ldnfintech

Hello IKnowNothing,

Okay thanks, the package includes water and electricity (forgot to add earlier).
Will google Etihad Towers now. Thanks for the help.

iggle

Or Sun and Sky Tower in Reeam. Your own gym, pool, waitrose and sexy sexy Ukrainian Etihad girls around the corner.

Also, I highly recommend on your first night out in Abu Dhabi, is to go to the Trap. Fantastic bar, probably the best in UAE.

ldnfintech

Thanks iggle,

Plenty of accommodation options, will get Googling now.

Exhkexpat

Ldnfintech, can I ask who told you your budget would be about this as recruiter has not mentioned numbers specifically. Also can I ask what grade is your possible position, if too cheeky feel free to ignore.
Thanks

dominoman

I don't know if it's the same for everyone but my contract provides me with the difference in cash if I use less than the maximum housing allowance.

ADIA pays the utility bills so long as you are in their accommodation. You could just take the whole allowance in cash and arrange your own accommodation, but then you'd be responsible for your own water & leccy bills.

ldnfintech

Hi Exhkexpat,

My agent gave me some numbers about a person who got placed from UK at P1. I am going as a senior analyst at P2 grade.

Hope this helps.

ldnfintech

Hi dominoman,

thanks for the info - my agent didn't mention about people taking unused housing allowance as cash - but thats simply amazing. more savings

However, the agent did mention about ADIA pay utility bills provided we use their accommodation. Incredibly generous! Presumably, their houses/flats are spacious and close to work?

Though I am tempted to take the entire allowance as cash, i reckon ADIA accommodation would make life simpler plus offering more networking opportunities with other ADIA employees.

thanks for sharing your views - really appreciate it.

dominoman

ldnfintech - I would definitely recommend using the ADIA accommodation. Bear in mind though that ADIA don't actually own any of it. All they do is take up a multi-year lease on a few apartments or villas every time a new set gets built.

Your rent goes to the landlord, not to ADIA, so the rents are more or less the same as market rents. The advantage though is that you don't have to deal with the landlord directly (a big big plus here), and of course the big advantage is that water & electricity bills get paid by ADIA.

The standard of the ADIA accomm is generally excellent - though to some extent it depends on how it was left by the last tenant. On my housing tour I saw an apartment in Etihad towers that was phenomenal. And I saw a villa in Golf Gardens that was huge, but looked like it had lain empty for many months so was dusty and unloved.

ADIA accomm is all over Abu Dhabi. Some is near work, some not. It depends where you want to live, on schools etc. And as for meeting other ADIA people, there are plenty of ways to do it but accomm is spread out all over - so don't assume your neighbours will be ADIA just because you use their accommodation

ldnfintech

dominoman - So, when I am in Abu Dhabi in the coming weeks, I'll visit ADIA's villas/flats in different parts of the city. You are right, the Etihad Towers does look good. The water and gas bill payments by ADIA is a nice touch.

Got a few more questions for you.
1. Where do you park during the weekdays? at ADIA or nearby?
2. Did you also get some form of furniture allowance from ADIA?
3. Do they provide you and your family with annual flights back to UK?
4. What has been your experience thus far in Abu Dhabi and ADIA so far? (assuming you have started work)
5. How long did they take to make an offer after your final round? After you accepted the offer, how much time did they give you to sort your affairs in the UK and start with them?

I know that's like too many questions right!!
once again - thanks for sharing your views.

dominoman

Hi ldnfintech - I haven't started yet so can't comment on some of your questions. Yes, I got a furniture/moving allowance. It's paid in cash so you can spend or keep it, which means I decided not to ship all my furniture out.

Annual flight back. No. None. I'd be interested if anyone else got this in their ADIA offer?

After final round, my offer came immediately (within a day), but that's because I was the last candidate. They won't communicate anything until they've seen everyone.

I asked for 7 months to sort my stuff out in the UK and they were OK with that. All depends I suppose.

Let us know how you get on

ldnfintech

Hi dominoman

aha got it. Yes, my agent mentioned about relocation allowance, and that there are no annual flights package anymore for ADIA employees.

Wow, 7 months - that's amazing! Should I get the offer, that much timeframe would be ideal.

Any thoughts on what would happen if an ADIA employee does NOT use the children's / education allowance. At present, I do not have kids - so hoping I can get that as cash in hand. Unless it ONLY gets reimbursed!

dominoman

No chance that they will give you the kids / education allowance in cash I'm afraid.

ldnfintech

Hi dominoman,

Yeah, I thought so too. The agent was not knowledgeable on this matter and he suggested I ask HR when in Abu Dhabi.

Btw: when you travelled to Abu Dhabi, did you and your family stay the full 4 days? Presumably you also went around to see British schools etc.

dominoman, thanks again for the valuable insight.

dominoman

No problem. Enjoy the trip. It's a mini holiday, as well as being an interview. You'll be well looked after. Chauffeur both ends. A380 business class flights, and a car and driver provided for you and your wife to use night and day while you're there.

We don't have kids so didn't visit schools - but we did visit a few different areas to get a feel for it. My wife would have been happy spending all 4 days on the beach and not moving - but I've got no interest in lying in the sun so we did some touristy stuff too.

ldnfintech

Hi dominoman,

Okay awesome - now looking forward to the trip even more.

You've been most helpful. Will keep you posted post final round.