From a small Belarusian city to Dubai: Anastasia Rebko went from an English teacher to a flight attendant in 2.5 years, visited 45 countries and faced the realities of the city of skyscrapers. This interview is about working at Emirates and living in Dubai uncut.
Out of 150 girls, 25 passed the final selection.
Education and job change
— My name is Anastasia Rebko. I am 27 years old. I was born in the small Belarusian town of Rogachev. I have been living in Dubai for the last 2.5 years.
I graduated from high school with a gold medal and studied for 5 years at the Belarusian State University at the Faculty of Philology. By education, I am a philologist, teacher, translator. I studied on a budget, so I legally worked my two years at BSEU as an English teacher.
At school, I never thought that I would be a teacher. Even when I entered, I dreamed of being only a translator. But from the first year I started working as a tutor and got so involved that I did not consider working hard labor. Working as a teacher brought me only positive emotions and pleasure. I realized then for myself that, probably, teaching is in my blood.
However, unfortunately, I cannot say that we have compiled an English language program for students at school and students in the best way. The main focus is on exam preparation, topics, etc., rather than teaching communication in a foreign language. I don’t like this approach, I don’t see the point in it. In short, I started thinking about changing jobs.
In 2021, I went to Egypt for the summer to work at a hotel, and when I returned, I slowly began to look for a more substantial job. I tried to consider options in the IT field or positions with possible relocation. Already from school, I felt that I was being called abroad.
The path to the profession of flight attendant and the selection process
— At that time, there was a recruitment process for the Belavia airline, but I did not go there for health reasons (I have poor eyesight, and I wear glasses). One day I saw an advertisement on Instagram about recruiting flight attendants at Emirates, and some agency was recruiting. At that time, this advertisement seemed to me to be some kind of fraud.
I doubted for a long time, but after searching the Internet, I found positive reviews about the agency and decided to try it. So, I will tell you a little about my experience of selection for the role of a flight attendant in Dubai three years ago (this was the first recruitment in Belarus after Covid).
As far as I understand, there are two ways to apply: directly from Belarus through an agency that cooperates with the Emirates HR department, or come to the Open Day. I know from my friend’s experience that you can come to any country where you spend such days, sign up and be interviewed there. I went through all the stages through the agency. Although they try to do everything as close as possible to what they do at the Emirates selection, this process took us much longer.
The first thing you need to do is send a resume. The criteria were as follows: age over 21 years, height at least 165 cm, weight corresponding to height, good looks, good knowledge of English, work experience in the service sector, higher education. In all respects, I was suitable, the only thing was that I was not sure about my appearance (for some reason it seemed to me that they needed supermodels).
A week or two after submitting my resume, I got a call back and was invited to come for an interview with an agency representative. The interview is conducted in English with fairly typical questions for such an event. After a week or two, I was invited to the next stage – a group interview.
At this stage, it was necessary to come made up (with red lipstick, of course), with a bun hairstyle, in a black pencil skirt, white blouse and jacket, necessarily in high-heeled shoes. Before the interview, we (150 people after the first stage) were divided into groups of 10 people, and each group came at the allotted time. Representatives of the agency evaluate not only how you go through the interview itself, but also watch surreptitiously how you communicate with other girls during breaks.
We were given tasks for groups of 3 people, as well as for all 10. Tasks like: you have only one dish left, who will you give it to — a pregnant woman, an elderly man, a child or a blogger. In fact, there is no correct answer in such tasks — they are given to test teamwork and the chain of reasoning; the ability to listen, agree or argue with each other without crossing the line of decency. The hardest part was the discussion of the task, when all 10 people had to be listened to in 3 minutes. As I understand it, you should not be silent, but it is also undesirable to draw all the attention to yourself. They like the golden mean.
This is followed by a written English language test. Considering that by that time I was on the same page with English and taught it to others, the test seemed very easy to me. After that, the results were announced to us, and some were sent home, while the rest were waiting for the next stage — an individual interview. This stage lasted from 9 a.m. to 4-5 p.m.
After 2 weeks, I got a call and was invited to the final selection. Out of 150 girls, 25 were selected for it. This stage consisted of an interview with an Emirates representative, where, among other things, our height and the ability to reach a certain height were measured.
