What makes them cross boundaries?

Sandy beaches, a multicultural population, access to quality education ... Canadian expatriates say what they love about living in the UAE

Tracy Mortenson
"I was born and raised in Saskatoon, and completed my post-secondary education in business administration at the University of Saskatchewan. I married Ted just before moving to the UAE in 1998. We have a blended family of four children and two grandkids.

Our home base is now Kelowna, which has challenging ski slopes, beautiful golf courses and incredible countryside.

A work contract, coupled with our desire to travel and experience different cultures brought us to Abu Dhabi in 1998. After three years, my husband and I transferred jobs and moved to Dubai. I work as a trade commissioner in the agriculture-food section at the Canadian Consulate.

I love the beaches in Dubai. It's so therapeutic to head to the beach in the early morning when the tide is out. You can walk forever out to sea and then sit yourself down on a sandbar, dig in your toes and connect with your inner self. It makes you forget about the traffic congestion, the blowing car horns and construction dust - a way of life in Dubai.

Living in the UAE has been the best experience of our lives. We've made friends from all over the world that we will never lose touch with.

What our children have gained from this experience could never have been learned in any classroom.

We miss the greenery and our family and friends back home. When we moved here we made a pact to return home for a month every summer, as it helps us hang onto our Canadian roots.

However, our UAE adventure is also coming to an end. We are repatriating back to Canada (Kelowna) soon. We've met many great friends here in the UAE, including fellow Canadians who come from Vancouver through to Newfoundland, It's going to be hard to say good-bye, but the nice thing is that they'll be back in Canada again someday too!"

Muna Ismail
"I'm 25 years old, single and from Toronto, Canada. I'm a Canadian citizen but born in Damascus, Syria. I moved to Canada when I was two years old. My educational background is in print and broadcast journalism and I've worked in the television industry for the last four years. In Dubai, I have worked for a small music station in the past, but now I freelance for various networks.

Dubai's architecture and fast pace is amazing. You also get to meet interesting people from around the world. However, I don't like the traffic. The city is also getting more expensive. However, I still haven't experienced everything about Dubai. I have been busy working and partying since I arrived.

I miss my family most importantly. I miss my home, my friends and the city life. I miss the feeling of walking in downtown Toronto. I also miss the cold weather. Yeah, I love the heat, but this place is just too hot for me. Hopefully I'll get used to this."

Ahmad Shehada
"I was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for a while before moving to Montreal. I studied at the McGill University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering. I currently work with IBM in Dubai. My job involves a lot of travel and working in different environments, which I find very interesting and challenging. Living in Dubai has brought me closer to my roots (I'm Canadian Palestinian). I also like Dubai's cultural diversity. The international experience you can gain from working here is important. While I love Dubai, I miss the seasons and natural landscape of Canada. I also miss skiing. I mix with the Canadian community here, both personally and professionally (as Chairman of the Canadian Business Council), so it keeps my links with the country strong."

Kelly Strickland
"I was born in Toronto, Ontario. I grew up there in a small town called Elora and attended Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. I am married with three children. My husband, Ken, joined Emirates in 2001. Since then I have worked as the Executive Director of the Canadian Business Council, and then as the Executive Director of the Middle East Business Aviation Association. Like most Canadians, I love Dubai's weather, the tax-free income, diverse and multicultural population.

I also appreciate the high level of education for my children, who attend British schools. Traffic problems would have to top the list of things I dislike about Dubai. Smoking in public places, including the malls despite repeated announcements that Dubai will be non-smoking is another, as is garbage on the beaches and in the desert.

The UAE needs to push environmental issues to the forefront. Factors such as education, health care and a low crime rate make the UAE a good place to raise your family. Our children are being raised as 'global thinkers, and have friends from all over the world representing all religions and cultures. I miss family and friends in Canada, and our traditions. I miss walking in the forest in the fall. I miss the first snow of winter and the crisp clean air. I miss maple syrup season in the spring. I miss Tim Horton's coffee. We visit Canada every summer. With the announcement of Emirates Airline doing a direct Dubai-Toronto service from October 29, I hope to get home much more."

Samantha McBride
"I was born in Burlington, Ontario, and studied public relations at Humber College in Etobicoke, Ontario. I am married to Jason McBride. When he was teaching in the UK, he was offered a contract in Abu Dhabi. We spent a year apart, with me in Toronto and Jay in Abu Dhabi, and then I moved to the UAE to join him. My background is PR, advertising and CRM. At that time (six years ago) there wasn't much work for me in Abu Dhabi, so I took a job with Lowe in Media City. The commute was tough. So after a year, we moved to Dubai, where Jay joined the Dubai American Academy (DAA) and later became the vice principal. In the last five years, I've also worked as a copywriter, a magazine editor and in corporate communications. The winds of change are taking us back to Abu Dhabi.

I love the lifestyle we're able to lead in Dubai — the restaurants, the nightlife and the shopping. More than that, I love Dubai's proximity to the other parts of the world. The time and costs for many of the trips we've taken from here would be prohibitive from Canada, so we're travelling as much as we can. The Canadian community here is also fairly tight-knit and everyone we've met here has been delightful. We also love the tax-free status, of course. We wish Dubai was closer to home. The traffic, of course, has become increasingly aggravating in the last few years – but it's not so much the volume and wait that bothers me, it's the recklessness of others behind the wheel.

I think the safety of Dubai in comparison to other cities of its nature is second to none and that's a nice feeling when you have a family here. There are things I miss about Canada. I miss having four seasons.

I miss knowing that every weekend there is some kind of art, music or food festival going on within an hour's drive. I miss the farmer's markets on summer weekends and knowing where to go for everything I need! I miss walking down streets that are relevant to my past. I miss being able to walk through forests to fill your lungs with oxygen. But most of all, I miss the tolerance of Canada and its people. We go home every year, although only for a few weeks."

Cindie-Eve Bourassa Braun
"I grew up in Quebec in a small town called Baie-Comeau. I moved here with my husband. I am the executive director for the Canadian Business Council in Dubai. I love going to the beach and discovering new and great restaurants here. I also love the fact that the lifestyle here is so easy — you get everything at your doorstep. I also love the multicultural nature of Dubai. The city's growth is amazing and I attribute this to the vision of the country's leaders. I would definitely recommend Dubai to Canadians. I think there are lot of misconceptions about this place. But as soon as people come to Dubai, they are impressed with what they see here. Like everybody, I find the traffic bothersome.

I do miss my family and friends back home. But I really miss the change of seasons. I miss stores such as Lululemon Athletics and Quebecois food. I also appreciate how beautiful Canada is even more, now that I am away."