PT in Dubai / UAE

Old Jan 20th 2004, 5:10 am
  #1  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 1
MY02 is an unknown quantity at this point
Default PT in Dubai / UAE

Hi there,

I've just applied to a job based in Dubai working in the Personal Training industry.

I presently do the same in Australia ( having moved there 6 years ago from the UK).

I'm trying to get an idea as to what life is like in this part of the world. (YEah I know thats a pretty big question)

Is there anybody out there who has worked in Australia then moved to the UAE? Any opinions?

Also, the job I applied for has a monthly salary of 8000D. Having read another thread that indicated that monthly rental is 2000D, would 8 grand mean a meagre quality of life. Is this a decent wage (considering that PT is never really that well paid).

I've also heard that Dubai is one of the more expensive area to live in the UAE. How expensive is expensive??

And lastly, what do you lot all do in your spare time?? I essentially live outdoors ( bushwalking, kayaking, 4wding, climbing etc). I'm guessing a lot of these things might be slightly lacking???

Look forward to some replies.

Oh and purely out of interest, does anyone know John Norris? He works in some sort of industrial anti-corrosion company. He's about 28 ish. I know he's over there somewhere fanging about in an Audi TT.
MY02 is offline  
Old Jan 20th 2004, 6:15 am
  #2  
Forum Regular
 
Nevi's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Dubai
Posts: 70
Nevi is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: PT in Dubai / UAE

I've not lived in Australia at all, so unfortunately I can't do any kind of comparisons for you in terms of expenses.
However, there is a fair amount to do in Dubai, especially if you are into water sports. There are plenty of diving trips, sailing, water-skiing etc. There's also the camping/dune-bashing. Although having said that the camping is obviously ony advisable during the cooler months! There is also the opportnity to join any number of sporting clubs.
The price of flats varies greatly depending on where you live - which presumably will be determined by where you will be based in terms of work, as the traffic can be a bit of a pain if you have a long drive to/from work every day.
Robin.
Nevi is offline  
Old Jan 22nd 2004, 7:37 pm
  #3  
Just Joined
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 14
istara is an unknown quantity at this point
Default

1. I would regard 8,000 as low for a "western" salary, but probably not for PT. Many leisure and fitness jobs are held by Asian people who probably earn no more than half that. One thing you will discover here is a huge and shocking discrimination in pay based on race. As an Australian, you will be regarded as slighter cheaper than a European, but you should still get a decent, "western"-level salary.

2. If you like to go out drinking, then 8,000 is very meagre. Otherwise you could live reasonably well on it. Alcohol in bars and pubs is exorbitantly expensive here, so it's up to each individual to decide whether they want to live it up and piss their salary up the wall, or live a little more modestly and save considerable amounts of money.

3. There are plenty of outdoors activities here. BUT: for a good six months of the year, it is too hot to be outside comfortably. In the summer, it is boiling hot at NIGHT as well as day. No matter how much I describe this, none of my friends and family actually believe this until they experience it for themselves. In the summer months (Australia's winter) even at midnight you would not be able to sit outside, the darkness is thick and HOT, not just warm. It is not like Sydney or Adelaide, where even after a day of 45 degree heat, things cool off pleasantly in the evening.

4. Dubai is cheaper than Sydney. I used to live in Sydney, and my friend that just moved here corroborates this. The problem is that Dubai is smaller, so choosing to live miles away for a cheaper price is less easy. Cheaper tends to mean an older, nastier building. But nice flats near the city centre are far, far cheaper than their equivalent in Sydney. As an expat, you tend to frequent five star hotels quite a lot (as these are the main entertainment and leisure centres). Prices are far lower. There is also a plethora of ethnic restaurants - many of excellent quality - for amazingly low prices. Eg Lebanese Automatic chain, Pakistani Daily restaurant, etc.
istara is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.