Settling in Dubai

Classification: Internal

Settling In Dubai

Guidelines and Useful Information

Relocating can be a complicated and stressful experience. The Human Resources department aims
to ensure that each candidate that Jumeirah brings to Dubai has a good experience and receives
enough support during their transition period.

We have put together a small guide that should help you settle in Dubai and get to know your new
environment.
Again, welcome to the Jumeirah Family; we wish you a long and prosperous career with the
company and look forward to working with you.

1. IMPORTANT EMERGENCY NUMBERS IN DUBAI

Police 999
Fire Department 997
Ambulance 998
Electricity 991
Water 922

2. DUBAI TRANSPORTATION: THE ROADS AND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

• Taxi Booking: You can book a taxi by calling 04-208-0808.
• You can also book rides through Uber or Careem.

• Check out Dubai Bus and Metro services by visiting the following links:
http://www.nol.ae/ and http://www.rta.ae/dubai_metro/.

3. DRIVING LICENSE

a. Converting a foreign driving license in Dubai.

• You may be eligible to convert your existing foreign driving license, without having to take
a driving test or going to a driving school, if you have a valid driving license from one of a
number of named countries below:

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Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,
Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United
States. (Please call RTA on 800 9090 for any changes to this list)
Note: You have to be a citizen of any of these countries with current resident status in UAE. This
means that former residents from these countries who may be holding permanent driver licenses
are not eligible and you will have to follow all the steps to get a new license.

• Driving license holders of some countries in the above list will require translations or
consulate letters. These countries include: Greece, Canada, Cyprus, Poland, Turkey, Japan
& South Korea.

For Canada, a letter from the Canadian Consulate in Dubai to verify that the license is
genuine is required, before transferring your license.

Fees & Documents Required:

▪ Passport for residents (original & copy) residence permit copy
▪ Current driving license (original & copy)
▪ Translation of driving license (for some countries), consulate letter (for Canadians)
▪ 1 passport photo
▪ Eye test certificate & AED 360 for transfer fee and opening a driving file
▪ Also required is a no-objection letter from your sponsor
Easy Steps:

▪ Get an eye test done. This can be done at any hospital, clinic or optician. Give them 2
passport-sized photos and mention that it is for a driving license. Most opticians will
not charge for the test, while there may be a small fee for others.

▪ Bring your documents to the Dubai Traffic Department Driving License Section in
Al Qusais from 7.30 am to 2.30 pm on a working day.

▪ Fill up application form & submit all documents to the officer.
▪ Take signed documents from officer & pay AED 360 to the cashier.
▪ Submit all documents at Data Entry Counter.
▪ Your name will be called out and your photograph taken. A few minutes later,

you will receive your license.
b. Applying for New Driving License:

• If you have never driven before nor have a driving license that is not on the approved
list of 36 countries then you must undergo driving lessons.

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Required documents:
• Passport (original & copy) with residence stamp
• No-Objection Certificate from employer
• 8 passport- sized photos.

Authorized Driving Schools: 04 3411500
Al Ahli Driving School 04 3243535
Belhasa Driving School 04 3455855
Dubai Driving Center 04 2631100
Emirates Driving Institute 04 2676166
Galadari Driving School

The Process:

• Get an eye test done either at an optician or at your chosen driving school.
• The school will handle all paper-work with RTA who may even have a counter at the

school.

• Receive your temporary driving license.

• Once you have passed all internal tests like garage and parking, your school will
apply for your theory test followed by your road test.

For more information, please visit RTA website or call RTA on 8009090.

4. CAR RENTAL

You must be a resident in Dubai and a holder of Emirates ID to be able to rent a car. You can visit
Europe Car Rental in Jumeirah Beach Hotel to avail discounted colleague rate or you can reach
them on 04 3481635.

