Life as an English Teacher in the UAE
School finishes at 2:30pm. Dubai’s beach or Abu Dhabi’s Corniche by 4pm. Desert safari on Friday. Weekend in Oman by Sunday. A lifestyle that doesn’t exist anywhere else on the planet — and a bank balance that reflects it.
The UAE school schedule
Most UAE schools run 7:30am–2:30pm or 3pm. An increasing number of international schools have shifted to the Monday–Friday working week in line with Western curricula — though many schools, particularly those with Arabic programme elements or in government-adjacent positions, still run Sunday–Thursday. Check your school’s specific schedule before accepting.
Typical school day (Mon–Fri school)
School starts. Morning teaching blocks. UAE schools tend to have well-equipped, technology-integrated classrooms. Students are generally well-behaved by global comparison — parents pay significant fees and expectations are high.
School finishes. Afternoon free. During summer (June–August, 40–45°C), afternoon activity is primarily indoor. November–April: outdoor life — beach, walking, sport — becomes genuinely pleasant.
Dubai’s restaurant and social scene comes alive after 7pm. Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. Marina walks. International dining. Beer at AED 40 a pint at licensed hotels. The UAE’s social infrastructure is genuinely world-class.
UAE school year
- August/September: School year starts
- October–November: Autumn term in full
- December: 2–3 week winter break
- January–March: Spring term; best weather
- March/April: Ramadan — reduced school hours
- April: Spring break
- May–June: Summer term; heat building
- June–August: Long summer holiday; most teachers travel home or extensively
Culture, customs, and what the UAE is actually like to live in
The UAE is an Islamic society, and this shapes the framework of public life even in the most cosmopolitan parts of Dubai. Understanding this is professional necessity, not optional background. At the same time, the UAE — and Dubai especially — has constructed one of the most internationally oriented urban environments in the world. The combination is specifically Emirati: Islamic values and global cosmopolitanism coexisting in the same streets.
What applies in public
- Dress modestly — shoulders and knees covered in public (Dubai is relaxed; Abu Dhabi more conservative)
- Public displays of affection are not appropriate
- Alcohol only in licensed venues (hotels, certain restaurants and bars)
- Ramadan: no eating or drinking in public during daylight hours
- Prayer times: mosques are audible; some businesses observe short breaks
- Respect for Islamic customs is both expected and straightforward in practice
What’s available
- Alcohol in licensed hotels, restaurants, and bars (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
- International concerts, sporting events (F1, tennis, golf), cultural festivals
- World-class restaurants from every cuisine
- Major shopping malls (Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates)
- Beaches, desert, and outdoor activities (cooler months)
- Mixed-gender social spaces throughout
- Cinemas, galleries, cultural events
LGBTQ+ teachers: Same-sex activity is illegal under UAE law. While enforcement is not typically directed at private behaviour in practice, the legal risk is real and the framework is unambiguous. LGBTQ+ teachers should research this aspect of UAE life carefully and honestly before accepting positions, and make informed decisions with full awareness of the legal context. This applies regardless of the emirate.
Food culture: one of the world’s great restaurant cities
Dubai’s food scene is genuinely exceptional. The city’s position as a global crossroads — with 200+ nationalities in residence — means the range of available cuisine is matched only by London, New York, and Singapore. From Emirati cuisine (slow-cooked lamb and rice, Arabic bread, dates) to every regional Asian, European, and American tradition, the culinary infrastructure is world-class.
The cost spectrum is wide. A meal at a cheap restaurant runs AED 35–60. A mid-range restaurant for two: AED 150–250. Fine dining is genuinely excellent but expensive (AED 500–1,000+ for two). Grocery shopping is competitively priced at the large hypermarkets (Carrefour, LuLu, Spinneys, Waitrose — yes, Waitrose). The food budget for most teachers runs AED 800–1,400/month depending on how much they eat out.
Alcohol: beer at a licensed bar runs AED 40–55. Wine at a restaurant: AED 60–80 per glass, AED 185–250 for a bottle. These prices are high by European standards but the availability — unlike Saudi Arabia — is comprehensive in Dubai and Abu Dhabi at licensed venues. Sharjah remains completely dry.
