Job Discussion Forums

[homeless vet]

Re HCT Al Ain - Our biggest concern is housing - since our kids will be in college, it will just be the two of us and the dog. We've not been able to find anything on housing in Al Ain, whereas there's lots of stuff about housing and lifestyle in other UAE cities. Anyone have any links to housing info there?

What's Al Ain like? Is it really "only" 90 minutes from Dubai? Is it easy/worthwhile to cross into Oman?

Although we both interviewed and received offers, only my husband will be teaching for HCT. I've decided to stick with my current load of online teaching - less work, more money, and it's our lifeline back to the US or continuing on after my husband finishes up with HCT.

[veiledsentiments]

As far as housing goes, HCT has a pretty good reputation of providing housing that most people find acceptable. They provide the flat and a good furniture allowance. (and Al-Ain has had a long reputation as good HCT branches to work in...)

I've never lived in Al-Ain, but I always liked it... not as urban as Dubai and Abu Dhabi and much greener. You are pretty much right on the border of Oman, so once your work/residence visas are all taken care of, your car in hand with insurance for both countries, you can go back and forth relatively easily. It is about 90 minutes from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi... they rather form a triangle.

It may take you awhile to get settled into your flat and hooked up with internet at home, so make sure that your online program understands this. One detail that occurred to me is that you will have to pay taxes on your salary in the US whereas your husband will not. So, he may yet make more than you.

VS

[homeless vet]

Thanks for the reassurance, VS.

Even with the tax and benefits issues, I'll still come out ahead by continuing to work online. I teach for several schools at the undergrad and graduate level, and do quite a bit of course development as well. We also were thinking it would be good for one of us to be able to fly home "just in case" something happens to elderly parents or one of our boneheaded sons. I'd also like to do some eco dev and consulting work in Afghanistan. I told HCT I could teach for them PT as an adjunct in the future.

[Neil McBeath]

It USED TO BE easy to go from Al Ain into Oman. All; you did was drive/walk over a speed-bump and you had left Al ASin and were in Buraimi. The Actual border crossing was about thirty kilometres down the road at Wadi Jizzi.

In 2007, a proper border crossing, or, more exactly, TWO border crossings were erected in the town centres themselves.

The more direct one can be used by GCC nationals only. The other one has to be used by expatriates, and a month ago that entailed getting into a traffic jam, inching forward, and then going into an unmarked portacabin to have me passport stamped for entry to the UAE.

There are two other problems. Firstly, Oman and the UAE work different weekends, so the length of the queues varies according to the day of the week and the direction of travel.

Secondly, the signposting to the border crossing is, frankly, inadequate on the UAE side of the border, and Al Ain itself is so flat that it is possible to get very lost quite easily.

Quite why this should be the case is a mystery to me. The UAE is usually only too keen to provide up to the second modern facilities, but in this instance, they haven't.

[helenl]

Be sure to tell HCT you're bringing the dog NOW. That way they can find a place (usually a villa) that accepts it. Most building do not allow dogs but there are some small ones that are sometimes "smuggled" in - anything over about 15 lbs will probably raise immediate complaints from neighbours.

Oman is a great place to visit, especially on the weekends - however, there are usually lineups to get across but not enough to discourage you from going.

[homeless vet]

Thanks for the tip re the dog. I actually discussed my concern about this at length with the two people that interviewed us - they were also dog owners who had brought dogs into the UAE. I will make sure the housing coordinator is aware of this. We're spending the summer in Europe and Africa with our youngest son - my husband will fly to the UAE from Europe two weeks ahead of the dog and I, so hopefully, he'll get everything resolved before we arrive.

[Afra]

As Neil stated, getting into Oman now is not easy and it's expensive if you just want to go for a day to the beaches near Sohar. We tried in the mid-year break and abandoned the idea due to traffic jams, lack of signage, extemely rude and unhelpful officials and the cost - this was on the UAE side. However, the Hatta crossing is no problem but that isn't useful if you live in Al Ain!

