Learning About Life In Dubai: New Expat Diaries

I may still be homeless, but part two of my first week in Dubai went well. It was a blur of inductions, apartment hunting (ugh) and erm… puking.

Twenty-four years old and I still haven’t found a hangover cure that works for me.

Learning about Emirati culture and settling in to life in Dubai

I wrote that I was twenty-three at first and had to go back and change it. 🙁

You’ll all be relieved to know that I now have friends in Dubai, who I will now refer to as ‘Dubesties’ throughout my blog posts.

No? Okay.

My first night out in Dubai

At the weekend, I zoomed off to the Marina to meet up with a girl I know from back home in Isle of Man. You know those people you remember from smokey parties in your teenage years and now you’re both functioning adults and unsure whether you’ll have anything in common? She’s one of those and we did!

It was supposed to be a chilled night but we ended up at a club. No idea what it was called, sorry. There were a lot of ‘Drunk girls at the club’ videos on Snapchat the next day though…

We spent the next day inhaling McDonalds in horizontal positions while reminiscing over our lives back home. Is there anything better than chilling in a beautiful apartment in a city where dreams are attained, feeling a million miles away from the place you always sought to escape?

I’d spent my first few days in Dubai feeling slightly displaced and chatting with someone who was from my hometown was just what I needed. Shame I was hungover for about 40 hours afterwards and had to do a Metro Ride of Shame back to my hotel in last night’s clothes and huge sunglasses.

More inductions to Dubai life

Watch the full-length Dubai vlog on Youtube

In Dubai, the working week starts on Sunday, so I rocked up at the office with my two-day hangover (oh, to be 17 again) for MORE induction sessions. I’ve always worked for tiny companies, so all this bureaucracy is blowing my mind.

At the same time, it’s soothing my inner tendency to freak out about tasks that require me to be an adult, because I’m being walked through all the official processes that I’d otherwise have to sort out myself. I’d end up deported by next month if I was left to apply for a Dubai visa unchaperoned.

So far, I’ve attended talks on accommodation (there’s no staff housing for me so I’m on my own), safety, staff travel, security, medical insurance, employee services, employee assistance, transport, a corporate introduction…. the list goes on. It feels a bit like Freshers Week at uni, but without the annoying ‘lads’ and cheap Jager.

Yesterday, I went to the wrong building – twice, eventually found where I was supposed to be (late AND sweaty, mmm) but I accidentally joined the wrong crowd. Oops.

My evenings have been occupied by apartment hunting. Check out some of these views!

Might make a habit of scheduling a viewing in a skyscraper every week just so I can take more pictures like this.

Learning about UAE culture

Inside a Majilis

I was put in a group of new joiners, and we were taken into a majilis style meeting room to learn about our new culture. Traditionally, the majilis is the room in local houses where socialising takes place over cups of Arabic coffee and heaps of dates. There are intricate rituals attached to this aspect of Emirati culture.

Arabic coffee is served in half-full miniature cups, to allow the host to make numerous rounds and continuously pour for her guests. It’s traditionally served by either the youngest person in the room or the majilis owner, and I learned an important rule: hold your cup out for more, but shake it if you’re finished, or they’ll just keep pouring. Arabs don’t add milk or sugar (which is why you need the sweetness of the dates), and the main ingredients are coffee (obviously), rose water, cardamon and saffron. It’s definitely an acquired taste and I have a feeling I’ll be shaking a lot of cups in people’s faces, begging them not to give me any more.

In the majilis we watched a video about Dubai’s growth from a fishing port to oil-rich land of possibility, and its subsequent progress into the thriving tourist destination it is today. It was so fascinating to learn about the emirate’s rapid expansion from the perspective of an UAE national, and it made me very excited to be living in a country which is constantly innovating. We were told about the UAE’s founding fathers and how the current leader has said that the country has so far only achieved 20% of what he’s envisioning, boldly hinting at more extremity in the emirate’s future.

What will Dubai do next? I’m looking forward to being here to witness it!

UAE Nationals’ dress & social etiquette in Dubai

Although Emirati people are in the minority here, those pristine white and black figures are always distinguishable among the hoards of expats in the malls and streets. The men wear kanduras (also known as dishdashas), which are usually white, though some choose grey or darker colours in the winter. These are paired with sandals. The women, meanwhile; are wonderfully elegant in their black abayas, with beautiful designer shoes peeking out under their robes and smokey eyes under their hair coverings.

We had the chance to ask locals questions about their culture without fear of anyone laughing at us, which was a relief for the whole group. Obviously, we’d all done our research and were aware of the basic rules of etiquette in a Muslim country, but there are certain situations where clarification is helpful. The men in the room in particular were concerned about entering elevators if there was a woman inside wearing national dress (they can, but only if she invites them in), and shaking hands with the opposite sex.

Basically, it’s all about respect. UAE nationals make up only 12% of Dubai’s population, and it’s their willingness to accept other nationalities that has driven the country’s success thus far. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that we don’t purposely offend them.

That being said, we had a talk on safety the next day that made me question whether moving to Dubai as a solo young woman was wise….

I also had my first Skype date with home and subsequently; my first tears. To be honest, I think I did well to last an entire week without crying! I usually love a good cry. Soldiering on for now.

So here I am, sitting on my hotel bed eating crisps (again) after my first REAL day at work. My department seems very sociable (thank god) and I’m feeling inspired and proud to be living here. I can’t wait to start using my discounted flights to see more of the world! Just need to decide where to head for my first adventure… any suggestions?

To do list for my next week in Dubai

1. Experience an infamous Dubai Friday brunch
2. Make a strategic plan of all of the places I want to travel this year
3. Do something clever(ish) to impress my new boss
4. FIND AN APARTMENT

Follow my adventures on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram; I tend to go exploring in the afternoons so I’ve got some cool stuff to share!

If you enjoyed this, check out my entire section about life in Dubai.