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In 1999, when the owner of the teacher training school that I attended asked me whether I’d be interested in working in the UAE, I replied, “What’s that? A company?” Back then, the United Arab Emirates was not so well-known to North Americans, but all that has changed over the past decade.
These days, people around the world recognize the sailboat-inspired architecture of Dubai’s most famous landmark, the Burj Al Arab. News stories and documentaries abound on the glitz and glamour of Dubai, a city being built before our very eyes. There’s the indoor ski slope, the man-made islands which, when finished, will resemble a map of the world when seen from above, the world’s first luxury underwater hotel, the world’s tallest skyscraper, three man-made islands shaped like palm trees, and the list of superlatives goes on and on. What was once a sleepy desert village of fishermen and pearl-divers has morphed at the speed of lightning into a major financial center and tourist destination. People who know I live here think the streets are paved with gold.
They’re wrong, but their impressions are not based entirely on hype. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, is "the richest city in the world. The emirate's 420,000 citizens, who sit on one-tenth of the planet's oil and have almost $1 trillion invested abroad, are worth about $17 million apiece" (Gimbel, ¶4, 2007). Although Dubai is more internationally recognized, that may soon change with the announcement that "the Sorbonne, Cleveland Clinic, Guggenheim, and Louvre are on the way" and in all, "plans call for almost $200 billion to be spent here over the next ten years" (Gimbel, 2007 ¶2-3).
This tremendous wealth has brought many changes to the country, modernizing the level of infrastructure, including buildings, streets and highways, airports, state-of-the-art communications and Internet capabilities, a large number of schools, and investment in higher education and technology.
The modern-day United Arab Emirates is a melting pot of cultures. Rapid wealth and development have resulted in the importation of workers from hundreds of countries representing all professions from taxi drivers and construction workers to teachers and surgeons, and resulting in a rich, multicultural environment, with English as the common language.
I accepted the above-referenced offer back in 1999 to teach Emirati boys at government high schools in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. At the end of my two-year contract, my wife and I decided to return to the U.S. A few years later, we both received offers for teaching positions in Dubai. Given everything that’s occurred during the last decade between the Western and Muslim worlds, people in the US are sometimes perplexed as to why we chose to return and why we are still here.
Money, lifestyle, and adventure are three of the reasons. ESL teachers in the UAE can earn a decent income. They can live comfortably, enjoy eight to ten weeks of paid vacation per year, travel the world, and still save money. The work pace, although picking up in recent years, is still less intense than in the so-called developed countries. Last, but not least, I often tell people that being here is like living inside National Geographic. With over 150 nationalities represented, a walk down the street is never boring.
Dubai is a magnet for teachers in all the outlying emirates and other Middle Eastern countries. For better or worse, Dubai is perhaps the most progressive spot in the entire region. Western products are readily available, as are pubs, movie theaters, restaurants, and discos. Even smaller towns like Ajman and Al Ain have shopping malls and Starbuck’s. As part of the rapid growth, traffic and noise pollution have also increased tremendously, but there is still a very low crime rate and a high degree of tolerance and political stability relative to other locations in the region.
Some expat teachers (as well as some Emiratis, other Arabs, and nearly everyone from Abu Dhabi) feel that the Dubai experiment has run amok and that it has actually become too Westernized. Those teachers prefer to live in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, other smaller emirates, or in neighboring Oman, where the pace is slower, the cost of living less expensive, and the flavor more distinctively Arab/Muslim. Other Westerners (including this author) appreciate the variety that Dubai offers - sports and cultural events, dining and entertainment options, and the accompanying open-mindedness that comes with increased exposure to the world at large.
The UAE is not a country for backpackers or for landing without a job. As an example, a single room at the Dubai Youth Hostel costs US $57 per night and a double room $68. In a New York Times article entitled “Frugal Traveler: Seeking the Real in a Desert City Known for Artifice”, the author quotes a nightly rate of US $100 for his “frugal” accommodations.
