XPAT VOICE is a community of trust dedicated to current, former and future expats worldwide.

Our guidlines ensure a respectful conduct in our members community and to ensure all information is of the highest quality at all times In essence Xpat Voice remains a special community for all its members

XPAT VOICE is a community mainly for expats living and working in the Middle East.

Our Guidelines ensure a respectful behavior in our community and offering professional event managements. This way XPAT VOICE gives support to all events held in the Middle East.

All the in-person and online get-togethers taking place within a XPAT VOICE Community are listed in the Events section. XPAT VOICE offers get-togethers where members can socialize in person with other native colleagues who share the same interests:

We are committed to ensuring our platform is a safe and genuine place for expats and global minds. Our community is growing each day, and our goal is to have an environment where people are respectful and treat one another fairly.

We ask you to help us make this community a great place for people to interact. Breaking our Networking Guidelines may result in your account being temporarily or even permanently deactivated.

Please respect the XPAT VOICE community!


Speak the Language!

  • English is the main language of XPAT VOICE — we don’t want language to be a reason to exclude anyone.
  • Members who would like to interact in another language can join one of the nationality or language-specific XPAT VOICE Groups.


Respect Boundaries

  • XPAT VOICE has an extremely diverse member base, including different cultures, religions, and languages. Please keep this in mind while networking and respect all members.
  • Take a balanced approach to networking. Consider other members’ perspectives and respect their boundaries.
  • We ask members to use our platform for its intended purpose; we’re not a database for promoting your business, recruiting, or finding a date.


Spamming

  • XPAT VOICE does not tolerate spam.
  • We define spam as content which is unsolicited, commercial, promotional, or impersonal.
  • Don’t send identical messages to multiple recipients.
  • When connecting with someone new, make sure you send a personalized message.


Be Genuine

  • Real respectable and polite at all times, with real names and pictures, help to ensure a community of trust.
  • We do allow members to utilise an avatar picture if they choose not to show real picture, however in doing so you will be exempt from certain facilities on the website to maintain security.
  • Fake or duplicated accounts are not accepted.
  • Using someone else’s information or intending to mislead other members with fake information will not be tolerated.

XPAT VOICE is a community of trust, dedicated to current, former and future expats worldwide.

Our Guidelines ensure a respectful conduct in our community and the high quality of information provided.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the XPAT VOICE content section! Below, you will find a number of guidelines and pointers to get you started with the process of getting your article published on XPAT VOICE.


Who can contribute?

To submit an article, please make sure you meet the following criteria

  • you are a XPAT VOICE member;
  • you are a current or former expat;
  • your written English is near native-speaker level;
  • you are not writing with the purpose of advertising a specific product or service.


What do we publish?

Content

Generally speaking, you can contribute to three distinct parts of our editorial content: the Current Events, the Future Events, and Our Magazine.

Current Events provides readers with factual information on a given city (from essentials like visas and housing to nice-to-haves like shopping or nightlife). Articles should be straightforward, matter-of-fact and slightly formal.

The Magazine can be informative or it can be an opportunity for members to share relevant and violable information as an expat in the Middle East. a Magazine article has to tell a story, referring to a specific topic.

Language and Style

Your post should correspond with relevant news or articles within the Local community and elsewhere in the world. All articles must be written in English and should be at least 500 words long.

The preferred writing style in our Local and Global Guides:

  • Factual Information
  • Neutral responsive Info
  • Benificial Information to the the Group Members

The preferred writing style in our Magazine:

  • more on the colloquial side and including some of your personal experiences
  • clear and easy to understand

Images

Each article page needs at least one picture. If you want to provide us with a picture to accompany your article, please take note of the following:

Size & Format

  • The minimum size for pictures is 1956 x 954 pixels.
  • The picture must be in landscape format, in the appropriate size (or bigger to crop it accordingly).

Copyright

  • Only use pictures that you took yourself or which you are permitted to use for this purpose and in adherence to our General Terms and Conditions.
  • The picture should not focus on a specific trademark.

Content & Quality

  • The picture should not be too dark or blurry (avoid snap shots).
  • The picture should not show children or be a portrait of a specific person.
  • It should illustrate properly what the article is about without being stereotypical.

