-Dubai does not have regulations on hot water heaters. This means they basically crank up the heat and it's up to the user to figure out how much is too much. A little hot water goes a long ways and a lot of hot water gets you burned. In the summer time, many homeowners turn off their hot water heaters. The normal water runs through the ground that is heated up so a persons cold water actually becomes warm water. The heating tanks actually cool the water (since they are in air conditioning). Interesting way to get cool water.
-I've been working on all the work visa's and documentation we'll need to work in the UAE. Below is a portion of an email sent from a friend working in Dubai. I have a lot to do.
Most stuff you have to do is done when you get here, but you need to start document authentication now. This process would be incredibly difficult to do from UAE due to transit times of letters…Short list… Certified copies of your marriage certificate and your highest educational certificate or transcript. Once your baby is born, a certified copy of his/her birth certificate. Your college degree or transcript will be treated as a “General Document” by state dept and your marriage/child’s birth cert as “State and Local Documents”. And, of course, don’t forget to get your kiddo a passport ASAP after they are born. Even infants can’t travel anymore without passports. You will need to call your college direct about the transcript because when they send you a transcript, it won’t be notarized and signed typically. So, you have to ask them to do that. Luckily, the 2nd person that I called at my school was aware of the reason I needed this. 1st person I called thought I was nuts. Also, the documents have to have an original and notarized signature on them so the usual copies that the state gives you of your birth certificates and marriage certificates will not work unless you had an original signature on them. You have to request special copies. The state websites will take you through this.
That’s about all of the help I can give you for now unfortunately. Every state varies so much by type of documents that I can’t really be of much help unless you had same docs in same state I had. Generally, the process for each doc is (there is a nominal fee at each stage of process for each doc so get ready to write a bunch of checks):
*Request a signed and notarized original copy of the document for the source (maybe 1-2 weeks)
*Get the state secy of state to authenticate the document (maybe 1 week---some states, like Hawaii, have as many as 3 different offices that the document must go to before it is authenticated so it could take 3 weeks in those states)
*Send the authenticated doc to dept of state for authentication (maybe 1 week)
*Send the authenticated doc to UAE embassy (Maybe 1 week)
*Put the docs in a packet and physically bring with you to UAE for visa processing once you get here and guard that packet with your life
*Work with local HR to fill-out your visa paperwork and start processing it literally the day you get here and get expedited service for it all. You will find it very difficult to live life fully here in UAE without a residence visa. You can’t get a driver’s license or liquor license without it, and some places won’t sign a contract with you (like for a car lease) for stuff without it. Get it as fast as you can.
Enjoy the process. I will have more advice for you about processing visa paperwork as you get closer to arriving. The document authentication will be your biggest worry for now.
-Some important information on prescriptions:
Legislation enacted in January 1996 imposes the death sentence for convicted drug traffickers. Some drugs normally taken under a doctor's supervision in the United States, and even some over-the-counter U.S. drugs and medications, are classified as narcotics in the UAE and are illegal to possess. A doctor's prescription should be carried along with any medication that is brought into the country. A person may be subject to arrest and prosecution if possession of prescribed medicines (especially those containing codeine and similar narcotic-like ingredients) comes to the attention of local authorities. The U.S. Embassy’s website (http://usembassy.state.gov/uae) includes an unofficial list of such medicines, obtained from the UAE Ministry of Health. Most medications available in the U.S. are also available by doctors’ prescription through hospitals and pharmacies in the UAE.
-Christmas falls on a workday in the UAE. Hence, it won't be a holiday for us. Weird thinking about that...
As I learn more, I'll share.
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