[veiledsentiments]

Since our OP is with HCT and will be assigned housing in Al-Ain, she isn't talking about crossing the border every day on a commute which is now pretty much impossible. But, visiting Oman is still relatively easy compared to world border crossings. It is not as though one needs to plan a visa application and go to an embassy to get a visit visa. Lines are a part of modern life. From what I have heard, it is now equivalent to crossing the border into Mexico by car. (whereas it used to be like the border to Canada for comparison for our American OP) So, Homeless Vet, as I said, visiting Oman is "relatively" easy.

Did people ever do many day trips to Oman? Not being a beach person, Sohar was a place that I stopped for petrol on the way to other places in Oman.

It sounds like the UAE is trying to discourage people from going to Oman to spend their DHs. I had heard that in the last couple years they were now making people stop on their side of the border. I found it odd in the past that they had no border control whatsoever and the border post was never open the times I passed through. And now they seem to be doing their best to make it difficult. I'd love to know why, but if Neil hasn't picked up the background story on this one, none of us will know it.

What are they charging to cross the border now?

VS

[Pikgitina]

Gone are the days of course when one could simply slip through the Wadi Saa border post (in Oman) into Buraimi and then simply drive into Al Ain/the UAE. I only got stamped once there - everyone there used to be so laidback. I remember there was an Emirati border - but it was unmanned. For Wadi Saa, one had to turn right for Buraimi before hitting the Oman/UAE border at Hafeet. I think it was given a major overhaul not too long ago. We knew that it was technically illegal and that there were many risks involved, but it was such a breeze that we simply did this every time.

[GlobalDawg]

I crossed at Wadi Jizzi during the semester break (mid Feb). Crossing entailed two stops. The first was exiting the UAE which required a fee of 50 dirhams (maybe 25 for my wife and 25 for me�not sure). The second stop was for entering Oman. Again, there was a fee of about 50 dirhams. It was mid-day on Thursday and the time to process exit and entry wasn�t too long�the only hold up was that the Omanis were concern that my wife appeared to be from Bangladesh rather than from Yemen so a few phone calls had to be made. Although a span of the road is under construction, I was surprised at how quickly we got to Sohar. It seemed that the longest part of the drive was from Sohar to Muscat. On the return I wanted to stop in Buraimi to show my wife where I had lived when I worked in Al Ain in 2001 so we entered back into the UAE through the crossing area where there used to be just a camel market on the UAE side of the road. I suppose this is the crossing that Neil referred to as the one for expats. This was on a Saturday, mid-day, and it was a breeze�we drove right through with no problems. The most surprising part of the trip was trying to find my way through Al Ain�it has changed a bit (a lot more foliage and the construction projects threw me off course).

[Zoot]

HCT provides good housing out in Al Ain and yes, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are that close on good roads. Be careful with the dog issue. You don't have kids which means living in Al Ain is great for you - those with kids have no quality schooling choices out there.

[Neil McBeath]

Buraimi was cheaper than Al Ain, and a lot of people crossed the border not just on day trips, but sometimes several times a day - particularly after the UAE constructed the Al Ain Shopping Mall, complete with ice rink.
Al Ain also offered a far wider range of recreation for people living in Buraimi, while Buraimi offered far more of the "cultural" aspects - three forts, to start with.

Whhenb I started going to Al Ain for TESOL Arabia Conferences, I stayed in the Royal Army of Oman Camp in Buraimi, and took a taxi to the venue in the UAE. It took about 15 minutes.

That option of simply going from one part of a twinned city to another has now disappeared. Getting from Al Ain to Buraimi can be a major hassle, involving queues of traffic up to a kilometre long.

[Afra]

I think schools in Al Ain have improved in recent years. There is certainly greater choice.

[Iamherebecause]

It's still easy to get into Buraimi from Al Ain across the Hili border point: the longest I have waited at a weekend is 10 minutes. Then there's plenty of Oman to explore before you have to deal with visas and the real queues. Check the Emirates Natural History Group website for the sort of things you can see! I'm not sure how practical it would be to cross the border on a daily basis if you are neither Omani nor Emirati but in any case HCT accommodation is all in Al Ain.

Housing for HCT here is not what it was. I know of HCT people both married and single who started the 2007 academic year in rather small 2 bed flats. Some but not all moved to larger places after a year.

[Iamherebecause]