3 weeks later, we received the so-called golden call when we received a call from Dubai congratulating us on the successful completion of the interview. Of the 25 at that time, 18 people had passed.
— In addition to all these interviews, we needed to take photos and upload them to the portal. The photo was supposed to be in a black pencil skirt, heels, a white blouse and a black jacket – all strictly business style, on a white background, full height to the waist and passport size. Her hair was supposed to be slicked into a bun, and her makeup was made to look like a stewardess with red lips.
And then there was the need to take photos, as if at home, in some more casual clothes. You could have done it in jeans, but they also had to have heels with a closed nose and some kind of dark-colored T-shirt without any large cutouts. My T-shirt was black.
In fact, it was not so easy to take such photos at home, because there was not enough light. So I had to go to my photographer friends who helped me with this task. I took photos in an official business style already in the studio.
After receiving the Golden Call, it was necessary to issue a lot of documents. We were given access to a website where we had to fill out information about ourselves, our parents, and so on. Then it was necessary to collect a folder of medical documents: go through a therapist, dentist, get a certificate of vaccinations, and so on. Plus, to answer 300 questions about health.
Everyone is given time for this preparation, but its amount is unpredictable: someone is given two weeks – I was given a month.
As a result, the process turned out to be as follows: I submitted my resume in early-mid-November, at the end of December I received a Golden Call, and at the end of January I left for Dubai.
— After I arrived in Dubai, there were several meetings where we were told what to expect and what would happen next. It was necessary to go through the doctors again, and then it was time for training. It lasted two months: we went to college, studied safety, medicine and the rules of the company’s service.
We’ve done quite a lot of work, and I can’t say it was very easy. This also applies to vocabulary: although I am an English teacher, the aviation dictionary was still something completely new. However, after a while, it gets easier.
Our salary is divided into two parts: there is a fixed salary under the contract, and then there is a salary that depends on the flight hours (that is, the payment is for every hour). Plus, we are given business trips if we stay in some other country for a vacation after the flight.
I usually have 6-8 flights a month.
A typical flight attendant’s working day
— I usually get up an hour before the time when I need to be at work. I need half an hour to wash my face, comb my hair and put on makeup. I often don’t eat before the flight, I only drink yogurt. It takes half an hour to get on the road. If the flight is on a business trip, then I pack my suitcase in advance; I also prepare the form in advance. To get to work, I use a work bus, which usually picks up flight attendants from the dormitories (I drive up to them in 2 minutes by taxi).
Upon arrival at work, I check in for a flight and go to the briefing room: usually before each flight we meet and discuss its details for half an hour (the specifics of the aircraft, service, some nuances and, if there are any comments about passengers); we check the documents necessary for the flight, and always ask one the question is about safety knowledge. After that, we go to the plane. Before the flight, we check if everything is clean, if everything is working, if everything is in place. Well, then the flight and duties on board begin.
If the flight is short, then we immediately return back to Dubai, making another flight, and if it is long, then we stay in the country where we arrived, on vacation. Often we are given a day to rest, but, of course, it all depends on the length of the flight and the country. The hotel is rented to us by a company.
I usually have 6-8 flights per month (it all depends on the length of the flight). You often get used to flying over time, and you try to adjust sleep for work. Of course, night flights are very exhausting and wear out the body, but I have already worked out a sleep pattern for different departure times, so it’s much easier now. I only have jetlag when I fly to New Zealand, as there is a very big time difference. But even there, if everything is calculated correctly and you sleep according to Dubai time, then there is no jetlag on arrival back.
Over time, you learn to understand when it’s not worth sacrificing your body to go for a walk in a new country. And there are not so many of them left.
Sometimes I don’t see my husband for 10-14 days.
The pros and cons of working as a flight attendant at Emirates
If you are optimistic, you can find many advantages in our work:
- The salary is several times higher than in Belarus, in almost any profession. Therefore, the quality of life has changed a lot. And now, when I come home, the prices are not noticeable at all.
- The company pays for your travel, roughly speaking, all over the world. We always stay in 4-5 star hotels, where we usually get a discount on food. If you plan your dream well, you can go out and see the city. So, for example, I have visited 45 countries, and if you add up all the flights, then in I stayed in New Zealand for more than a week, about 5 days in Brazil, etc.
