Domestic Help

Some families choose to employ housemaids or other domestic help during their time in the UAE. This is particularly the case for families with two working parents, as Western-style daycare is difficult to find. Generally maids originate from the Philippines, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. Skills and experience vary from individual to individual, but normally you will be able to find someone to cook, clean and mind children for between Dhs.600 and Dhs.800 per month if the housemaid lives with you, or Dhs.900 to Dhs.1,300 if she does not. If you decide to sponsor a maid, you are responsible for paying for her visa, health card, repatriation ticket every two years, and most of her incidental expenses, including food.

You may be able to assume the sponsorship of a maid from another expat who is leaving the country. This is a complicated procedure but can be one of the best options since you are able to meet your future employee and obtain first-hand references. If you are unable to find a suitable candidate, you can make an application for sponsoring a new housemaid, but expect to wait about two months before she arrives.

Dress

You will be most comfortable if you wear light-coloured clothing made of natural fibres, since they allow your skin to "breathe." The breathability of your clothes is an important consideration, since the hot weather begins in April and continues to November. Even in the "cold" months, a lightweight jacket or a heavy sweater will probably suffice for outerwear. An umbrella can be useful both to protect from the heavy occasional winter rain and to shield you from the sun in summer.  Generally ready-made clothing is more expensive than in the US or the UK. Stores at the Dana Plaza Shopping in Fujairah sell good quality clothing for the whole family at reasonable prices, as do the Mona Lisa and Sana Department stores. A greater choice is available in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where familiar department stores such as JCPenny, Marks and Spencer, Next, BHS and designer boutiques cater for all pockets. Good quality reasonably priced shoes can be found at ShoeMart (again in the Dana Shopping Plaza in Fujairah), but again a much wider choice prevails in Dubai. Trainers (running shoes) are widely available and cheaper than in the UK. (Note: Unpaved roads and sand tend to be unkind to shoes, so they often don't last as long as they would elsewhere).

Fujairah has tailors who can copy clothing from a photograph or from an original or from your own design quickly and inexpensively. The quality of the workmanship varies; we each have our favourite tailors. Stores selling fabric are fairly numerous but the selection is limited. Since the Middle Eastern taste in fabric designs for women run to bright, dramatic prints in synthetic fibres, this is the type of selection you will find. Cotton fabrics, whether in prints or solids, are a bit more difficult to find but not impossible and can be pricey. Dubai has a better and more varied selection. If you have room in your baggage you might like to bring a length or two to be made up at a later date. Men's shirting (which can also be used for dresses) and suiting fabrics are reasonably priced and come in both wild prints as well as moderate colours. If you like to sew, bring patterns along as they can be difficult to find in the UAE.

Because you are coming to live in a Muslim country, you will be expected to dress modestly in public. For men and women, this means refraining from wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts; no skin at the shoulder or above the knee should be exposed. At work, men are expected to wear a business shirt with long or short sleeves, slacks (not jeans), and tie; women are expected to wear dresses or skirts which fall on or below the knee. Smart trousers are also acceptable. Short sleeves for women are quite acceptable. A lightweight jacket is useful for the cooler months.  Women should take care that their clothing is modestly cut - no plunging necklines, slit skirts, or filmy materials. A word on women's lingerie: it is more expensive here and wears out faster.

In your own home and around the hotel swimming pools, you may wear what you like. On desert trips or by the seaside you can wear modest shorts and in the shopping malls of Dubai where the dress code is more relaxed. In general, don't bring too many clothes. Most villas do not have built-in closets, which means that you will have to share your clothing space with whatever else you might store in a closet (sports gear, out-of-season clothing, etc.).

A hat and good sunglasses are necessary. Both can be purchased locally, but bring them with you if possible so that you will have them from the first day.