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anyone moving to Abu Dhabi in August?
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issi14



Joined: 06 Jan 2012
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:01 am    Post subject: anyone moving to Abu Dhabi in August? Reply with quote
Hey guys,

I'm new to the board. I wanted to know if anyone's moving to Abu Dhabi in August of 2012. I'm looking for an apartment and needed advice. Where do I begin my search? Also would like to get to know a couple of people before I get there since I don't know anybody. I'm waiting on IAT to let me know if I have passed the recruitment process (had a Skype interview in Feb and received a letter of acceptance from them a few weeks later, sent all my documents and now waiting). Is it normal to take this long? Heard from a few that yes. But that doesn't stop me from starting my apartment search. Budget is about 10000 dirham a month. Looking for a one or two bedroom apartment. Preferably in Al Khalidiya or nearby.

Anybody else planning on working at IAT Abu Dhabi campus?
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
There is no sense in doing a flat search until you get there... especially if you haven't heard anything from them since February.

Have you called them to see what is going on?

VS
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Gulezar



Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 483
PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
February! TESOL Arabia came along in March. I would check and see what's happening with IAT. One way to look around the rental market is to try http://abudhabi.dubizzle.com
Prices are dropping in Abu Dhabi.
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Eisenhorn



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 146
Location: HCT Land. UAE
PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 4:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Start your search www.dubizzle.com and choose abu dhabi.

You can also start looking at prices using gulf news ads.

As for the lack of communication from HR at IAT, welcome to the UAE. It is always 'hurry up and wait.' Lots of communications, then nothing for 5 months, then a flurry of emails the week before you are supposed to come.
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issi14



Joined: 06 Jan 2012
Posts: 12
PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
thanks for the response guys! very helpful! They did send me my contract by "accident" but then recalled it because they hadn't received an answer from the government so therefore they had sent it to me "too early". They asked me to be patient cause it would take time. So maybe like some of you have said, they will contact me a week before. I will start my apartment search anyways because I'd like to at least get an idea about neighboorhoods.

Question for those who have gone there on a teacher's contract: are there any documents or paperwork I need to prepare now before I come? Example, criminal record check or other important papers that may take weeks to prepare and therefore I should get on them now? Other advice on what to bring or prepare for before leave the country?

Thanks.
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hugebritneyfan



Joined: 11 Feb 2009
Posts: 19
PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
There are some Facebook groups with teachers heading to Abu Dhabi in August 2012 and some who arrived in October of 2011.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/286539264743404/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/OctoberLTs2011/
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Eisenhorn



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 146
Location: HCT Land. UAE
PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
issi14 wrote:
thanks for the response guys! very helpful! They did send me my contract by "accident" but then recalled it because they hadn't received an answer from the government so therefore they had sent it to me "too early". They asked me to be patient cause it would take time. So maybe like some of you have said, they will contact me a week before. I will start my apartment search anyways because I'd like to at least get an idea about neighboorhoods.

Question for those who have gone there on a teacher's contract: are there any documents or paperwork I need to prepare now before I come? Example, criminal record check or other important papers that may take weeks to prepare and therefore I should get on them now? Other advice on what to bring or prepare for before leave the country?

Thanks.


There are two big sets of documentation you should get before you get to the UAE as it is much easier to do it in your home country.

You will need to have your degrees attested by your home country. For the US it is pretty straight forward, but kinda time consuming. I can't tell you how to do this in any other country.

At the same time you get your degrees attested, you will also need to get marriage licenses and children's birth certificates attested.

This process isn't that expensive (it only cost about $150 US for us when we were in the US before coming) but it gets VERY expensive if you do it from the UAE (something like $400 to $800, depending on who does it for you).

so you should contact HR and see if and when they need your attested documents and then get that done while you have the time.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 3:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
hugebritneyfan wrote:
There are some Facebook groups with teachers heading to Abu Dhabi in August 2012 and some who arrived in October of 2011.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/286539264743404/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/OctoberLTs2011/

It appears that these are both ADEC teacher groups. TeachAway also has a Facebook page for their teachers. I suspect that many of them belong to all three of these groups.

VS
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