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UAE Housing

Abu Dhabi & Dubai Housing & Hiring A Maid or Nanny

UAE housing is an issue many families are concerned about. You will be able to find every type of Dubai housing and Abu Dhabi accommodations to suit your budget. From apartments to villas, the Emirates have it all. Houses are quite large and can be very well fitted out! It is quite usual for houses to have ensuites in the bedrooms and an additional ‘maid’s room’ with separate bathroom.

Housing contracts generally need to be paid up front-that is one year’s rent in advance. This can sometimes negotiated into installments but monthly rental is rare. Sometimes employers will arrange for the UAE housing to be paid upfront or even arrange the lease in their name.

Dubai housing offers lots of choice for families. Location will be an important consideration as Dubai is a huge sprawling city and there are traffic jams so being close to work and school will be a consideration. There is a newly opened metro line and living along the line could also open up the possibilities for hassle free travel to work or school. Check out these Dubai international schools for your children.

Abu Dhabi has many nice housing complexes such as Al Raha, Sas al Nakeel and Mangrove village some of which offer swimming pools and gyms on site. Many Abu Dhabi family apartments in the city also have roof top pools. Khalifa A is becoming a popular part of Abu Dhabi to live in and is quickly building up. Just make sure if you rent a place there the electricity, water and internet lines have already been approved and are ready to go-otherwise you could end up waiting months for these services!

Al Ain is located on the Omani border in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi but is about 1.5 hours from Abu Dhabi city. This is a popular place for families to live as there are a variety of housing options from apartments to villas. Rental prices are substantially cheaper than Abu Dhabi housing at less than half the price.

Choosing from one of the UAE international schools will be next on your to do list! There are several quality schools to choose from.

Hiring a Nanny or Maid in the UAE

Living in the UAE there are many options for childcare. It is very affordable to hire a live in nanny and this is the option most people take. Alot of UAE housing includes a room for the nanny. Although there is a large fee for establishing the visa, the monthly salary can be quite affordable. This provides you with a built in babysitter and also someone to help around the house. This is a luxury many expat families appreciate while living in the UAE.

There are lots of child care facilities in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai for babies from 6 month through to 4 years by which time most children have entered an international school. These centres vary in quality and cost but most have flexible arrangements and timings to help working parents.

As stated above hiring a maid is one of the perks of living in the UAE. Although it is illegal many people hire maids for 25-30 dirham per hour who is sponsored by other expats or by locals to clean their homes or do other chores. Legally you must sponsor a maid’s work visa and be responsible for her accommodation, food and airfare. There are legal cleaning agencies that send cleaners to your house wither on contracts or one-off calls.

The best way to find a maid or nanny is through word of mouth. Even if you don’t know anyone-post an ad on the expat websites asking for a recommendation and you are sure to find someone who would be a good match for your family. You can also go through the agencies to find a legal and reliable nanny.

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