- We have a lot of so-called buns: discounted tickets (I buy tickets for myself for 20% of the cost: 10% for the ticket itself and about 10% tax). My discount applies to my close relatives, so taking my sister on a flight is not such a problem if you don’t need a visa. I can only buy 4 tickets for close relatives at this price per year, but this is more than enough. Another bonus is discounts in restaurants and various places: I pay around $ 8 a month for a discount card, which I use to get up to 50% in restaurants (which is very good, knowing the prices); discounts also apply to various activities such as an aquapark or climbing the Burj Khalifa. Another bonus is free admission to gyms and swimming pools.
- In addition, the company pays for our accommodation in Dubai. At first, everyone is given a dormitory, but it is not the same as we had when we were students. It looks more like a two-room or three-room apartment: each girl has a room, a shared kitchen, a washing machine and a living room. There is a toilet in every room. Also, at the very beginning, we had a starter kit, where there was almost everything we needed to start a new life (bed linen, blankets, pillows, towels, dishes, even toothpaste and a brush).
- We have 30 days of vacation a year, but the advantage is that I can split it into any number of segments: I can take two for 15 days, or 6 for 5 days. Sometimes you are also lucky, and you can get 5 days off in a row (I usually go home on such weekends, and leave my vacation to rest).
- Every flight I meet new and interesting people: This can be either a passenger or a colleague. There are so many cool life stories to hear. And now, with the transition to business class, you can also meet influential people. So one day Chris Hemsworth (who played Thor) flew with us on a flight from Australia.
- I don‘t have to think every day about what to wear to work, because the company provides all the uniforms; I only stock up on tights upon arrival home.
- We have insurance from the company and even a separate clinic where you can go in case of illness — going to the doctor without insurance is not a very cheap pleasure.
- Thanks to my job, I can buy groceries and clothes anywhere in the world. So, for example, all my pasta is from Italy, I bring meat from South Africa, I buy vitamins in Australia, I bring milk and dumplings from Russia, fruits from Asian countries according to the season. The products and quality are better, and it will be cheaper, so it turns out to save on this.
- In the summer, when it is incredibly hot in Dubai, I fly for half a month, where the climate is milder, cooler and more greenery. By the way, about greenery, at first there were very few parks, forests, meadows, but then I began to enjoy it during my stay in another country and appreciate diversity.
- Before working in a multicultural company, I had a lot of stereotypes about different nationalities: of course, some of them are confirmed, but many have nothing to do with reality. Therefore, now I am trying to educate my environment on this matter. I think it’s important. In general, work makes me more adaptable to different people and their behavior.
Disadvantages of the work:
- The first year of work was difficult for me personally, not in terms of workload, but in terms of health. My immune system has dropped a lot. And I was sick every 2 months. Considering that at some point the masks were canceled, I was even afraid to walk around the plane if I heard a cough somewhere. After all, this is a closed space for several hours, and if there is a patient, and your immune system is not strong, it results in illness.
- I got a job right after covid, there weren’t enough people, and we worked very hard. For comparison, in the first year I had about 120 flight hours every month, now even more than 85 — very rarely. Accordingly, there were fewer days off, and you could relax less often, especially if you want to have time to walk around a new country. I had a chronic lack of sleep, and because of this the whole body suffers, including the psyche.
- It was difficult to get used to the fact that it is very hot in summer, and, accordingly, during this period I practically do not go outside.
- You are constantly away from home and miss important family events. It is not always possible to come for mom’s anniversary or for the New Year. It is no longer possible to eat fruits and vegetables from my grandmother’s garden all summer. If something happens, the most I can help is to call in zoom, support with words, or send the necessary medicines directly from the manufacturer’s country; but you are never around. And besides, you’re just bored. In the last year, I have been trying to come at least once every two or three months, or I invite you to come to me. The value of a family has increased a lot with distance.
- Building a family, and even more so some kind of romantic relationship, is not very easy when you are constantly on the move, at least for me. So sometimes I don’t see my husband for 10-14 days. I see some of my friends every 3-4 months, and that’s because we have different schedules.
