medical services - along the lines of a food court principle, and
c. A Wellness Centre.

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The first phase was completed in May 2005 and has 350 clinics and five hospitals under construction including two hospitals by the Varkey Group one for the work class (the Creek Hospital with 200 beds) and one for the wealthy (the City hospital) in association with George town University with emphasis on orthopedic and cardiac surgery. The City Hospital opened in 2008. The Wellness Centre is not planned to open till late 2009, and will be sited in the Al Jadaf area of Dubai, the two other elements situated at the Wafi City site.

Harvard Medical International has been announced as the university and postgraduate medical school that are committed to providing the postgraduate facility, and the Mayo Foundation as the lead university hospital. Both organizations are actively seeking the relevant partners from international centers of excellence for the DHCC in the next year. This pace of activity is taking place coincidental with the announcement that the Dubai Government has now given ten million square feet of land for the second phase of this USD 1.8Bn project.

It is particularly interesting to note that currently the DHCC would welcome other autonomous hospitals being built on the same site as the University Hospital – even if just across the street. DHCC sees this as good competition and has no thoughts to either the critical mass required to support more than one tertiary level hospital or making the whole operation more efficient by having common shared services with equipment such as linear accelerators.

The DHCC hopes that treating the medical services element as a food court – or rather ‘health court’ - concept will attract international medical organizations that will compete and collaborate. They anticipate that patient choice will be at the pricing levels.

DHCC is calculating that they would be attracting patients from a pool of 1.8 billion people from the continent of Africa, the whole of the Middle East, the sub-continent of India and many of the Eastern European countries to the north. Whatever the numbers, the rulers of Dubai are clearly determined to make DHCC a global centre of excellence that will start treating patients and operating as a postgraduate medical facility from 2005, and be a complete centre of excellence attracting patients from all over the world for both treatment and research from 2010.

Much of the detail on the DHCC in the Wafi City site is unclear at the moment, because the aim is to allow the incoming participants to propose the size and shape of their contribution within the overall strategy. This may be one way of doing business in an exciting place like Dubai, but it does not lend itself to:

• The breathtaking timescale targets that have been imposed
• The associated exacting critical paths required to deliver a plethora of high quality services and products
• Establishing well coordinated world-class standards of medical excellence and accreditation in an orderly fashion
• The increasingly paralyzed traffic and parking congestion in the area.

The creation of the DHCC will have a significant impact locally by absorbing the private sector in Dubai, and may well finish up in competition with the Ministry of Health and General Authority unless some rationalization of the country’s healthcare takes place sooner rather than later. It is considered that the DHCC must also be aware that similar initiatives have already started in Lebanon, with others planned in Egypt and Qatar.
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Competitive environment for Hospitals and doctors in Dubai. Currently Dubai’s appeal is receding as competition mounts and the population growth slows down. Among the largest new comers is the Saudi German Hospital in Bersha with 300 beds and another hospital built by the Varki group (the Creek Hospital). Above hospitals are expected to open for business in late 2010. Another 125 bed hospital will be opened in late 2010 as a joined venture between the Istithmar Company - partially owned by Dubai government- and Bumrungrad Hospital group in Thailand also known as the American Hospital in Bangkok which is the largest private hospital in Asia.

Seven new hospitals are being built in Abu Dhabi but the competition there remains a bit less intense than Dubai.

My Conclusion: There will be a definite squeeze on the doctors, clinics and hospitals to meet higher standards and to work in large multi-specialty groups or be hospital based and a squeeze by insurance companies on physicians’ and hospitals’ margins. The market is becoming saturated in Dubai but is more promising in Abu Dhabi.
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More about the UAE…

Climate. The UAE has a tropical weather similar to Florida with a very hot and humid season extending from July 1-October 1. Rain is rare. You will miss the clouds and get tired of sunshine!

Dubai municipality’s 1400 member parks and landscaping team are keeping the city green around the year. They have an ambitious plan to increase greenery from 3.4% of Dubai urban area to 8% by 2010.

Business Hours. The government offices work from 8 am to 2 pm and are closed on Fridays and Saturdays. Banks are generally open 8-1 except Fridays. Large multinational companies and embassies are open 8 am to 6 pm and are off Fridays and Saturdays.

Malls are open 10 am to 10 pm except Fridays when they open at 4 pm. Most physicians work from 8-2 pm and 5:30 to 9 pm with Thursday or Saturday taking half a day and Friday off.

Public transportation. In general the easiest way to get around is by taxi They are safe even late at night. They are much less expensive than Europe or the USA. A five minute ride is 20 Derhams and 20 minutes is 35 Derhams. A tip of 1-2 Derhams is widely appreciated. In restaurants a tip of 10-15% is the norm.

