Moving to Dubai - #4 Organising Logistics to Becoming an Expat in Dubai

Moving to any country can be a logistical nightmare and what with a dog to move, and me in Cyprus, the logistics of moving to Dubai were pretty muddled. And then, one day, it all just fell into place. The dog left Cyprus a few days before me, heading straight for our new home in Dubai.

That just left me. Instead of flying directly to Dubai I took a stopover in London to spend some much needed time with friends and family whom I hadn’t seen in a year. Said stopover ended up being approximately two months. Whoops.

But before I left Cyprus I had to pack up our apartment. We had contemplated shipping stuff over to Dubai via air or sea, however the cost of sending our IKEA bedframe and mattress outweighed its original value and instead of painstakingly wrapping fragile and sentimental items, we made a different plan. All sentimental items, frames and books etc., would remain in Cyprus under the care of family and larger pieces of furniture which were worth very little, were distributed between family and friends.

Which left just a handful of items like photographs and a few art prints and clothes to be transported to Dubai. And somehow we managed to do it all via standard airline baggage. Although my additional bag did weigh in at exactly 23kgs (my allowance), which shows I made the most of my extra weight allowance.

By being in London, I made life cheaper for myself. From Cyprus to Dubai there is only one airline that flies the route, Emirates. Whereas from London Heathrow, your choice is wide open. I opted for British Airways because the flight times, take off and landing were the most convenient and the price was reasonable. Plus I am a little bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to flying so I wanted to fly with an airline I know well.

Also British Airways additional baggage policy was the most convenient; allowing me to pay for one extra, 23kg suitcase, rather than paying per 5kgs like some airlines offer. But when it comes to picking an airline for your move to Dubai you need to pick one that suits your needs best; offers the right flight times, a convenient departure airport and the right baggage options.

While our move was actually quite simple in retrospect, others won’t be so lucky. If you’re moving a family and as such a whole families possessions to Dubai, I suggest enlisting the help of a relocation company. Move Once Inc., which helped with the relocation of our dog to Dubai, also offer moving and logistic services, so it is well worth checking out their website. I have also read good reviews about On The Move and Executive Expatriate Relocations.

Any move, especially an international one, is always going to be stressful and costly, so if you can, spend a few extra pounds on getting experts to help you. That way you will be less stressed and hopefully more excited and can embrace the excitement of moving to Dubai!

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