Interview: Dave Crane – UAE

Hypnotist, Journalist, MC, Facilitator… meet the many faces of British black expat Dave Crane.

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Describe your first trip abroad.
I think it was a trip to Nevis in the West Indies to meet hundreds of cousins, aunts, uncles etc. There were so many. And the spooky thing having grown up as a small family in the UK was that they all looked like me! I remember making great friends with a kid called Kevin Slavin from the Bronx. His parents were rich and owned a huge plot of land where I stayed. We kept in contact a bit (it was in the days of snail mail) but lost contact after about a year. Maybe he’s on Facebook? Probably a drug baron or pimp by now. Maybe he’s a doctor.

When did you realize that you had the Expat bug?
I first realised that I had the expat bug when I became completely disillusioned with life in the UK. I was a freelance journalist at the BBC and had been for 3 years with much less talented people leap-frogging over me for staff jobs, despite me getting commendations from the head of BBC for some of my work. Even for ‘blacks only’ ones. I’d just won a national TV competition (Blind Date Xmas Show- 20 million viewers!!! and been shortlisted for several top presenters jobs. Then they all fell through. I realised that living in the North East of England was too far from the real action in London. After several job interviews in London, I also came to the conclusion that it was too cold and impersonal for me too. Then my parents decided to emigrate and I thought it was a wonderful idea and beat them to the airport. First place was Dubai and I have been here ever since (14 years).

… That you wanted to live abroad?
It wasn’t the abroad bit that gave me a buzz. I was disappointed in the UK and how it was treating me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fiercely proud to be a Brit, I just don’t want to live there anymore.

Where were you born and in which countries have you lived?
I was born in Leeds, England and I’ve only ever been based in the UK even though I have travelled with university and work. I also spent most of my childhood in Troon in Scotland. I moved to Dubai when I was 27 and travelled extensively, working in places as diverse as Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, Johannesburg, The Maldives and Mumbai.

On stage with The Dave Crane Hypnosis Show and 3 willing volunteers

What has been your most enlightening experience while living abroad?
Lots of them come to mind. Opening Planet Hollywood Dubai with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Wesley Snipes and Amitabh Bachchan was brilliant. Interviewing James Brown and opening up for him onstage was incredible. I also got a buzz out of hypnotising Bollywood legends Hritik Roshan, Simi Garewell and Pooja Bedi at Sanjay Khan’s house in India. There are so many really. I got a buzz going from ignored at the BBC to being station manager of the UAE’s biggest radio station but more than any of that, I just love being happy with my family, my challenging work and the sunshining every day (it does in Dubai).

What has been your most disheartening experience while living abroad?
As a Life Designer, I use NLP to help people turn around negative experiences and make them positive. I had a tough year losing my job and finding out my then fiancée was cheating on me. After the initial period, I became a hypnotist and now I’m happily married to the beautiful Azizah. All thanks to that disheartening experience. If it had been any less painful, I might still be there living a lie now.

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What customs have you adopted in your new country?
I have great respect for the host nation in respect to certain Islamic values (very conservative). Saying this you can party 7 days per week and drink in some of the coolest bars in the Middle East. What’s not to love?

Which customs from home do you miss the most?
Saturday night pub crawl with my mates. Here it is on a Thursday instead! Tee hee.

How important is knowing the local language?
In Dubai, there are definitely advantages in speaking Arabic, but as everything is done in English (the world’s first choice business language) there are no worries about getting things done. With over 200 different nationalities living here, there are so many versions of Arabic even the arabs have problems understanding each other’s dialects.

Dave with mic in hand is a familiar sight at UAE sports events

Do you have proficiency in the local language?
No I don’t. I’m not great at languages, but in 14 years, I have never had a problem getting my message across.

How have you gone about making friends?
Radio helped a lot. I ended up with thousands. When I went through getting fired from one position (apparently I was being paid too much) I lost contact with the media industry who were either too busy to say ‘hi’ or didn’t see the value in my input any more. I realised then who my true friends were. These were normal people without any interest in the celebrity lifestyle who wanted to be my friend because I was a nice bloke – nothing else. It taught me a lot and I don’t DO ‘acquaintances’ any more. As a third of Dubai leaves every year it has been hard to stay in contact with many of my oldest friends. That was until along came Facebook…

How do you keep in touch with family and friends from home?
My parents live with me in Dubai and my best friends email or come out and visit. Those who don’t don’t. It’s as simple as that. The most bizarre thing about meeting old friends was when I looked up Stuart Knox, my oldest childhood friend from being 4 years old in Scotland, you’ll never guess what he does for a living now? Stage hypnotist and therapist – same as me! What are the odds of that happening?

How hard is it to find a good place to live?
Dubai is getting more expensive, plus the additional like school fees and rent are stupidly large. I live in Sharjah, just outside of Dubai which is cheaper and as I keep non-office hours, I have no commuter issues. So it’s just right for me.

What goals have you achieved while living abroad?
Difficult to say. I’ve got what I wanted from radio, been a top club DJ, workd with many famous people, presented on TV and now managed to create a career that will challenge and reward me for the next 40 years. I know I would never have had the chance to do this in the UK. It is such a closed shop or at least when I wanted in. I have also got a whole range of friends from lots of countries. When we go out it is like an advert for the United Nations. Oh I married a Singaporean and so I get lots of lovely spicy exotic dishes too.