- Looking at my colleagues, I see that many people get stuck in this job, because you get used to the standard of living, and then it’s difficult to find another job that brings the same income and bonuses. To tell the truth, I sometimes catch myself thinking, but what’s next? And I’m very scared, despite the fact that I have a plan B in the form of an English tutor (something that I’m good at and that I enjoyed).
- I’ve always wanted to have a dog, but even now it’s hard for me to afford it with my schedule and lifestyle.
- Work is directly related to people And as everyone knows, people can sometimes be rude, demanding and just not behave in the most pleasant and appropriate way. Therefore, even if the flight is easy, but there is at least one such interesting character, not only the mood will be spoiled, but also all nerves will be exhausted. Also, sometimes you can not get along with colleagues, and you can’t run away anywhere — you have to work.
Dubai is not always about high salaries and a glamorous life.
Legalization in Dubai
Now I will tell you what I know about legalization and obtaining permanent residence in Dubai. As far as I understand, it is not so difficult to move to this Emirate, although I may be wrong. For example, Belarusians can stay here without a visa for 30 days, then leave for a day and return for the same amount.
There are several types of visas, but the most common is work visas. It seems to me that about 80% of foreigners who are not tourists live here according to it. Usually, the company that offers the job takes care of the visa processing. This applies not only to airlines, but also to beauty salons, hotels, mobile phone shops and many other areas. Often companies also provide a free ticket home once a year. There are different ways with housing: some employers provide it, some do not.
A work visa is usually issued for three years, then it needs to be extended. In our company, it seems, this is done automatically when the contract is extended.
I think the most difficult thing is to find a job that you like. And here I would like to take off the rose-colored glasses from those who dream of living in Dubai after watching beautiful photos on Instagram. It’s not always super-high salaries and a glamorous life. Yes, as a flight attendant, my salary is good, but many other specialists earn many times less. At the same time, housing, food — everything is expensive here.
I know people who work in hotels at the reception for 7 thousand dirhams, without paying for accommodation and travel. Half of the salary goes to rent, and what remains? Three thousand, which is very difficult to live on in Dubai.
In general, the Internet does not always reflect reality. And before you move, you need to think about everything carefully.
Prices in Dubai
Summary of prices in Dubai:
- Manicurein a regular salon, it costs around 150-200 AED ($40—$55); if you do it in a Russian salon, where the quality and appearance of nails are much higher, the amount will grow to 250-300 AED ($68—$80).
- Mobile Internet: personally, I have 16 GB for a month, and I pay for a subscription fee of 120-150 AED, but I connected using the tariff for Emirates employees. In principle, it’s enough for me, considering that there is Wi-Fi at home. We have unlimited home Internet — we pay about 200 AED per month.
- Appliances: A new refrigerator costs from 700 AED ($190), a washing machine — the same amount, an electric stove — from 800 AED.
- Gasoline: for clarity, I gave 100 AED (~$27) for a full tank of a small Kia.
- I’ve been renting a car lately, as ours was flooded by spring rains. Rent per day costs 130 AED, including fuel and parking. I pay 50-70 AED for a taxi ride from home to the airport.
- To ride the subway, you can buy a card and top it up: depending on the number of stations, you will get from 3 to 9 AED for travel.
- Clothes: it all depends on the store and the shopping center. For example, there are many places with the price of shoes starting from $2000, but I don’t go to such places. In stores like Mango, Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, prices are slightly higher than in Minsk. One of my recent purchases in Dubai is a denim long skirt for 120 AED ($32). But mostly I buy clothes in other countries (recently I went to a Uniqlo store in Vietnam, spent 500 dirhams, with which I bought 8 things.
- Products: As I said, I buy most of the products in other countries. So, I spent 350 AED ($95) in South Africa, for which I bought about 5 kg. beef in various forms, 1 kg of ostrich meat, 3 liters of juice, milk, 1 liter of yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and a couple more small things. At such moments, the difference is very much felt. I can say for sure that it is expensive to buy berries in Dubai, and most fruits, which at the same time will not be the most delicious. Most often in Dubai I buy chicken, milk, eggs, bread and vegetables.
I’m attaching screenshots from a local app — plus or minus the same prices in stores.
