Dubai: High salaries and tax-free benefits are an appealing factor for parents when moving to the UAE — but what about the kids?
According to the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey carried out last year, the UAE ranked in the bottom half of the “raising children abroad” league tables — scoring poorly for health and well-being, and social integration.
Out of the nine countries that took part in the survey, the UAE ranked fifth, while Hong Kong came first and Kuwait last.
Overall the UAE ranked 23rd out of 30, in terms of expat experience. However, according to the HSBC report, 37 per cent of expats in the UAE were looking to leave due to family needs.
The factors affecting the UAE’s low ranking include fitting into the new culture, organising health care and integrating into the community.
One severe issue that expat parents are experiencing with their kids, are the high school fees. In fact, 87 per cent say that it is more expensive raising their children in the UAE than in their home country.
When moving to Dubai, expats can only enrol their kids in private international schools, which are quite difficult to get into — as well as extremely expensive.
“Raising my child here in the UAE has been very uneasy. I brought my daughter to Abu Dhabi when she was six years old three years ago and since then it doesn’t seem to get any easier. Schools are too expensive and I don’t feel she interacts with her classmates as well as she did back home,” said Rohit Gupta, an engineer from India.
Looking at one school in particular, Gems World Academy charges Dh55,386 for KG1 and Dh96,140 for grade 12 — nearly Dh100,000 for one academic year. On top of this, the school’s bus fares can reach Dh8,100.
Around a third of expats claimed that their children failed to integrate socially whilst living in the UAE — resulting in a higher tendency for expat children to spend more time playing video games and watching TV. 44 per cent of children spend more time indoors in front of the TV than they did in their home countries, as stated in the HSBC expat explorer report.
The report also said that children tend to remain indoors due to the scorching heat during the summer months.
When it comes to childcare costs, 77 per cent of expat parents in the UAE reported an increase since relocation. In particular, the cost of children’s education and the overall cost of raising children in the UAE are more expensive when compared to the expat parent’s home country.
“Opportunities are much better in Dubai career-wise for us parents, however for the kids; I think they would be happier back home. I have been living in Dubai for six years now and one of my kids was born here. My eldest son always complains that he never knows what to tell people when they ask where he is from. I think children who live abroad don’t really know where home is. Their physical home is in one place however their culture and roots are in another,” said Carla Flores, a 42-year-old teacher from the Philippines.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. Some parents actually feel that bringing their kids to the UAE was the best decision they ever made.
“I was surprised that the UAE was ranked so low because I think the country is great for raising kids. I’m currently raising three kids here and they seem to have fitted in well. School fees are very steep but I do feel that the quality of education for young kids is much better than back home. My kids are more culturally aware and they have even started speaking Arabic which is great,” said Melinda Harris, mother-of-three, from the US.
According to one British expat who moved to Dubai when she was three, living in this city has brought nothing but goodness to her life.
“Being brought up here from the early age of three, allowed me to adapt to the country and its norms more easily. I grew up being culturally aware of what was right and wrong here. I have a wide selection of friends from all sorts of countries and I feel that living here has opened my mind in many ways,” said Katie Cooper, a 24-year-old British expat working as a sales manager in Dubai.
