Moving to and living in the UAE requires a wealth of up-to-date, trustworthy information on various aspects of Emirian expat life. Living abroad in the UAE raises a lot of questions such as: ʺHow do I find the best relocation services for moving to the UAE?ʺ, ʺWhich rules of etiquette should never be violated in public?ʺ, ʺWhich international school in Abu Dhabi should our kids attend?ʺ or, ʺHow do I obtain a work permit for my spouse at the Emirian municipality in Dubai?ʺ

Collecting all that information on working and living in UAE is quite laborious and time-consuming. Our InterNations Expat Guide for the UAE aims to help you and provides you with reliable info on those topics that matter to expats living in the Emirates. The Guide includes information on many different areas ranging from local organisations and companies, to travel & accommodation or embassies and consulates, up to culture & sights. Typical questions related to expat life abroad, such as ʺWhat are the best designer outlets for a shopping spree in Dubai?ʺ, will no longer remain unanswered.

Although buying any type of Dubai property is extremely good value compared with UK prices, actually living in Dubai is generally considered expensive. Ridiculously low petrol prices are certainly a bonus for anyone who buzzes about the city a lot or enjoys regular days out in the UAE, but prices in the famous Dubai shopping malls may not be as low as you expect.

Whether you are living permanently in your Dubai property or are renting a self-catering holiday home, you are sure to need to pop to the shops for some everyday items. Food is generally a little bit more expensive than in the UK and, as you soon discover, trips to Dubai's shopping malls and supermarkets require stamina. They are vast! Among the largest of the grocery outlets is the 40,000sq ft Spinney´s Mercato Centre. Spinney's has eight other branches in Dubai while the Al Maya Group has 18 branches throughout the UAE. There are also four Carrefour supermarkets and one Geant Hypermarket.

A typical grocery bill for a couple living in Dubai is Dh 500. This excludes alcohol.

• 12 x 1.5l mineral water Dhs 7.60
• 240g Camembert Dh 8.45
• 900g mayonnaise Dh 4.95
• 2.5l corn oil Dh 9.65
• 340kg tomato ketchup Dh 0.95
• 2l milk Dh 10
• 12 eggs Dh 6
• 1kg bananas Dh 2.50
• loaf of bread Dh 2
• 1kg fresh chicken Dh 17

While any Brits living more-or-less permanently in their own Dubai property will not be paying central heating bills back home, the cost of air-conditioning in this desert city soon eliminates any savings. The level of costs depends greatly on how cool you like to be, but you can be confident that the nearly all apartments and villas have modern and efficient systems.

Water Dh 50 per monthElectricity Dh 300 - 600 per month (for apartment)Telephone call to UK: Dh 1.91 at cheap rate, Dh 2.69 at peak rate

Motoring works out considerably less expensive in Dubai for a number of reasons, not least the indecently cheap petrol. There is no road tax to pay, either. As if that weren't enough, there are terrific discounts to be had on vehicles, which is why so many expats living in Dubai, choose to buy a new one when they move here. Typically, the discounts are 25-45% off the UK price.

• 7-day hire of economy 4-door manual with aircon Dh 71
• 7-day hire of standard 4x4 automatic with aircon Dh 355
• Gallon of petrol Dh 6.75