Travel from the UAE
The UAE’s central location between Europe, Asia, and Africa, combined with Dubai International Airport’s status as one of the world’s busiest hubs, makes the Emirates one of the best global travel bases available to teachers. Direct flights from Dubai reach London in 7 hours, Tokyo in 9, New York in 14, and Sydney in 14. Weekly or fortnightly flights home are genuinely practical on teacher salaries.
Regional travel from the UAE is excellent. Oman is 2 hours by road (and Oman’s Muscat is a beautiful, quieter alternative to the UAE for weekend breaks). Jordan and Lebanon are 3 hours by air. Egypt, Kenya, India, and Sri Lanka are 3–4 hours. Teachers based in Abu Dhabi specifically describe access to the broader Gulf and Indian Ocean region as one of the consistently cited lifestyle advantages of the posting.
Within the UAE itself: Dubai’s metro covers key corridors efficiently, though the city’s layout means car or Uber is necessary for many journeys. Abu Dhabi has no metro but an extensive bus network and affordable taxis. Inter-emirate bus services connect all seven emirates at low cost.
The expat teacher community in the UAE
With approximately 90% of the UAE’s population comprising expats, the “expat community” in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is essentially the city’s main population. The teacher community specifically is large, internationally diverse, and well-networked. Schools typically provide immediate social infrastructure — staff common rooms, school social events, and colleagues who have been through the same onboarding experience — that makes arrival much less isolating than teachers sometimes fear.
Facebook groups (Teaching English in Dubai/Abu Dhabi) are active with practical advice, school reviews, housing leads, and social events. Language exchange communities operate across the emirates. The UAE’s diversity means teachers encounter colleagues from 20–40 nationalities within their school alone — an experience that is professionally broadening and personally enriching in ways that are consistently cited in teacher accounts of their UAE experience.
Ready to teach English abroad?
Browse TEFL Heaven’s full range of teacher placement programs — from Southeast Asia to Europe and Latin America.
What teachers actually experience
What teachers genuinely love
- Tax-free salary — genuinely transformative financially
- Dubai’s global lifestyle is uniquely excellent
- World-class school facilities and professional development
- Regional and global travel access from one of the world’s best airports
- Diverse, internationally minded student body and colleagues
- Safety — extremely low crime in all emirates
- Sunshine and beach access November–April
- Monthly savings that are genuinely life-changing at international school level
- Career CV value — UAE experience is internationally respected
Honest challenges to prepare for
- TLS licence process requires serious preparation and document effort
- Summer heat (June–August) is genuinely extreme — 40–45°C
- Cost of living is high — requires housing provision or allowance to save well
- LGBTQ+ legal risk is real and must be honestly considered
- Traffic and commuting in Dubai can be stressful
- Alcohol is expensive; social life costs more than comparable environments
- Islamic social framework requires adjustment even in cosmopolitan Dubai
- High competition for top international school positions
- First-time teachers struggle to access the best positions
What teachers say about life in the UAE
"I paid off my master’s degree in 14 months. Dubai on an international school salary, with free housing, is financially in a different category from anything I’d experienced in the UK. I understand why people come here and stay for decades."
"Abu Dhabi over Dubai any day, for me. Comparable salary, but AED 2,000 less in rent per month. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The Louvre. Yas Island on race weekend. People always sleep on Abu Dhabi as a teaching destination."
"The TLS process was more involved than I expected. But my school was fantastic at guiding me through it, and once it was done, I had a professional credential that opens doors across the Gulf. Worth the effort completely."
"School finishes at 2:30. Beach by 4 in December. Oman for long weekends. Tokyo for half-term. The UAE’s location and my salary make travel genuinely effortless for the first time in my teaching career."
"I moved to Sharjah and commute to my Dubai school. Saves me AED 4,000/month on rent. Yes, the drive can be slow. Yes, there’s no beer. But I send home $2,500 USD every month. The maths isn’t complicated."
"My students are brilliant. 15 nationalities in one class. They take learning seriously because their parents pay for it and they know it. Teaching in a genuinely excellent school with genuinely motivated students — this is what I came to teaching to do."
Ready to teach English abroad?
The UAE is one of the world’s most financially rewarding TEFL destinations. TEFL Heaven places teachers across Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America — browse our full program range to find your best fit.
TEFL Heaven · Placing teachers abroad since 2007 · 3,000+ teachers placed worldwide