If you cannot find a suitable picture, please let us know and we will take care of the matter.


Author Bio

The author bio can be found at the bottom of each member-contributed article and includes a link to your profile. The author bio should be not more than 350 characters long, and contain some basic information about where you are from, where you live, what you do, and what you are interested in.

Remember that, while you can mention your profession, the author bio is no place to advertise your services.


What do we not publish?

While we are open to a wide range of ideas, there are some things we do NOT publish on XPAT VOICE. These include:

  • content previously published or copy-pasted from other websites;
  • so-called advertorials or promotional articles;
  • nationality-specific content (such as “Tax Advice for British Expats”);
  • political propaganda;
  • racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise discriminatory content;
  • pornography or sexually suggestive content;
  • content which promotes violence.

We reserve the right to decline submissions for reasons other than the ones mentioned above. Remember that the final decision concerning the acceptance of member contributions lies within the responsibility of the Content & Communications Department.

Please understand that we do not include links to businesses or personal blogs in our articles (including the author bio). If you want to become an advertising partner instead, please contact executives@xpatvoice.com.


How can you contribute?

If you have an idea for an article which you think could be of interest to XPAT VOICE, feel free to contact executives@xpatvoice.com.

We will get back to you and let you know if your suggestion fits our content or if some adjustments are needed.


What happens next?

A member of the Editorial Office Team will proofread your article. If anything is unclear, major changes are necessary, or your article has been declined, we will get in touch with you. If everything is alright, we will notify you as soon as your article has been published.

Your article will be published with a link to your XPAT VOICE profile and a short author biography at the end of the article.


XPAT VOICE is a community mainly for expats living and working in the Middle East.

Our Guidelines ensure a respectful behavior in our community and offering professional event managements. This way XPAT VOICE gives support to all events held in the Middle East.

All the in-person and online get-togethers taking place within a XPAT VOICE Community are listed in the Events section. XPAT VOICE offers get-togethers where members can socialize in person with other native colleagues who share the same interests:

  • XPAT VOICE Official Events are organized for an entire XPAT VOICE Community Diaspora worldwide. With the exception the odd social events that are held in public venues.
  • XPAT VOICE Official Events are open to all members and their guests. For more details, please review our Official Event Guidelines.
  • XPAT VOICE Activities are organized for a smaller group of XPAT VOICE members in order to share common interests or hobbies, such as going to a individual events organized by XPAT VOICE events management.


Content Guidelines

  • Activities will be organised according to the events calendar.
  • Activities must not have a commercial purpose.
  • In-person activities are not permitted when they are:
    • linked to the host’s or a relative of the host’s business
    • linked to an organization that the host promotes and/or works for
    • organized and/or promoted by the host through another social network
  • Attendance costs (if applicable) shall under no circumstances serve the financial interests of the member who organizes the XPAT VOICE Activity.
  • Duplicate activity posts are not permitted.
  • Activity titles and posts shall not use discriminatory or offensive language.
  • All activity posts, including activity titles, must be in English or provide a sufficient and detailed English translation.
  • The activity cover photo and title shall not disclose the activity’s location or venue name. For cover photos, high-quality images should be used and collages avoided.
  • Activity titles and cover photos should not include “xpatvoice.com” or any copyrighted terms. Using emojis and writing in all caps should also be avoided.
  • Please note that XPAT VOICE Activities are exclusively available to Mocking Bird Members.
  • Groups are managed and activities are organized by XPAT VOICE executives committee on a purely voluntary basis. XPAT VOICE provides the infrastructure for our members to organize activities. The organizers do not represent XPAT VOICE as vicarious agents.



Administration of Activity Posts

  • XPAT VOICE reserves the right to remove or alter an activity post should it not adhere to these guidelines or if it is considered unsuitable for the community.
  • XPAT VOICE reserves the right to take any action necessary to maintain the quality of our community or against any member who doesn’t follow these guidelines.
  • In order to maintain high-quality standards, all activity posts are carefully monitored by the Community Engagement Team.


