Asmaa had been working in midwifery for six years when she shared her story with us in 2016, in a placement at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai.
A Belgian with Moroccan roots, Asmaa grew up in a modest family with her two sisters and two brothers, and is is a real family person.
Why Asmaa loves her role as a midwife
“I am a midwife because I love helping couples and supporting them during childbirth, which I believe is a beautiful and unique moment in their lives.”
Why were you interested in moving to Dubai?
“I love adventure and don't really like a routine lifestyle; I like change. I was interested in relocating because I knew working in Dubai as a midwife would give me a lot of work experience. I was also interested in the culture and wanted to start a new chapter in my life.”
What do you think are the key benefits of living in Dubai?
“To gain experience! You learn to be more independent, mature, patient and get the opportunity to work with people from different nationalities and cultures. You start to learn about yourself and grow as a person.”
How do you find working as a midwife in Dubai compared to Belgium or other places you’ve worked?
“It has been a huge change for me. The management and hospital policies are different, as are the doctors and the way they work. I have found that midwifery in Dubai is more intervention-based compared to Belgium. There are less natural births in Dubai.”
What would you tell another midwife who is thinking of relocating to Dubai?
“I would tell them that if you really want to discover something new and you’re not afraid of a challenge, then to go for it.
The first months will be difficult because of the stress. You have to adjust and that will take a lot of your energy. Being without your relatives is also hard in the beginning but you get used to it. It is very important to be open and social with the people around you because the friends and colleagues you make will help you through a lot of things in your daily life. They will be like your little Dubai-family.
“What was also very hard for me in the beginning was to be without a car. Taking the bus and the metro in this weather (45 degrees Celsius) was a challenge, and taxis are expensive if you use them often. So once I earned some money, I easily found a car and had much more freedom to discover Dubai in a comfortable way.”
What have you discovered since your relocation?
“I was actually nicely surprised by how lovely, kind and helpful people are.”
What is your typical day?
“When I am on duty on a day-shift:
- I wake up at 6am, shower and breakfast.
- At 6.25am I drive to work and I am there in fifteen minutes. I like to be early so I don’t have to rush.
- My shift starts at 7am and ends at 7pm.
- I drive home, have a shower, eat something and chat with my family via Skype or just relax.
“If I am off, I usually sleep in the morning. Once I wake up, I go to the beach. In the evening I go for dinner or a drink with some colleagues. There are plenty of things to do in Dubai until the late evening. I still feel like I need to discover Dubai, as I have just started to settle in and feel comfortable in this city.”
How would you rate the support you received from Medacs Healthcare?
“The whole Medacs Healthcare team was very good with me. They were very helpful and every step was explained. As a result, everything went smoothly with my move. Because my English was not that good, I gained a lot of support from the whole team. It was really nice to prepare my relocation with them. If I was not sure about something, I always received comfort and support. I will definitely recommend the Medacs Healthcare team for this kind of relocation.”
Are you interested in working in the Middle East? Please visit our Middle East nursing and midwifery jobs page for the latest jobs and more information about living in the Middle East.
Originally published: September 2016.