Dubai is the most expensive emirate in terms of housing.
Real estate and rentals
— Our company provides housing for employees, but if you bought an apartment for yourself or got married, then the company issues some amount for rent. My husband and I rent a one-bedroom apartment, although here it is more like our euro—two-bedroom apartment – a separate bedroom and a living room with a kitchen.
Rental prices are usually indicated per year. In the very center, a one—bedroom apartment costs from 120,000 dirhams ($32,675) per year, closer to the outskirts – about 100,000 ($27,230). We live, one might say, in the desert, but the area is good, with developed infrastructure. Prices here start at 55,000 dirhams ($15,000) per year.
There are areas where you can find housing for 30,000 dirhams a year, but this is either the border with Sharjah, or industrial zones where the working class often lives, and apartments there are divided into several people. That is, these are quite crowded areas.
It is important to understand that not all employees in Dubai can afford to rent a separate apartment. Those who earn 4-5 thousand dirhams or less often live for 8 people in one room. There are even special apartments with small rooms. I’ve seen them in the Deira area.
Some of my colleagues, especially family ones, live in Sharjah, where prices are almost twice as low. But there is a problem with traffic jams — you can stand for two hours in the morning and evening.
In general, Dubai is the most expensive emirate in terms of housing. Even in the capital, Abu Dhabi, rent is cheaper.
As for the search for housing, it is enough, but it is difficult to choose. We searched for about a month. Almost everything goes through agents, and there seem to be more of them here than ordinary people! However, they do not work the same way as in Minsk. Here we were looking for an apartment ourselves, and the agent appeared at the end and took 3% of the cost for signing the contract. The experience is not very pleasant, and as I understand it, finding a good real estate agent is a huge problem in Dubai.
Before the meeting, you need to know that the payment is not monthly, but in checks, usually 3 months in advance. Plus, you need about 5000 dirhams for deposits and account opening. The communal fee is usually 200-300 dirhams per month.
If you sum it up, then for a comfortable life (not in the center) you need about 10,000 dirhams (~$2,700) per month. This includes rent, communal services, groceries, gasoline and several outings with friends. It may even be possible to postpone it a little. Of course, you can save money on housing by choosing something simpler or living with someone. Then a smaller salary will be enough.
Dubai is a pretty silicon city, in my opinion.
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Dubai
— The biggest disadvantage of Dubai is the incredibly hot summer. At this time, it is almost impossible to go outside during the day, only at night. At home, you have to constantly use air conditioning, which increases utility bills and affects your health. The air conditioner strongly dehumidifies the air, which causes the nose, lips and skin in general to dry out.
Another problem is the water quality. It is desalinated, that is, it is taken from the sea and purified from salt. The quality leaves much to be desired. I put filters on the shower to wash with more or less clean water, otherwise my hair would fall out a lot. We prepare tea and food only from bottled water.
In recent years, heavy rains have begun to occur in winter. This usually happens somewhere from February to April, and they last a day or two. But the city is completely unprepared for such heavy rains — there is no normal drainage system. As a result, there are real floods. This year, for example, it rained for three days, and the city was flooded so that roads were cleared for several months. Two floors of the underground parking lot were flooded in our building, and there was ankle-deep water around the house.
Of course, it is impossible not to mention the prices. They are simply cosmic here, especially in restaurants. For a regular lunch with meat, side dish and salad, you can pay about 200 dirhams per person (about $ 50), and this is considered the norm. When you first arrive, it’s shocking, but you get used to it over time.
Housing is also very expensive. We pay a thousand dollars a month to rent an apartment, which is just incredible for me. It is also very difficult to buy your own home, you will have to save up.
For me personally, another disadvantage is the lack of real nature. I really miss the greenery. parks, forests. Dubai seems to me somehow unnatural, very pretentious. Many people try to show off here, especially tourists. Even among those who came to work, half are trying to show that they are “in Dubai”. The city seems to me to be somehow silicone, unreal.
But there are also advantages, of course. The main one is security. Here you can not be afraid to walk the streets at night. You can leave your phone on the table in the food court to take a seat and go for a meal — no one will take it. On the beach, too, you can not worry about your belongings.
