u/Dylanschovell98

In September 2024 I decided to leave my home country, South Africa and embark on a new adventure as an expat teacher. I completed the interview process and got everything ready for this big move. It was my responsibility to pay for the travel costs however according to my contract and that which was negotiated in the interview, I would be compensated for the travel expenses. I arrived in Sharjah on September 27th 2024 and that would be the start of many unfortunate events that would unfold and completely disrupt and ruin my time in the UAE.

I was picked up from the airport that Friday morning and was taken to my accommodation. I was unfortunately presented with accommodation that was not to my standards however I was willing to give it a try seeing that this was a new chapter. Monday morning I got to my new school and was warmly greeted by management and staff but that was just a front for what was to come. After completing my first few weeks at the new school-pay day was approaching. Keeping in mind that this is my first pay check since arriving in the country and I invested a lot of money to move to the UAE. Unfortunately, I never got my salary.

The evening of our salary date, we received an email from our principal at the school apologising on behalf of management for the delay in salaries not being paid, but it will be paid in the following week. The following week came but we did not receive our salaries. This time there was no email explaining the delay. This continued for 3 month without salaries. I had no money left. All my savings were used to pay bills and my bills back home were pilling up as I could not afford to pay it after the first month of not being paid.

I sat in many meetings with HR and management regarding this issue because I did not leave South Africa to land into debt and suffer financially. I moved to the UAE for a better life and to set a better financial position for myself. My experience was a contradiction. They kept sharing excuses and that the matter will be resolved but I left the school in December 2024. I worked until the last day before the winter break. I left the school not receiving my reimbursements and salaries. They did not even process my Emirates ID and medical insurance but that’s a story for another day.

I sought help and assistance from various institutions like SPEA, Ministry of Education and MOHRE. MOHRE assisted to open a case. There were statements taken from me and the school and a settlement judgement was issued. The school had to pay my salaries but they did not. I phoned MOHRE again to inform them that the school did not adhere to the timeframe of the settlement but they could not do anything else about the settlement. They suggested I go to the labour courts. To cut a long story short, I did not receive a single penny from the school. The school is still operating and hiring teacher to this day and doing the very same thing but SPEA and other institutions are doing nothing to deal with the matter.

I have since decided to move back to South Africa because I had a lot of debt that needed attention and I was depressed. The UAE did nothing for me to bring the fulfilment that I initially moved to the UAE for and I needed to feel the security and financial stability that I knew back home.