W10

I wasn't aware it was a difficult concept to grasp - but the population of Dubai does not end after the Lakes and the Meadows, nor does it end with spoiled Western expats.

You have any idea what percentage of the population earns Dh40k, probably less than 1%

Blue Cat

I must be spending alot of time with the top 1% or a bunch of liars!

jvr20

sorry W10 i think our wires are crossed; when I talk about *locals*, I refer exclusively to Emiratis.

The only white Briton i speak to on a regular basis is my own boss.

I haven't met any Omanis or Kuwaitis - but Sudanese, Egyptians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Iraqis (to be honest only my barber and one car hire guy), Syrians, Philipinos absolutely. I work with them, pass the time of day with them when travelling, chat in the gym etc.

I wasn't seeking to justify my own lifestyle, rather to propose an explanation for your earlier observation about old-timer UK expats whose good old days' memories revolve around expat bar banter.

W10

Most of the Emiratis I know would drink me under the table.

It's a concerted lack of effort on both sides.

W10

This is Dubai, I'll go for the latter.

Blue Cat

PMSL!!!

Eeyore

I would guess that the people you know who get their rent paid probably work in the more "traditional" expat industries? Oil, gas, construction, maybe finance, that sort of thing?

Most people coming in now have to pay their own rent. That's just the way it is. Unless you're senior management level or above, chances are you'll be given a monthly salary and that's that. You can probably claim an advance on that salary to help cover your rent cheques, but a great many people now have to take out bank loans to pay their rent.

Take my company. Big Media City employer, 900 employees, *all* have to pay their own rent. No help with school fees, either.

Take my previous company. *Another* big Media City employer, about 500 employees, *all* have to pay their own rent (although more senior staff get help with school fees).

Blue Cat

I agree Gareth but my arguement is that we are probably all earning the same but are given it in a different format. We get 60,000 housing every six months. the company could change their mind, divide it by six and give us ten grand a more each month. The way you say it , makes sound like your paying your own rent, when really what the company are doing is giving you a bigger basic than we get and telling you to get on with. Ok so we don't say we pay our rent, but if it was given to us as 10 grand a month then we probably would??? do you see what I am saying?

W10

Sorry, but no. Most people I know are earning less than 18k a month AND have to pay rent.

Blue Cat

exactly what amount of people to this come to??? and how many western expats are there here in Dubai at the moment???

Blue Cat

that is hard, I don't know how they manage

Inselaffen

My field of work is only just starting to attract western companies in Dubai. It is still dominated by Indians who quite frankly have a very dodgy reputation (which has been confirmed by my current problems). Most of the westren companies consequently wont even consider employing Indians in commercial positions. I know one company which did employ 2 and had to get rid of the pretty quickly.

I took quite a basic package to come out here and looked on it as an experience, wanting to experience local culture and also learn at least basic arabic out here. Because Ive been royally shafted by my now ex-company none of that happened and i dont have a great impression of Dubai.

Eeyore

There is a portion of my monthly salary that counts as "housing allowance".

It actually equates to 66,000 dhs per year. That would have been fine a few years ago, but now it's roughly half of what a reasonable 2-bed apartment costs. So I'm paying 60k of my "own money", as it were, towards my rent.

Is your basic above 20k?

W10

I think there are around 150,000 British expats here. 1% of Dubai would be about 15,000 people

Eeyore

And you wonder why newer expats moan?

I would imagine that they only manage because they're single and live in shared accommodation.