Roberta, originally from Brazil, always dreamed of an international career. At an early age, she began to study English and look for opportunities to pursue her dream. Here, she shares her experience of relocating two years ago, through her company, from São Paulo to Dubai, with her now 7-year-old daughter and husband.
Expat Bio:
Name: Roberta Monteiro Magalhães
Born in: Santo André, SP, Brazil
Years living abroad: 2 years
Cities & Countries you have lived: São Paulo, Brasil & Dubai, UAE
Current city: Dubai, UAE
Current company: Marsh / Multinational Client Leader, Middle East & Africa, VP
What motivated you to embark on the expat journey?
I always dreamed about an international career. I started studying English when I was a kid, fell in love with the language and started looking for job opportunities where I could use everything I had learned. When I entered the insurance market, I realized that the leaders I most admired had a more open mind and also had an international work experience. After 7 years working for Marsh , I felt I was ready to transition my career and I started looking for opportunities abroad within the company.
Could you share how you and your family prepared for this international adventure?
When the long-awaited invitation arrived, it was a mix of feelings, as we had only 7 weeks to prepare for moving to another country. We started watching Dubai documentaries, looking for contacts of people in Dubai through social media networks, researching apartments, schools and everything else. On the other hand, we were also worried about the adaptation of my daughter who was 5 years old at the time and didn't speak any English. I quickly hired a private English teacher so that she would arrive in Dubai knowing the basic phrases to survive .
How has your family's dynamic evolved since moving to Dubai?
The first three months are the most difficult in my opinion. Adaptation in professional and personal aspects are challenging. The climate, the culture, the food, the language, new friends, new habits, new address, everything is a great learning experience. But fearing the new and facing it together as a family made us grow a lot and I can say that today we are even closer and attached to each other than we were in Brazil.
What aspects of life in Dubai hold a special place for you?
Without a doubt, safety and the way people are respected here have a special place in my heart. Dubai is a cosmopolitan city, with many ethnicities, cultures and religions, everyone is respected and everyone has their own space here.
What surprised you about life in Dubai?
The way women are treated here really surprised me. Contrary to what I thought, women are treated with great care and respect here. In the subway there are special “ cars” just for women and children if you want to feel more comfortable and safe. In the supermarket there is always someone packing the bags for you. The woman can take a taxi, Uber alone or late at night and nobody will bother you. The city is extremely safe.
Could you describe the primary hurdles you encountered during your time abroad?
I think one of the most difficult challenges we had was with the driving license. Brazilian's driving license is not valid here and we had to go through all the driving classes again. The process is super long, expensive and bureaucratic. Buying a car and opening a bank account are also complex processes.
Another obstacle was finding a place to live without knowing the city. It was super difficult to choose a place without knowing the dynamics of your new life
What valuable learnings would you hope your daughter gains from this experience?
After 2 and a half years living in Dubai, I can say that my daughter is already a different child. In addition to the languages she is learning (English, French and Arabic), she made friends from different parts of the world, started to be interested in geography and see where her friends come from on a map. She gets to see the world from a very young age and she is developing different perspectives. Also, I can see that she is being extremely mindful about others.
For those contemplating expat life, what advice would you offer to navigate the transition?
Living overseas can offer new opportunities, new lifestyles, new careers and a new direction. I would recommend researching a lot about the place, if possible visit it before, understand the customs and life there. It is important to talk to an expatriate who lives there, as the native's point of view may be different from that of the expatriate. Research accommodation, health plans, retirement, income tax, cost of living, make calculations, learn the local language spoken in the country. Compare your current situation with the expatriate proposal and see if it is worth it from a financial point of view, because for the personal aspect it will always be very worthwhile.
Roberta's experience shows us that there are many surprises as an expat. Some, unfortunately, we have to go through, usually the bureaucratic processes such as opening accounts and getting a driver's license. However, overall, the outcomes are positive, like the family creating stronger bonds.
Stay tuned for the next Crossing Roots!
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