Exorbitant rent is one thing, but there are a number of other factors that anyone thinking of moving has to take into account. The largely work-in-progress road infrastructure often results in long hours stuck in traffic and those with children may also want to pay attention to the long waiting lists for international schools, as well as the high fees. “The community here is a large expatriate one so it is easy to assimilate. However, finding the right schools and then planning how to get your children to them is another matter,” says McDonald, who has a five-year-old daughter.
Career-wise, try not to buy into the hype. Many lawyers in the US and UK who are worried about the future of their jobs may consider moving to Dubai a lateral move to maintain or advance their careers. Given the heightened levels of activity in M&A work, the boom in the construction as well as banking & finance industries, among others, the temptation to grab-first-think-later is strong. But lawyers should not substitute due diligence with desperation.
“We are seeing more and higher quality resumes from lawyers worldwide in the last year. Some are from lawyers who have moved to Dubai, but have not been able to find quality or quantity in the kind of work they have been looking for,” says Jennifer Bibbings, a partner in Trowers & Hamlin’s Dubai office who has been in the Middle East for the past 15 years.