Job Discussion Forums

[lovetoteach]

Hi!

Could someone give me an insight into life for a teacher in Sharjah?

What's the cost of living like? Are the beaches nice? Good social life or expensive?

Any info. would be much appreciated

Thank you

[It's Scary!]

It's cramped and dry.

It's right next to Dubai in some places, Fujairah in others!

[Vancouver Vic]

Sharjah has very limited social life for expats. You need to go to Dubai and that's expensive because taxis don't want to go and charge extra because of the immense amount of traffic driving from Sharjah to Dubai. Sharjah has a strict dress code. And, it is dry - no alcohol. On the plus side it is cheaper than Dubai.

[Badar Bin Bada Boom]

Nobody wants to live in Sharjah. Parts of it look like the Gaza Strip and the rest is plain boring and just a tiny step removed from Saudi Arabia. Then add Riyadh-style traffic but even worse! I know people who quit jobs in Sharjah to commute to Ras al Khaimah just because that was easier than commuting within Sharjah. In late 2001 when Dubai Women's College ordered all faculty out of a certain apartment building because of a dispute with the owner, nobody opted for Sharjah even though Sharjah is very close--as the crow flies--to both the college and said apartment building. Everyone found other Dubai accommodations. That might tell you something.

[dunteslin]

Hey, Bader BBB and VV; give Sharjah the benefit of the doubt.

I taught there and lived there for seven years--before I moved to RAK!
I didn't notice problems with any dress code. And if you want to buy booze Ajman and Um al Qawain are a short ride away. I hated going in the direction of Dubai, because of those foul traffic conditions. I much prefer the Northern Emirates. Sharjah is OK. Give it a chance.

[Vancouver Vic]

If you get an apartment near the Corniche (where most of the best apartments are) you will never want to leave the building due to the amount of traffic plus you will be charged for parking within the building and that aint cheap. It is an horrendous place - cheap but horrendous. And I do know several women who have been stopped and told to go home and get changed because they were wearing what was classed by the religious police as indecent. They were showing their knees.

[helenl]

There's religious police in Sharjah? I've lived in Sharjah for years and all I've ever seen are the regular policemen. However, I believe they will tell you to cover up.

[Vancouver Vic]

Sorry helenl that was me just being dramatic. I have found some policemen in Sharjah very easy going and others not so. Therefore I refer to the not so as religious police - upholding the code.

[mimi_intheworld]

A few friends here in Abu Dhabi elected to holiday in Sharjah over Eid. It was a refreshing break, they say. (I stayed in AD & Dubai and went shopping, as I'm a superficial sort of girl.)

[Badar Bin Bada Boom]

I like superficial girls. Or to be exact, girls who say they are superficial but are really more than that. They have more common sense. Anybody who prefers Sharjah over AD and Dubai needs their head examined, or else they're practicing Muslims who feel the love when subject to extra restrictions combined with the usual Middle East chaos and unfriendly public environment (as opposed to the gracious personal hospitality).

[lovetoteach]

Thanks for the info.

I have to say I was expecting a more positive description about Sharjah than this.

Are there beaches there? How much is a taxi into Dubai?

[Vancouver Vic]

A beach in Sharjah?????? Sure, as long as you don't think you can go and swim in a swimsuit and heaven forbid you consider a bikini. You only do that in Dubai. If you do it in sharjah it will be a big problem - haven't you read that they have a dress code? That means cover up. You can't go out in shorts that show your knees if you are female so I don't see how you intend to swim unless it's with all your clothes on. To get into Dubai is basic AED20 plus the taxi fare on top which means it will be about AED50. Now there you can go to the beach and swim. Try Jumeira. But don't be surprised if you get a lot of lonely bachelors from the sub-continent staring at you.

[2buckets]

But don't be surprised if you get a lot of lonely bachelors from the sub-continent staring at you

MOD EDIT

You need to join a club that caters to Westerns for a non-traumatic beach/pool experience. Most big hotels have them.

[helenl]

While I haven't used the beach in Sharjah myself, mostly because I would have to do so by myself mostly and wanted to avoid the staring and other issues that attend uncompanied females. However, friends have done so with their husbands in a "regular" bathing suit - leaving their coverups on as long as possible and putting them back on ASAP leaving the water - no sunbathing.

The Kempinski in Ajman - not far down the road has a private beach and sells memberships. Ajman also has beaches with lots of Russians of all shapes sizes and descriptions wearing really inappropriate spandex creations of varying degrees of skimpiness - the one guy I saw in a thong was enough to make me gag as I made my way to the Kempinski one day URRRGHHBLECH! (What has been seen cannot be unseen )

[Badar Bin Bada Boom]