Another big plus is the absence of income tax. Our salary is not taxed, unlike in many European countries. The only thing that is available is 5% VAT when paying in shops and restaurants.
Many people come here to open a business. I don’t know much about it, but they say it’s not too difficult.
And, of course, work is a huge plus. It brings good money and gives various bonuses, which I have already told you about earlier.
Leisure and favorite places in the UAE
— One of my main hobbies is beach volleyball. I often play at Kite Beach, where there are special volleyball courts. A lot of teams gather there, they have WhatsApp chats where you can book a place for the game.
Actually, I have a lot of hobbies, but most of them are “homemade”. This is due to the fact that it is very hot here in summer, so I prefer indoor classes. I’m learning new languages, doing photo editing, blogging — all this can be done at home and outdoors, but in summer, of course, it’s more comfortable inside.
I also have access to the health center using my work card. There is a gym and various activities: singing, dancing, stretching, boxing and other workouts. You can attend any class for free, which I really like, because I love variety.
With friends, we try to explore new places in the city. However, it is difficult for me to recommend anything specifically, especially restaurants. We have corporate discounts, so what we think is normal in price may be expensive for others.
I’m not one of those people who goes to the Burj Khalifa every weekend. I only go there when there are guests who have never been to Dubai before.
I like interactive entertainment and amusement parks. For example, IMG Worlds is an indoor amusement park, and Motiongate is an open—air park. In winter, it is very pleasant to walk in Riverland — this is a place stylized as a French village where you can walk along the river.
My friends and I also like to travel outside of Dubai. We really like Hatta — a beautiful lake in the mountains. We went to other Emirates: Ras al Khaimah, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain. There’s a completely different atmosphere, more relaxed. Even in Abu Dhabi there are fewer tourists, the restaurants are not so crowded, and the prices are lower. These trips provide an opportunity to see the other side of the UAE, which is not as touristic and noisy as Dubai.
Tips for those who want to move to Dubai
— First of all, I advise those who are going to move to Dubai to learn as much as possible about this city from realistic sources. Don’t limit yourself to beautiful blogs where girls go to parties in expensive dresses. Find out how much housing, rent, and transportation costs. Figure out if you can afford such expenses. When I came here, all I knew about Dubai was that the Burj Khalifa stands here, and a lot of things came as a shock to me.
If you are going to look for a job, and not under contract, make sure that you have enough money for the first time. You need to live on something and rent a place while you are looking for a job. This may seem obvious, but some people forget about it. When choosing a job, try to make it cover most of your expenses and allow you to save something.
And one more thing: you should not expect that you will come and immediately find a rich man who will provide for you. Yes, it happens, but it’s the exception rather than the rule.
I want to tell you about bank cards separately. There are debit and credit cards in Dubai. Debit card is the one that the salary comes to, that is, your real money is there. A credit card is a card that does not have your money on it, you take it on credit from a bank. Many people start using a credit card and forget that it’s not real money, and end up in debt.
I got a credit card not because I don’t have enough money, but for safety while traveling. If the card is stolen, it will be a card without money. In addition, it is easier to deal with a credit card at the bank if there are problems with transactions.
Now about the scammers. In Dubai, they are very cunning, especially on the phone. They may introduce themselves as bank or police officers and ask to confirm your card details. Never provide the card number, expiration date, and CVV code over the phone. My friend was robbed of 7000 dirhams (about 1,900 dollars).
If you get a call allegedly from a bank or the police, it’s better to just hang up and call the bank yourself at the official number. The police usually cannot help in case of fraud, since you gave out the information yourself.
New types of fraud have also appeared. For example, they can send an SMS with a link, as if from a bank. Do not click on such links. Or they can go home pretending to be bank employees. Real representatives of the bank or the police will never do that.
Most often, such tricks come across people who have just arrived in Dubai and do not yet know about these schemes. Be careful and vigilant.
Otherwise, if you really want something, be sure to follow the dream: if you follow it, you will definitely come. It would seem that everything sounds so simple, but few people use it.
Author
Yulia Yanukovych Editor-in-Chief
I am responsible for the work of the editorial office. I write expert interviews and guides.
English 
Russian 
German 
Polish