Conduct at XPAT VOICE Activities

  • XPAT VOICE Activities are open to all Mocking Bird Members. The only exception are those activities open to a limited group of XPAT VOICE members.
  • Participants should be limited to those who have signed up for the activity on the XPAT VOICE platform.
  • While we do our best to provide an enjoyable experience for everyone, XPAT VOICE assumes no liability for what occurs at an activity posted on XPAT VOICE or hosted by Consuls. XPAT VOICE does not accept any legal responsibility for damages resulting from the gross negligence of the organizers. Furthermore, neither XPAT VOICE nor the organizer of an activity shall assume liability for any loss of personal property, nor shall they be held responsible in the event of financial, physical, or emotional damage.
  • Any member at a XPAT VOICE Activity behaving in an inappropriate manner is subject to expulsion from the XPAT VOICE community.
  • By accepting an activity invitation, the user acknowledges the right of XPAT VOICE to publish any photographs, screenshots, or film footage taken at XPAT VOICE Activities on the XPAT VOICE website, app, and/or on any platform approved by XPAT VOICE. Should the user wish to refuse, the user must clearly express this wish to the photographer or cameraman at the activity. Should the user wish XPAT VOICE to remove a photograph already published on the XPAT VOICE website, app, or another platform, the user must contact the XPAT VOICE Community Support Team.
  • Please be open to making everyone feel welcome and to sharing the spirit of connecting global minds.
  • If a member accepts an activity invitation and later cannot attend, the said member should cancel his/her attendance on the XPAT VOICE website or app before the activity begins, so that the organizer of the activity has a reliable number of participants to properly plan the activity and make any necessary reservations.
  • XPAT VOICE Activities that take place in a virtual setting are privately organized. All members may join online with their own software account. Neither XPAT VOICE nor our Consuls in their capacity as organizers of our events have any affiliation with the online meeting tool used.

XPAT VOICE is a private network that provides its members with a platform to interact with one another. Everyone is free to join XPAT VOICE and free to choose his or her level of membership. Members of XPAT VOICE have agreed to adhere to our General Terms and Conditions and to respect our standards of conduct.

Please behave in a respectful manner towards other XPAT VOICE members, the platform of www.xpatvoice.com and the xpatvoice.com staff.

XPAT VOICE is a private network Organization that provides its members with a platform to interact. Everyone can apply to join XPAT VOICE, and can choose his or her level of membership. XPAT VOICE members have agreed to adhere to our Terms & Conditions and to respect our Networking Guidelines.

Please behave in a respectful manner towards other XPAT VOICE members, the website, and our staff.


Format and Language

  • All posts input must be in English or provide a sufficient and detailed English translation.
  • Discussion subjects must be clear and concise.
  • Language must be concise with no excessive punctuation / capital letters or inappropriate language.


Content of Threads

  • Make sure you post your thread in the right forum category.
  • Inappropriate speech and intolerant remarks are not acceptable.
  • Pornographic and sexual comments will not be permitted.
  • Plagiarism is an offence to many from a third party, you must provide a link to the original source with a personal comment.
  • Promoting external events/social event on our website without a personal level is not permitted.
  • Advertising on our website in not permitted without consent. If you wish to promote your business you will require our permission via an administrator.
  • Commercial posts and advertisements are not permitted.
  • if you do require advertising facilities there may be a small fee.


Respectful Conduct towards Other Members

  • Please respect all members to ensure that our organization is run smoothly.
  • Posting on our forums that leads to mocking other members, their comments, profile, threads, or experiences are not acceptable.


Administration of the Forum

  • XPAT VOICE reserves the right to edit or delete threads/posts if they are considered inappropriate, or violate any of the aforementioned guidelines.
  • XPAT VOICE reserves the right to take any action necessary to maintain the quality of our platform against any member not following the guidelines.


All local and International events within an XPAT VOICE Community are listed in the Events section. XPAT VOICE offers get-togethers where members can socialize in community groups:

  • XPAT VOICE Official Events social/international organized for an entire XPAT VOICE Community. With the exception of a few special event formats (please see below), XPAT VOICE Official Events are open to all members and their guests.
  • XPAT VOICE Activities are either social/international organized for events team of XPAT VOICE members in order to share common or international events, such as special olympics and other similar recreation initiatives Activity Guidelines.


