johnny.f

Hi there,
I am currently in the UK but was offered a position in Abu Dhabi. As this came out of blue, I have not had much time to find any information on Salaries or Living Costs...

I have Masters in Traffic engineering and 5 years work experience and I already worked on several projects in the UAE in the past, so I am familiar with AD standards (thus, not much training needed)

I did some research on the Internet but most of the info on salaries i found was from before the crisis (2008-2009) and I guess the salaries went down recently, and secondly, the span between the lowest and highest salaries was huge (10,000 – 50,000 AED). Is there anyone with a similar background who could give me some advice?

What benefits should I expect / request?
I was told that the company owns a car with a driver, but what if I wanted to make a private journey?

I would be grateful for any help,
Thanks
John

Bonny Boy

I'm in the civil field and when considering employment I look at:

Job description
Employer's name and address (eg I've been employed in the mid-east by outfits actually registered in Hong Kong, Cayman Islands etc. with different names from the headline 'brand' name.)

Salary/Currency of payment/Point of payment (locally/UK/elsewhere).
Hours/Days per week
Location of employment (not all agencies/employer's are transparent!)
Duration of contract

Leave allowance (includes travel days?)
Leave flights per year

Air freight allowance for personal effects/household goods

Accommodation type/Sole use?/Bills?/Furnished?
Transport type/Sole use?/Fuel, Bills?

Insurance/medical cover

Missc/Incidental expenses - Visas/Driving Licence/Vaccinations/Professional subscriptions/ID Cards/Document attestation etc.

Notice period, each side.

Written contract containing all necessary details (no verbal add-ons!!)


Things have changed a lot in the mid-east even before the credit crunch. When I first came out in the 90s it was the traditional 'feather-bed' package, with everything thrown in. However, employers have been cutting back on this through the 00s, leaving you to sort out various things from your salary. The credit crunch has inevitably hastened this process.

My preference is to get the company to provide as much as possible. It allows you to walk away more easily should things go wrong. The region remains as uncertain and capricious as it ever was - it is not the west, with the corresponding legal framework and nicities, as many have recently found to their cost. The other argument for the full package is that you have come here to do a job of work (nobody except in the most exceptional cases is emigrating here) not mess about paying electricity bills or getting the car a/c fixed. However, in recent years packages have been stripped down, especially in Dubai.

You need to focus on the full package - if you don't get a vehicle for example, then the salary will need to go up accordingly etc. Don't be afraid to fully thrash out the details with the employer - Once you've signed up it's too late to be worrying about the details. Also, if the employer is not prepared to answer reasonable questions on your part, and then put the relevant details in writing in the contract, then alarm bells should be ringing.

However, without knowing your exact experience and abilities, it is impossible to comment on what package you might expect. Also, only you can decide what is acceptable for your circumstances.

spf50

5 years I would say 30k per month total package would be acheivable. Though it could be higher depending on the organisatio and I would say 25k would be a minimum.