Services & Utilities
Main water supply is expensive in Dubai, especially when using large amounts for gardens and topping up swimming pools, households are urged to be responsible in their usage.
- Oasis
- Nestle Pure Water 800 4404
- Culligan 800 4945
- D E W A - www.dewa.gov.ae
SERVICES & UTILITIES
GAS
There is no mains gas supply serving Dubai, individual gas cylinders need to be purchased and attached to cooking appliances from the exterior of the house. Gas supply trucks roam the residential areas in Dubai awaiting your call and operate from early morning until 10pm.
Even though gas has increased in price in recent times it is still far less expensive than electricity.
Gas Suppliers
- Lahej Gas Distribution
- Salam Gas
- Union Gas Company
Rubbish Disposal & Recycling
Provided efficiently by Dubai Municipality, waste collection happens on a daily or alternate day basis. Recycling efforts are slowly but surely catching on, with Emaar offering an excellent recycling collection service to the residents in their developments. Recycling collection centres are generally based at supermarket/ shopping centre car parks and near many schools.
POSTAL SERVICE
There is no door to door postal service in Dubai, the postal system is run by Emirates Post and works on a PO. Box system.
One can apply for a personal PO Box or many expatriates simply have their post delivered to the company's mail box. To apply for a PO Box one needs to fill out an application form, pay an annual fee of 270 Dirhams and are given a set of keys to access your individual box. Emirates Post will subsequently notify you of post received and for a small fee will deliver to your door. www.emiratespost.com
Emirates Post also offer a courier service for both local and international deliveries, delivery times are guaranteed and packages may be tracked. There are several other courier companies in Dubai, offering fast efficient service and reliability of delivery both nationally and internationally.
- DHL - www.dhl.com 800 DHL
- ARAMEX - www.aramex.com
- UPS - www.ups.com
Public Transport
(see also transport)Public bus service in Dubai is infrequently used by the western expatriate community, even though as traffic congestion and carbon footprint becomes more of an issue it is hoped a shift in association may occur. Air conditioned bus shelters have been installed around Dubai in effort to make the service more attractive however bus routes are not always clear and time schedules can be erratic. Dubai Metro is set to start operation in mid 2009.
Public Taxis in Dubai are readily available and it is a relatively cheap, efficient way to travel around Dubai. They now operate on a tracking system, where once you register your physical address, you can book automatically. They are all metered. Contact Dubai Transport on
DOMESTIC HELP
Domestic help is inexpensive in Dubai and many households choose to have live in help. In most incidences a maid will cook, clean and babysit, however this is very much down to the employers needs.
Legally a maid has to be sponsored by her / his employer, this involves paying for their visa, health card (both yearly renewal) along with a monthly salary of 1500dhs to 2000dhs / month and a holiday repatriation ticket every two years. Contracts are now in place to ensure fair treatment of the employee and also to protect the interests of the employer. Domestic help is best sought through recommendation and forwarding references are essential before hiring someone.
If a full time live in maid is not required then there are several companies who offer part time help payable on an hourly basis, depending on your needs. This service will drop off at your house and pick up after their agreed hours are completed.
- Molly Maids
- Maids.ae www.maids.ae 04 339 4151
- Dubai Maids www.dubai-maids.com
The same principles apply to house boys or drivers, in the case of a driver one needs to assess driving skills and ensure driving licence is up to date.
BABY- SITTING/CHILD CARE
Options are limited in this area, either find a maid you are very comfortable leaving your child with, another parent maybe willing to take care of your child for payment (best achieved by word of mouth, as this service is not advertised in Dubai)
www.expatwoman.com is a good bet, or enquire at your local nursery as classroom assistants sometime take on extra work.
DOMESTIC SERVICES
Maintenance work on properties is usually carried out by one of the Maintenance Companies, for rented properties the maintenance is normally paid for by the landlord. The tenant will be responsible for small repairs such as light bulbs during the tenancy.
Contracts are available and as the population of Dubai has grown many companies now only deal with those who have contracts with them. They generally charge on an hourly basis and quality of workmanship is normally of a high standard.
- Hitches & Glitches
- Emrill (Emaar Properties only)
- Howdra
- Burooj