The saying goes “best laid plans… etc.” After doing quite a bit of research, my husband and I decided to purchase a boat (very much like the one above) to live aboard during our time here. We plan to eventually use it as part of our overall retirement strategy once we are ready. Our idea was to stay in a hotel/apartment until such time as we found the right boat, 2 maybe 3 months max. Well, apparently that plan just will not work for the Emirati government. In order for me to obtain my resident visa, (which I not only need in order to be legal, but I also need in order to get insurance and my dependent allowance) we have to find a “permanent” mailing address, and the aforementioned hotel is not considered permanent enough. “Permanent” addresses will provide us with 2 things – a ‘Tawtheeq’ (pronounced taw TEEK) which is basically a letter telling the government you live in an approved residence, and an ADDC clearance, another letter to the government stating that we have utilities in our name alone. (We are not allowed to sublet or share with others.) There are no exceptions made, to be legal and get my visa, we simply have to do this. So, off we go apartment shopping.
First consideration – it must be a short term lease. Like anywhere else, leases here are standardly based on 1 year minimum. Unlike anywhere else I know of, most of the time, payment is made in 1 lump sum payable at the beginning of the lease term. (A few places will accept two 6-month payments.) In addition, like anywhere else we must pay damage and utility deposits, etc. That is a chunk of change to cough up! We really do not want to throw away money on any lease, much less one that is a year-long.
Second consideration – If at all possible, we want a furnished place. The want ads are filled with people who have just come off of work contracts, are moving back home, and are selling off (to trying to sell off) their stuff. Not many buyers out there, and not even many takers of free stuff. It makes buying furniture and dishes etc. a truly losing proposition.
Lucky for us we were referred to an American agent who knows the market. She has been showing us places that will lease for 6 months and are fully furnished. YAY! So looking at what is available out there has been my job the past couple of days. We will still buy the boat, but the bad news is not soon. The good news is that we DO have more time to look for the exact one we want. In this case I think the good outweighs the bad, regardless of the disappointment of not being able to do it all right now.
The silver lining? Meeting our agent – what a stroke of luck! Originally from Colorado, she has been here the UAE for 5 years and in the Middle East in general for 25. She’s shared tons of great information about what to do and where to go, customs, etc. including great restaurants and where we can find a good bottle of wine. It may seem like a bit of a setback that it will be a few months before we are really where we want to be, but hey, I just made my first friend in the UAE. That is a big bonus!
PS… the photos above are of the style and size of boat (powercat) at the top of our list, and of the building and apartment that are currently at the top of our list, though we will likely go with city view instead of sea view – Same apartment, Less $.