5. HOME SEARCH

We have listed below few links that you can visit to search for an Apartment/ Villa for rental in
Dubai:

www.dubbizle.com www.justproperty.com www.bayut.com www.bhomes.com

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You may wish to check Facebook groups from where you may be able to rent directly from property
owners.
a. How can I go about securing an apartment quickly and efficiently?
Check www.dubailand.gov.ae to see that the rent is reasonable - the Index will provide a fair
range reflecting an updated market analysis in Dubai then make sure you see evidence of proof
of ownership from the landlord, such as a title deed or original sales contract and passport copy.
To secure the property, you’ll have to pay a five percent deposit to the landlord. Make sure you
use a reputable Real Estate Regulatory Agency [RERA] approved agent.
1) How can I spot an unreliable estate agent, and what steps should I take to ensure they are

licensed?
The tenant should ask to see the agents’ business card, as well as their RERA card. This will show
that the agent is a certified broker through RERA and is not a freelancer – freelancing is illegal.
Check that they are registered on the land department website Dubailand.gov.ae.
2) How many cheques should I expect to give the landlord to cover my annual rent?
It is down to the landlord how many cheques he/she requires. However, three to four cheques
seem to be the current market norm.
3) What other fees should I watch out for?

• Agent commission – Between 2-5% of annual rent.
• Security Deposit- 5% of the annual rent
4) What should I expect from a lawful contract?
It should be an Ejari contract and contain all of the following points:
• Lease break clause
• Maintenance responsibility
• Parking details
• Insurance
• Liabilities of both parties.
5) What other documents should I ask for?
• Copy of the landlord’s passport & title deed or proof of ownership copy.
• Copy of the cheques issued to the landlord, with the landlord’s signature of receipt.

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6) What are the landlord’s legal obligations?

The maintenance charges are under the landlord’s account. It is the responsibility of the landlord
to make sure that property is in livable condition before he/she hands it over to the new tenant.

6.SCHOOL SEARCH

Finding the right school and the right curriculum for your child is very important. Below are few
websites that will assist you with your search:

www.khda.gov.ae www.expatechodubai.com www.schoolfinder.ae

When enrolling your child at school, you’ll need the following:

• School application form
• Copies of student’s and parents’ passports, including both the information and residence

visa pages (if available)
• Passport photos (at least six, usually eight)
• Copies of student’s birth certificate (English or Arabic)
• Current vaccination record and student’s medical history documents
• School reports for the last one or two years (signed and stamped on the last school’s

letterhead)
• Copies of any diagnostic testing or educational assessment (if applicable)
• An official transfer certificate from the student’s previous school
• Registration fee and possibly an assessment fee (both will be non-refundable)

7. DUBAI WATER AND ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY (DEWA) REGISTRATION

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is the sole provider of electricity,
water and sewerage in Dubai.

Application Process:

• Collect application for DEWA services from Customer Care Center/or
online.

• Submit the signed application form along with the required documents at any of the
Customer Care Centers or on-line.

• Pay the security deposit at the payment counter and collect the security deposit receipt.

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Documents required (for personal connection):

• Duly filled-out Application Form, signed.
• Copy of signed Tenancy Contract.
• Passport copy (Tenant and Landlord) with valid visa page.
• Proof of Ownership or Deed of Sale or Sales Agreement copy.
• Authorization letter, in the absence of the applicant.

Fees / Charges:

• Housing Fees (Dubai Municipality Fee)
5% of annual rent paid in 12 parts, added to DEWA bills

• DEWA Fees
DEWA Fees for Villas:
➢ AED 2,000 (refund on leaving)
➢ AED 110 (non-refundable connection fee)

DEWA Fees for Apartments:
➢ AED 2,000 (refund on leaving)
➢ AED 110 (non-refundable connection fee)

Visit the following link for more info www.dewa.gov.ae.
Important numbers to remember:

800 900 – for any queries, clarifications and complaints on Dubai Municipality Housing Fees.
04 601 9999 – for queries, complaints and feedback on DEWA services.