Driving licenses and Regulation. You may drive with your foreign driving license until you get a work visa (Iqama) after which you must obtain a local UAE driving license. Holders of European or American licenses can get the UAE license without an exam or test.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are cities full of radars and hidden cameras. Speeding tickets carry a 500 Derhams penalty while crossing a red light is a 1500 Derhams penalty. Seat belts are mandatory. Parking tickets are 100 Derhams. Fines can be paid by internet. Parking meters are charged from 7am till 1pm and from 4pm till 9pm. 1-4 PM is free.

Drivers in UAE can be very dangerous so be very careful. It is best to avoid the extreme left lane to avoid tailgaters who can be very aggressive. The right of way at traffic circles is always for the car which is already in the circle; a system North American driver may not be used to.

Phones and the internet.
Local calls require a seven digit number.
Dubai area code is 04, Abu Dhabi 02, Al Ain 03 and Sharjah 06.
Calling Dubai from abroad is + 971 4 and then the seven digit number. If you are calling a mobile number dial + 971 50 and then the mobile # .
Most mobile phones are compatible but some from the USA are not. Pre-paid phone cards and internet access are widely available including Dubai international airport where car rentals are also available.
We recommend that you connect your TV to either Orbit or Show time or both.

Home Search in Dubai. Looking for a home in Dubai is an exciting endeavor with a comfortable variety and different budgets to suit every individual and/or family. Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim are recommended residential areas for villas, while Sheikh Zayed Road and Burjuman area are the alternatives for apartments. All of the recommended locations are on average within a fifteen minute drive from CosmeSurge and from the Emirates Hospital.

While housing in the Emirate of Sharjah is 30-50% less expensive than Dubai, the commute can be long and unpredictable (up to one hour each way).

Real Estate companies expect a 2.5-5% finder fee based on the first year lease. Most landlords require a six months’ rent paid upfront.

We recommend: Better Homes. Jumeirah Beach Road. 344-7714 open 8 AM to 7PM. Thursday 8-1 and Friday is off.

Gulf Oasis Realty On Sheikh Zaied Rd tel 332 7771.

Typical Rent Rates

Luxury Villas: For a typical three bedroom single storey villa in Jumeirah and Umm Suqueim with facilities (private garage, swimming pool -possibly shared- garden) the rent ranges from 125K- 250K Dirhams. (35,000$ - 60,000$ per year). If you are willing to live twenty five minutes away from the Hospital then the best places are Al Rashediah, Murdef or Jabal Ali area where a villa of 3-4 bedrooms goes for 75,000 - 120,000 Derhams/year. Factors that will affect the rent are size, sea view, location and age of the villa.

Apartments:

Dubai apartments that are close to the Hospital are expensive. For a five star two to three bedroom apartments on Sheikh Zayed Road and Bur Dubai including facilities: car park, gymnasium and swimming pool the rent begins at 100.000 Derhams. (25-30.000$ per year). Less expensive apartments that are close to the Hospital (1-2 stars) in Deira or Satwa or Burjuman can be had for as low as 30,000 $ per year.

You can also purchase your house in select areas by paying 20% down and taking a 15 year mortgage form a regular or Islamic bank. By doing so you will participate in the potential appreciation of your house or apartment and receive life residency permit in Dubai.

Abu Dhabi is much less spread out compared to Dubai and traffic is much less of a problem. In Abu Dhabi most expatriates live in apartments. Rent is 10-20% more than in Dubai.

Home Necessities:

Water and Electricity
Electricity and water bills are paid in Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) in your neighborhood. Alternatively, and conveniently, they are also paid in the bank where you have your bank account or over the internet on www.dewa.gov.ae. The voltage is 220 Volts and three pin British socket systems are the norm with adapters widely available.

Water is very expensive so do not go crazy planting too much grass. Although tap water is safe for drinking since it is desalinated, most residents consume bottled water. We recommend that you invest in a good system for cold/hot faucet using Al Safa water barrels that can be regularly delivered to your home.

For your telephone connection, mobile phone and internet connection set ups please contact our Government Relations Officer ‘Ammar’ for assistance. He can be reached at the media building or on his mobile phone at 050 450 7374.

Movers and Packers
If your furniture is still in good shape and you are interested in moving it to Dubai, which we recommend that you do, (contacted in the USA) will be able to arrange for the shipping of the furniture. We use them for all our shipping needs and if you mention Dr Sawaf’s name to Mr. Jim Swann you would get the best rates. Hydra Management, Inc. Tel: 713/827-8484
Fax: 713/827-0204 email: jswann@hydramanagement.com
On average it takes thirty five days in total (ten days preparing the required documents for shipping and another twenty five days for the actual shipping). The same company can also arrange the packing. You need to budget about 5000$ for a 40 foot container plus 3500 for packing.

What about Electric Appliances?
We do not recommend that anyone moving from the USA to the UAE bring any electrical appliances (including television sets) since it is a different voltage and systems: Hertz/Secam.

