There’s no one-size-fits-all rule for settling into expat life in a new country, but here are a few helpful articles and personal stories that may help make your move a little easier.

Interview with Marina – a Scottish expat living in Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi

Marina, also known as The Desert Diva, is an offroading expert and desert aficionado with a wealth of experience across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. As a former Offroad Expert for OutdoorUAE magazine, a seasoned blogger, and a skilled desert driver for TV productions, she’s been sharing her… Read more

Revolutionising Early Childhood Education in the UAE with Bright Beginnings Nursery

Founded in January 2005, Bright Beginnings is a popular nursery choice for families in Abu Dhabi. Bright Beginnings Nursery offers a curriculum blending elements of both the British and Australian early years educational frameworks, catering to children aged 45 days to 4 years old. Bright… Read more

Interview with Marike – a South African expat living in Abu Dhabi

Marike left South Africa in 2012. She has lived in Switzerland, Belgium, China and the UAE. She moved to the UAE three years ago and started working in Dubai. She then moved to Abu Dhabi. Currently, she is a kindergarten teacher working at a charter school. Follow her on Instagram to keep… Read more

Employment packages in Abu Dhabi

Expats who are offered a job in Abu Dhabi may be unfamiliar with how a contract works in the UAE. It is therefore worth reading up on what exactly a contract entails, how the procedure works and what entitlements an expat can receive when signing a contract in Abu Dhabi. By understanding all the… Read more

Interview with Marina – a Serbian expat living in Abu Dhabi

Marina is a truly global expat – she holds a Serbian passport, was born in Malaysia, grew up in Nigeria and lived in the USA and Switzerland before settling in Abu Dhabi, where she has lived for the past seven years. She works in PR and marketing and documents her experiences as an expat in her… Read more

Interview with Eddie – an American expat living in Abu Dhabi

Eddie is an American expat who moved to the United Arab Emirates when his wife was offered a job there. In August 2016, they packed up their life in Texas, and along with their three children, headed to Abu Dhabi to start their new expat life. They have not looked back, and so far are enjoying… Read more

Interview with Lindsey – a Scottish expat living in Abu Dhabi

Lindsey is no stranger to travelling. Born in Scotland, she has lived in London, Dubai and Australia, before making Abu Dhabi her home in 2013. She shares her experiences of life in Abu Dhabi and offers insightful information about how to make the most of living there. Her blog, Arabian Notes… Read more

Interview with Mark – an American expat in Abu Dhabi

Mark Peters is an American expat who moved to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates at the end of 2014. He shares his thoughts on his first experiences in a new country as he waits for his family to join him.About MarkQ: Where are you originally from? A: Born in Chicago, but have… Read more

A week in the life of an expat in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is located along the beautiful waters of the Arabian Gulf.  It is one of the richest cities in the world, is home to one of the world’s largest expat communities, and has become a place where people of various nationalities and religions… Read more

Interview with Monica – a Romanian expat living in Abu Dhabi

Monica Dascal is a Romanian who was looking for a travelling career and ended up finding it in Abu Dhabi. She met her husband there after just three months of living in the emirate. Six years later, they are still enjoying what Abu Dhabi has to offer.Read more about Abu Dhabi in the Expat Arrivals… Read more

Interview with Cheryl – A Filipina expat living in Abu Dhabi

Cheryl Esteban is a Filipina living and working in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Needing a change of scenery and seeking to escape the boring routine of life, she decided to find a job abroad. It has now been seven years since she moved to the UAE. Read more about Abu Dhabi in the Expat… Read more

Interview with Cristy – an American expat living in Abu Dhabi

Cristy is an American wife and mother from Virginia. She's been married to her husband for 16+ years and has two awesome teenagers. In December 2010, she quit her job of almost 10 years in the mortgage industry and packed up the kids and pets to follow her husband's career halfway… Read more

Moving to Al Ain

Al Ain – whose name translates to 'the spring', and which is also known as 'the Garden City' for its surprising greenery – is the second largest city in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the fourth largest overall in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Al Ain is still somewhat 'undiscovered' by expatriate… Read more

Interview with an American expat living in Abu Dhabi

This anonymous American expat living in Abu Dhabi found the city easy enough to settle into and foreign friends even easier to come by. She’s now an active member of the American Women’s Network, an organisation that aids new expats in dealing with the challenges that come with adaptation.Read more… Read more

Interview with Randall – an American expat living in Abu Dhabi

Randy 'Ace’ Parker is originally from the Southeastern US, and after a short career as a military officer, he began a series of boring technical jobs. Several years later, his old nomadic urges took hold, and soon thereafter, he received an offer to work in Abu Dhabi. Here, he relates his… Read more

Interview with Ann – a Canadian expat living in Abu Dhabi

Ann is a Canadian journalist working in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She moved there two years ago to help set up a new English newspaper. Before that, she worked in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, as a columnist and blogger for Sun Media. Her blog 'A Canadian in Abu Dhabi' documents her adventures.About AnnQ:… Read more

Cultural intelligence matters

Moving to live and work in a new country will challenge you in ways that you have not been tested before and, one way or another, you will be out of your comfort zone. The result of this experience will provide you with great personal growth, but the journey may not be an easy one. Experts in the… Read more

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