Content Guidelines

  • All official event posts, including event titles, must be in English.
  • Make sure Cover photos should be of high quality XPAT VOICE and collages should be avoided. Cover photos may display the venue, unless they are taken from a third party without permission.
  • All title events post must be clear and concise.
  • Events posts must be in a standard font; there should be no excessive use of punctuation or inappropriate language.
  • When writing content for event posts and comments, we ask you kindly to consult the relevant sections of our Forum Guidelines.
  • Please note events are not permitted when they are:
    • Specifically linked to the host’s or a relative of the host’s business
    • or Specifically linked to an organization that the host promotes and/or works for
    • organized or featured on another website or social network, although sharing the event link on Facebook is permitted
  • All events posted should be aligned with the xpatvoice.com mission statement to help our expats feel at home abroad, to meet people, and to find information about their new environment. In this way they are to sustain an atmosphere of trust and maintain a high-quality network communications within the xpatvoice.com community.
  • Events that could be considered discriminatory, intolerant, or sexual in nature are not permitted.


Administration of Event Posts

  • XPAT VOICE Official Events are organized by our local XPAT VOICE members on a purely voluntary basis. xpatvoice.com provides the infrastructure for our members to organize events. The organizers do not represent xpatvoice.com as vicarious agents.
  • xpatvoice.com Official Events are suggested by our local Ambassadors and published and promoted by XPAT VOICE. XPAT VOICE reserves the right to decline and remove event posts that overtly promote commercial purposes, advertise other networking ventures, or that we consider inappropriate in nature.
  • Information or content from third-party sources is not accepted unless the member posting it holds the copyright. A link to the original source of the information should be indicated with an additional personal comment.
  • XPAT VOICE reserves the right to take any action necessary to maintain the quality of our community or against any member not following these official event guidelines.


Conduct at XPAT VOICE Official Events

  • Our Official events are open to all members and their guests. The only exceptions are closed guest lists due to limited space or registration deadlines and events organized exclusively for Humming Bird Members, newcomers, and/or expats.
  • While we do our best to provide an enjoyable experience for everyone, XPAT VOICE assumes no liability for what occurs at an event posted on XPAT VOICE or hosted by our Ambassadors. XPAT VOICE does not accept any legal responsibility for damages resulting from the gross negligence of the organizers. Furthermore, neither XPAT VOICE nor the organizer(s) of this event shall assume liability for any loss of personal property, nor shall they be held responsible in the event of financial, physical, or emotional damage (see our General Terms and Conditions for further details).
  • XPAT VOICE reserves the right to collect a cover charge at events in order to refinance setup and infrastructure costs or to compensate for all expenses made by the Ambassadors (e.g., fees for printing name tags and leaflets, costs for welcome drinks, or other event benefits), or which are required by the venue (e.g., cost of hiring a DJ for the evening). Mockingbird Members usually enjoy free or reduced entry to XPAT VOICE Official Events.
  • Any member behaving in an inappropriate manner at an XPAT VOICE Official Event is subject to expulsion from the XPAT VOICE community.
  • Event entrance fees (if applicable) shall under no circumstances serve the financial interest of the member organizing the XPAT VOICE Official Event.
  • Fundraising events must be approved in advance by the Community Engagement Specialist. All donations must be transferred in full to a registered non-profit organization and reported to XPAT VOICE by the end of the month.
  • If a member accepts an event invitation and later cannot attend, the said member should cancel his/her attendance on the xpatvoice.com website or app before the event begins, so that the organizer of the event has a reliable number of participants to properly plan the event and make any necessary reservations.
  • By accepting an event invitation, the user acknowledges the right of XPAT VOICE to publish any photographs, screenshots, or film footage taken at XPAT VOICE Official Events on the XPAT VOICE website, app, and/or on any platform approved by XPAT VOICE. Should the user wish to refuse, the user must clearly express this wish to the photographer or cameraman at the event. Should the user wish XPAT VOICE to remove a photograph already published on the XPAT VOICE website or app, the user must contact XPAT VOICE at support@xpatvoice.com.
  • Please be open to making everyone feel welcome and to sharing the spirit of connecting global minds
  • XPAT VOICE Official Events that take place in a virtual setting are privately organized. All members may join online with their own software account. Neither XPAT VOICE nor our Ambassadors in their capacity as organizers of our events have any affiliation with the online meeting tool used.