In addition we would also advise against shipping your car since most of the time it does not really pay to ship it.

School Search in Dubai

Nurseries. There are plenty of nurseries depending on your neighborhood.

Schools: Schools are generally divided into three categories: All English education All English with special Arabic tuition (namely for students who want to learn Arabic but are above 2nd grade) Strong Arabic/English with either British or US curriculum

Some of the best schools are:

Al Mawakeb
Shuweifat int’l school (Tel 04 3999 444)
Dubai National
American Academy in Barsha
Emirates International
Dubai International
American scientific (Tel 339 2444)
American Scientific Research
About six new international schools are opening up every year in Dubai.

Abu Dhabi has several good schools including a German school.

School Tuitions. For bilingual schools tuition fees range from 12000-30.000 Derhams per student per year depending on the school brand name, grade with an additional 2000 for the school bus if required. The all English schools are usually 50-100% more expensive. The American school has currently a two year waiting list.

For further assistance and advice please contact our human resource department. Most school hours are from 08:00 to 15:00.

University Choices. Choices are currently limited to the Dubai American University, Sharjah American University (Both are open to expatriates and offer business, humanities and IT degrees. Sharjah is currently one of the best universities in the Gulf area. Tuition is about 55000 Derhams per year)

There is a medical school for women in Dubai. A good university in Jumeirah is the Wollongong University in Dubai with it’s headquarter in Sydney and a new campus in Dubai knowledge village. More universities are planned over the next three years. Cornell Medical School in Qatar is only 30 minutes away ($200 round trip flight). A Harvard Medical school and research center is expected to open in Dubai Health City by 2010. There are eleven new universities under consideration mostly in the new knowledge village next to internet city.

Entrance Qualifications.
Past school certificates/transcripts and vaccination records are the required documents to be submitted to the desired schools. No need for attestation of the school transcripts.
Registration and Enrolment
Registration of students in school occurs in the beginning of September or the beginning of January. There is usually a routine entrance exam.

Some of the schools are experiencing tremendous demand with two year waiting lists due to the recent exodus of a lot of western expatriates from Saudi Arabia after the terrorist acts targeting westerners there in addition to the population explosion of Dubai.

Banks and Bank Accounts
Different Banks
There are many different banks in Dubai, some of them include:
Citibank
Emirates International Bank
Dubai Islamic Bank
HSBC
Al-Mashrek bank.

We recommend # 2 or 5 since they have the most ATM machines and branches. You can apply for a local credit card soon after employment.

Documents required for opening an account

Savings Account:
Original Passport
No UAE residence required
No check book issued

Current Account:
Original Passport
UAE residence required
Check book issued

Visa and Residence processing
UAE Employment Visa: Emirates Hospital processes all the documents for the employment visa and bears the expenses. You will be required to submit: Attested degrees and certificates (attestation is obtained from the Foreign Ministry and the UAE Embassy of the country where the degrees were completed) Letters of experience Passport copy Four personal photographs You need to have the original certificates during the interview. You will need to be HIV free upon testing. Families can be sponsored for their residence permits once the Employment Visa is issued.

Transit visas can be issued in 24-48 hours for all nationalities but are good only for two weeks and may not be extended. Visit visas require ten days to be issued the duration of which is two months and can be extended by another month.

Shopping Malls
City Centre near the Dubai airport is inexpensive but extremely crowded. The Emirates Mall is close to Jumeirah and is pleasant and houses SkiDubai. Wafi Mall or (One of the most pleasant and elegant malls but more on the costly side) Iben Battuta the newest mall in Dubai, Burjuman Centre (also an expensive and beautiful mall). Mercato (Very pleasant and the nearest to Jumeirah and Umm Suqueim residential areas)

Furniture Shops
Ikea (City Centre Mall)
Home Centre (Oasis and Mercato; has some of best and inexpensive furniture)
The One (Jumeirah Beach Road)
Chen One (Jumeirah Beach Road)
Pan Emirates (Sheikh Zayed Road)

What about Mommies? Having a house maid in this part of the world is a very common practice so is having a driver. Good family environment, less stressful life style, low taxes and cheap domestic help are the most important reasons for people moving and staying in UAE.

House Maid: The maid is usually chosen from an agency that specializes in labor supply. Nationality, age, education and experience are the parameters that define each application consequently the salary. A Filipina or an Indonesian house made will usually require a salary of 1000-1500 Derhams, an annual sponsorship fee (government tax) of 5000 Derhams and an agency fee. The family provides the house maid with housing and food.

Provider Agency Name: Al Muhairy
Driver: 1500-2500 Derhams per month with the provision of housing and food.

Information Sources and Guides
Good sources of information about many events, places and services in Dubai: Connector Magazine (free copies are available at EH) Aquarius Magazine (free copies are available at EH) City Life - Out and About 180 and 181 (phone directory assistance) or the Dubai yellow pages.