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What has living abroad taught you about yourself?
I am a proud black Brit. At one stage in UAE, I was described as ‘the best known white face in Dubai’ because of my prominence amongst the expats. It still makes me laugh. I guess living abroad has taught me to enjoy the cultural differences and to stop judging people. When I lived in the UK I could never understand how we could be beaten at football by so many foreign teams. Now I know that they couldn’t give a shit as much as we do and they train their players for success better. I have no doubt that Britain (and Europe) will continue to suffer a brain-drain of talent unless it starts giving people the chances to succeed at home. I wouldn’t go back though.

What would you say to a friend or relative who is considering moving abroad?
Just do it. What’s the worst that can happen? You can always go home and 3 years later no-one will have moved from their favourite seat in the pub. You never know – you might even like it.

If you have moved home after living abroad how was the transition?
If you see me back home, it’ll probably be in a wooden box. I’d never fit in back home. I’ve seen too much and believe in success. Look at the building work in Dubai (Burj Al Arab 7 star hotel, indoor ski slopes, Dubai Land, the world’s first underwater hotel etc). In the UK, we attempted the Millenium dome and messed it up. I don’t take ‘no’ or ‘can’t be done’ as an answer. It just means that the person in front of you doesn’t know how to do it.

left: Hydropolis underwater hotel, center: Burj Al Arab Hotel, right: Ski Dubai's indoor slope

Do you consider yourself a permanent, temporary or incidental expatriate?
Permanent.

… And why?
I have the whole world to play with. Great weather, tax free and happy smiling faces. Why would I want to have to worry about politicians, scandals and crime levels?

How has your life as an expatriate changed who you are?
I believe in me and in the potential of everyone else. I help to life design and transform thousands of people’s lives with my sessions across the globe. Before leaving, my world was as only big as one country.

Do Blacks (or foreigners in general) in your view have any problems with adjustment or discrimination?
It depends on who they are, what they want and where they go. Anyone expecting a handout will find it difficult anywhere. If you have an idea of what you’d like to achieve and you just need a ‘level playing field’ and an equal opportunity to do well, then you can excel in certain places where colour isn’t such an issue. Then again like Martin Luther King, Tiger Woods or Lewis Hamilton, you could just stay where you are and make a difference because of who you are. This makes it easier for the next generation, but tough for you until you win through.

I found that Dubai doesn’t have time for racism. It has lots of ‘other’ types of racism based on nationality and the subsequent invisible band of payment system, but I am not discriminated because I am black. People who feel that way, don’t last out here very long. Just keep an open mind wherever you go, realise that sometimes people don’t actually know any better, have patience and take a chill pill. Also be prepared to move on if you don’t get results over a realistic time period.

Will you describe the general composition of expat population (students, working, teachers, etc.)?
According to Wikipedia, here are the demographics of Dubai. Remember United Arab Emirates is the country, Abu Dhabi is the capital and Dubai is just the most famous emirate of the seven.

For a fuller breakdown click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai

Population (2008)^[2]
- Emirate	2,261,995
- Density	408.18/km² (1,057.2/sq mi)
- Metro	2,261,995
- Nationality ^[3]	42.3% Indian 17% Emirati 13.3% Pakistani 9.1% Arab (other) 7.5% Bangladeshi 10.8% Others

Living & Spending in Dubai

At the end of this section you will find a global Currency Converter to calculate costs.

Monthly rent:
This varies greatly but is on a par with most European cities.

Cost for meals:
McDonald’s will cost about 5 USD for a Big Mac Meal

Transportation costs:
Taxis and buses are cheap as is petrol and cars. There are huge problems with traffic jams and the government is building a monorail and canal system to coax people into public transport. There are now lots of electronic road tolls appearing. Building work is everywhere and it may never be finished due to the huge economic influence of the real estate market.

Compared to your home country are most things cheap/same/expensive?
Yes, compared to the UK, but then again I know where to shop. Overall I think it is cheaper.

Recommended monthly living budget:
Without an expat accommodation package, a single person will need about 5,000 USD to share rented accommodation and have a good life. School fees are extortionate and nice rental accommodation is always an issue.

How modern are basic amenities/infrastructure?
Improving all the time. It’s a third world country with more modern amenities than most western countries. The UAE is less than 40 years old so every year it is in flux and everything is led by business. This is good. It means that if you can make money through your skill set, you will get the chance to do so.

Any legal hurdles all foreigners have to face to live there?
Lots. Visa laws change al the time and as an Islamic country, western freedoms are not always accepted. Check with your embassy for more details. Luckily as such a huge percentage of the population are expat, the new rules usually make sense.

Top 3 things you would recommend someone to bring when they come:
3 months living expenses, a contact/friend to stay with and show them around and a good pair of sunglasses.

Top 3 things you would recommend for someone visiting or living here to do:
• Visit everything and get a good rounded view of what Dubai is about.
• Compare the earning potential of your job to what you need to survive in Dubai. Certain industries like nursing, teachers, labourers and the service industry predominately recruit from 3rd world countries to keep the wages down. Unless you are able to be a manager or work as a specialist/private contractor, it might not be cost effective for you.
• Think big picture. You can reinvent yourself and follow your dream. The first job is just to pay the rent.

Top 3 hangout places:
• Shopping malls. Mall of the Emirates is probably the best with a indoor ski slope. Here shopping is like a national sport. Beware, if like me you hate it.
• Get a Big Bus Company tour and have a guided tour whilst you look around all the new plans for the city. Dubailand (5 times the size of Disneyland), Marvel Comics Theme Park (one billion dollar investment) and Universal Studios are all on the way. Watch this space.
• The Irish Village pub. Near the airport and a great place for good food and drink as you take a break and get your bearings. Deira City Centre shopping mall is a short taxi ride away and then you can get a Big Bus tour. Simple?