It seems we may well be on the move again. Dell’s Middle Eastern HQ is in Dubai and hubby’s newly acquired knowledge from our Texas trip is mostly required there, plus he’s temporarily picked up the management of a mega-project in the Emirates.

I know little of Dubai except that size seems ot matter! Apart from being the most populous of the Emirates, the state is the home of the world’s tallest building and the world’s largest shopping mall. More relevant, there are several yacht clubs and a huge marina development plus a very large ex-pat community.

The currency is the dirham (AED) and apparently the coins have only Arabic numerals on them, all that practise with number plates here in Bahrain may just have been worth it. There is approximately 5.75AED to the UK pound or put another way 1 dirham is just over 17p, sounds like I better practise my seventeen times table. For my Bahraini readers 1 BHD is around 9.75 AED which makes for slightly easier maths when in the supermarket (divide by ten), both currencies are pegged to the US dollar.

At least it’s not so far to transport ourselves being only about 300 miles or so away from Bahrain as the crow flies. So how to relocate? Here’s my plan so far:

• Step 1: Find somewhere to live – a quick web search throws up hundreds of apartments and villas for rent, there is apparently a surplus so we can hope for a good deal of around 150K AED per annum (you can do the maths). Rent appears to paid annually in a number of cheques, no idea how that works but I’ll let you know when I do. And the tenant pays the agency fees – wierd – as well as a small deposit.
  Dell’s office is close to Dubai Marina. Jumirah Beach is slightly further along the coast (south?) but offers seaviews. Then there is Emirate Hills, billed as the Holywood of Dubai, just inland with views over lakes and the green grass of the golf course(s), I could do green views but can we afford them!
  We know our requirements and preferences – car parking, integrated air con, minimum of 2 bedrooms, swimming pool, gym and if possible a seaview. The problem will be identifying fully furnished apartments to our taste from a distance as few of the web sites have interior pictures. So I am heading there on Saturday for a week to scout around whilst Kevin is working.
• Step 2: If the move is definite we will need to ship our personal effects again, groan. Gulf Agencies acted locally for our UK shippers and were great when we moved to Bahrain, collecting our stuff at the docks, arranging painlessly the customs clearance, delivering to the door and unpacking. So will ask them for advice on Dubai’s import regulations, how long it takes (possibly it will go by road via Saudi not sea?) and importantly for a quote.

It will be sad to leave our new friends in Bahrain and to have to sell Shawa’al but there’s an exciting new adventure in prospect with new places to explore, new friends to meet. As Dubai is only a short hour and a quarter hop by plane we can always come back to the island for holidays!