8 EJARI REGISTRATION – TENANCY CONTRACT REGISTRATION

Ejari is an electronic registration where every tenant and landlord must get their
rental and lease contracts registered, to ensure full protection of rights to all parties
involved in a property lease agreement.

Ejari will ensure rental agreements are fair and transparent to the parties involved
and that their terms and conditions are given full weight.

Required Documents to register for Ejari:

1. Tenant Passport
2. Tenant UAE Visa
3. Tenant Emirates ID
4. Tenancy Contract
5. Title Deed or Affection Plan
6. DEWA Bill or DEWA registration form

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9 INTERNET AND LANDLINE SET UP

Etisalat and Du are the sole providers on internet services in the UAE. For Etisalat and DU packages
and subscription please scan the below QR Code:

www.etisalat.ae www.du.ae

10 HOUSEMAID SEARCH AND SPONSORSHIP

Hiring a housemaid isn’t an easy task; there are many housemaids in UAE looking for a job. There are
a few types of housemaids: Full time live-in, full time live-out and part time maids. Full time Live-In
must be under your sponsorship whereas Full time live-out and Part time should be under the Agency
sponsorship. There are a few trusted and updated websites that you can visit to help you select your
housemaid and give you better visibility on the process of visa sponsoring.

Documents required to sponsor your housemaid:

• Maid passport copy
• Maid photos with white background
• Colleague Salary Certificate or Employment Contract
• Colleague Tenancy Agreement and Ejari
• Colleague DEWA Bill

11 ALCOHOL LICENSE

• To obtain an alcohol license, you must be:
• Non-Muslim.
• Over 21 years old.
• Resident of Dubai (if your visa is stamped in an Emirate other than Dubai you will require a

No Objection Certificate from the relevant Emirate).
• Monthly salary over AED 3,000.

Alcohol License Application:
• You can apply http://www.africaneastern.com / or http://www.mmidubai.com/retail/.
• Collect an application form from any A+E or MMI.
• Complete the Application Form and get it stamped and signed by your employer.

Documents Required:
• Passport, Residence Visa and Passport Photo
• Tenancy Contract or NOC from your landlord

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• Salary Certificate

• Visit MMI or A+E to submit your application form and documents together with the AED 160
municipality fee

Alcohol Shops:
Barracuda / Dolphin Duty Free

Near Dreamland Waterpark, Located in Hilton, RAK Beach Resort Umm Al Quwain Ras Al

Khaimah

Tel: 06-76814555 Tel: 07-2288844

12 OTHER USEFUL LINKS AND APPS TO HELP YOU SETTLE IN UAE

RTA DUBAI CAREEM

RTA aims to support Dubai’s transformation Step into a world where you can get everyday
into a smart city and foster its strategic goals. needs done on one app. Book a ride, order food
To achieve that, RTA provides a fast and easy from restaurants or groceries from shops and
access to its services via smart applications recharge your mobile balance all with online
designed to meet your needs. payments.

DHA APP UAE PASS

DHA App is a new initiative by Dubai Health UAE Pass is the national Digital Identity and Digital
Authority to provide all services of DHA under Signature solution for the UAE Pass today to access
one Smart application. Using this app Dubai various government entity through one application,
residents will be able to access DHA’s Smart there will be no need to remember multiple
Services. usernames and passwords anymore.

OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT TIME OUT DUBAI
Citizens and residents can open accounts in Complete Dubai city guide including arts &
banks in the UAE. culture, things to do, restaurants, bars, hotels,
events and where to go, plus latest Dubai news
CONNECTOR
Since 1991 Connector has become a ‘must have’ WHAT’S ON
magazine amongst the residents of the UAE What’s On is packed with expert opinions,
who rely on CONNECTOR and the information Complete Dubai City Information Guide
it provides. including Dubai Arts Culture, Health Fitness
and Dubai Hotels.

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