Anyone on here ever fly in the UAE?

[Hobbes]

yeah....this is helping a lot. It seems like the people who can actually say they have been there feel like it is pretty safe. I appreciate further comments from people finding this thread...but so far I see evidence that those who have been there are comfortable with it. Those who have had negative things to say, have not stepped up and said how they know these things. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[saviboy]

People are dying to fly over there...literally. Someone's got to do it I suppose, but is that really a risk you need to take?

Hobbes, do yourself a favor and go get some REAL information from people who actually know what they are talkng about, on Pprune.org.

 

[Hobbes]

have been looking there too...trust me, with a move this big, I am looking there, state department, embassy websites, company related sites to the one I am offered employment by...under the bathroom rug...anywhere I can think of. I logged onto PPrune today and am sifting through the mountains of info there.

 

[typhoonpilot]

I am looking to correspond with anyone on here who has flown or lived in the UAE. Someone who is an American citizen and can give me their perspective and advice on working there for a year or two. If you have some input, please don't hesitate to PM me and we can email back and forth and/or talk via telephone if you don't mind.

Thanks!
Hobbes

I've lived the the UAE for three years now. Anyone who says it isn't safe doesn't have a clue what they are talking about. It constantly amazes me how people who sit in America and watch CNN have such a distorted perception of reality :erm: .

The UAE is trying to become a major business and tourist destintion. They are doing a pretty good job at it as well. Witness that about every major corporation that does business in the Middle East has some kind of presence here. I rest pretty easy at night knowing that the UAE government will do everything necessary to protect the perception of the UAE being safe. I'm certain that they play both ends against the middle to ensure that, but that is the way things work in the Middle East.

Mind you, I'm talking about terrorism and violent crime in the above paragraphs, driving is another story. The road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi ranks in the top 5 for most fatalities per mile. Driving here is not safe. I've been lucky so far ( knock wood ), but you see nasty crashes on a daily basis. It's generally young locals who are drivng too fast that wrap themselves around a telephone pole who makes the statistics so frightening, but they do catch the innocent driver in their crashes a fair amount as well. If you come just make sure to get a car with good safety features.

Feel free to PM me with any specific questions.


Typhoonpilot

 

[mar]

Interesting fact.

It's generally young locals who are drivng too fast that wrap themselves around a telephone pole who makes the statistics so frightening,...

That's funny. I didn't realize the traffic ever got moving that fast.

 

[widespreadpanic]

You would be lucky to get over 5MPH in Dubai or Sharjah just because of the freaking traffic!!!!

WP

 

[nikoz1200]

i flew through fujairah twice this summer, and safety was the last thing on my mind... be more worried about heat stroke.

What will you be flying there? PA28 or biz jets...what?

 

[FearlessFreep]

The UAE is for the most part pretty safe. Be aware that it is a Muslum country and even though they may appear to be tolerant of different cultures it all still comes down to Islamic rule. It might on the surface appear pretty Western, but it is a foreign country and is not the 'States or an extension of it. There was a report in the paper there that a foreign couple on the way to the airport in the back of a cab were arrested for some passionate lip locking. They had to pay a $5000.00 USD fine before they could leave. There have been other reports of ex-pats getting the short end of the stick but these are probably very unusual circumstances that just tend to get blown out of proportion in the local heavily censored media.

The UAE is a grouping of city states. The largest and most affluent one is Dubai. Dubai is great if you like concrete, glass, steel and sand. Lots of stores, hotels, and clubs. Abu Dhabi is the capital and not as commercial as Dubai. They have put a concerted effort into planting a fair amount of vegetation and inspite of the heat they seem to have been moderately successful in changing the characteristics of the environment - slightly. If you go to Sharjah which is right adjacent to Dubai, don't expect to stumble into a bar for a drink as it is a dry town. Fujarah is a bit more remote, it's not dry. It is much smaller than any of the other aforementioned cities.

There is a very large ex-pat population in the UAE, and it is nearly a caste system. The lower tiers are treated worse than dirt and it is nearly slave labor. From what I have seen it appears to be ranked as such starting from the bottom - mind you these are generalities; Pakistani's, East Indians, Philipinos, Other Asians, Other Arabs, Eastern Europeans, Europeans & Americans.

Mind you I have not lived in the UAE as an ex-pat though at times I would get stuck there and think that I nearly lived there! These are just my observations. I am a woman so my take on it will probably be construed as being decidely different than many others. I think that it's an interesting place to visit, but quite frankly I hate it there.

If you are thinking of living and working in the UAE I think that it would be most important to find out what the ex-pat lifestyle is all about. If you are not one currently this would be the biggest change that you would have to adapt to.

Good Luck To Us All!

 

[Metro752]

I am the Sultans daughters personal CFII/MEI and I can say flying in the United Arab Emirates is some of the best in the world!

 

[semperfido]

I am the Sultans daughters personal CFII/MEI and I can say flying in the United Arab Emirates is some of the best in the world!

LOL:smash: