Job Discussion Forums

cherryblossom80 · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 6

Currently my boyfriend and I are teaching ESL in Korea. I will have the opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi at a job in my field. My boyfriend is a certified teacher. We are hoping that he would be able to find an ESL position in Abu Dhabi. But with programs like Teach Away, it seems as if they only have 2-year contracts. Is this standard for ESL jobs in Abu Dhabi? We are not sure that we would want to make a two year commitment.

Also considering we both would have our own jobs and would be covered individually for airfare and housing... would it be a problem for us living together and pretending we are a married couple (as we do here in Korea?) Or will they require that we have a marriage license or such before we can get housing together? Are there unmarried foreign teaching couples living together?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

First the bad news, it is illegal for an unmarried couple to live together in any of the Middle East countries. Punishment is flogging, jail, and deportation. Now... does this punishment happen? Rarely for Westerners and thus far, in the last 15+ years, the two high profile cases ended up with a short jail sentence and deportation after the governments worked out a deal. The key in those cases is that the couples were Westerners. It has happened that when employers learned of the situation, they were let go... but... that too is rare.

It can be done, but I wouldn't involve my employer(s) directly in it. Employers required a certified copy of the marriage license from your home country to provide you with shared housing. What most couples have done is that both of them have a job with housing provided. They make a limited pretense of maintaining both residences and live in one of them. Preferably the one with the most discreet neighbors. Cool

With your neighbors, you make all pretense of marriage... wear rings... etc.

You note that I use the term "Westerners" and one key is to NOT draw attention. Thus a racially mixed couple is more likely to get into a problem situation.

As to contracts, in education they are nearly always 2-3 years. It is expensive to bring in a foreign hire teacher with all the paperwork and recruitment costs, so it is only logical to keep them there for long enough to be economically feasible. Another factor is that every contract has a clause concerning notice and penalties for leaving early. In education, it is usually a 6 month/one semester notice, which seems fair enough.

VS

MrScaramanga · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 221

I know many unmarried couples who live together in the UAE without any problems. However, it is, as VS pointed out, completely illegal. All it takes is an angry or over-zealous neighbor who rats you out to the police and voila! you are on the next plane outta here in the best of situations...

Also, keep in mind that in light of recent "immoral events" (British couple making out on the beach, Qatar Univ ESL teachers posting explicit party pics on facebook and allowing students access -- what were they thinking???), the police have been a lot stricter than they possibly would have been in the past.

Best advice = do what all couples who live together "in sin" do: keep a low profile!
MrS

anaxiforminges · Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 136 Location: UAE

I would even go so far as to stage "married fights" loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Be sure to drop nuggets like:

"My mother did warn me about MARRYING YOU!!!"
"You were even late FOR OUR OWN WEDDING!!!"
"You're so cheap you took us to Albuquerque for OUR HONEYMOON!!!"
"I should have MARRIED AN ENGINEER!!!"
"We stopped having fun the minute I put that RING IN YOUR FINGER!!!"

ap4058 · Joined: 20 Mar 2009 Posts: 84

Why don't you just get married, that shall solve all your problems!

MrScaramanga · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 221

or create new ones!!! Laughing

MrS

bhoove · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 30

Anax--

I love the argument idea! hilarious! Although I personally would rather have neighbors "living in sin" than neighbors arguing!

Fortunately for me I've never uttered any of those words to my spouse! (nor heard them uttered back)

MrS-- I agree with the create new ones.... marriage is a big piece of paper that makes your relationship everybody else's business.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject:

I can't believe that people are responding to the OP..but, as always, LOVE the divergence...YA HEAR THAT brasscat?!?

NCTBA