The best approach for teachers interested in this region is to research and apply online. Most employers have websites with online application processes which include interviews via video-conferencing or by phone. The pecking order here is similar to elsewhere, with four-year universities offering the best packages. More and more, a Master’s in TESOL is becoming a requirement, but some organizations accept a Master’s in a “related field” (Linguistics, Education, Literature, another language, etc). Some will also accept a Bachelor’s degree with some sort of TESOL certificate or diploma.
Two-year colleges also offer good compensation packages and working conditions, followed by high schools. Language institutes hire mainly on a part-time basis, but usually employ a small core of full-time teachers as well.
Below, I have listed some recommendations in each category as well as links to more complete listings. The best employers offer fixed-term contracts (usually two or three years) with a specified monthly salary in dirhams (The exchange rate is fixed at 3.68 UAE dirhams = US $1). In addition to the regular holidays, most academic institutions offer a two-week break between semesters and seven-to-eight week summer holidays. One of the most important aspects of any package is housing, and if it’s your first year, you’ll want an employer who provides accommodation (usually a one-bedroom apartment for singles, two-bedrooms for couples, and a larger apartment or villa for families with children). Once you know your way around, you may opt for a cash allowance in lieu of housing, allowing you to select your own accommodation and to negotiate contract details directly with landlords.
Other common benefits include round-trip tickets to your point of origin for the teacher and family members accompanying him/her, education allowance for children, and medical insurance. There is also a one-month gratuity per year of service, payable at the conclusion of the employment contract. Employers cover all costs associated with obtaining work/resident visas for the employee and his/her family. Some employers offer more (paid utilities, for example), others less, but the basic package should include monthly salary, housing (or housing allowance), air tickets, and medical insurance. It is important that the employer offer a written contract with the conditions spelled out clearly. The more transparent the organization’s policies, the better the employer.
As for the teaching, it varies. I have personally taught at government high schools, where the boys were wild, but lots of fun too. Turnover was high as many Western teachers could not cope with the chaos and discipline problems. During that period, I also taught part-time at a language institute because I wanted to teach more motivated, serious students as well as mixed nationalities and genders. Since finishing my Master’s in TESOL, I have been teaching female Emiratis at the tertiary level. As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages to teaching at any given level, to any gender, in any particular location.
On a good day, the idealist in me likes to think I’m contributing to building a bridge of better understanding between two cultures, connecting with students, Arab colleagues, merchants, and neighbors. But there are also bad days, when the censorship, archaic ways of thinking and managing, outdated teaching philosophies and styles, and social, press, and political restrictions can become suffocating. All things considered, I would certainly recommend the UAE, but I would also advise you to bring along a good amount of patience, flexibility, and humor.
References Gimbel, B. (2007, March 12). The Richest City in the World [Electronic version]. Fortune.
Jobs TESOL Arabia – Annual conference held every March; Job Fair with major employers from the UAE and other Gulf countries represented. If you cannot attend, check out their website near the conference dates for list of employers.
Links to other primary and secondary schools, both government and private, here and here.
Tertiary Higher Colleges of Technology – Operating sixteen colleges and various other programs throughout the Emirates, the HCT hires on an ongoing basis. Check their website under “Teaching Jobs” for positions and requirements. (Sample English Faculty requirements: “Master's Degree in TEFL or Bachelor's Degree and TEFL Diploma, 3 years teaching experience.”)
Other reputable tertiary institutions include University of Woolongong (Dubai), American University of Sharjah, American University of Dubai, University of Sharjah, UAE University (Al Ain), Zayed University (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Middlesex University (Dubai), Emirates College for Advanced Education (Abu Dhabi).
Link to more colleges and universities.
Language Institutes Berlitz, ELS Language Centers, British Council
Additional Reading and Reference; Websites Fact Book on United Arab Emirates - This website includes maps and information on geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues.
Lonely Planet has a travel book on the Middle East and one on the U.A.E. Their website also provides a wealth of useful facts and information about culture, history, health and safety, currency, voltage, and much more, including photographs. |
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