Ellie and Jason

hi there - we are looking at a possible move to Abu Dhabi. My husband jason teachers secondary science and we have seen a few jobs there which he is applying for. We have worked out that we can earn enough money to keep paying our mortgage etc and thats without renting our house out (although we would still rent it out!)

anyway basically we are just looking for some general advice and also to talk to people first hand who either live or have lived in Abu Dhabi, preferably with a young family who could maybe advise us on what to expect etc.

we are both looking for a completely new direction in our lives, new experiences and for our children too, hence our decission to look at moving.

thanks in advance

Ellie
xxx

srah

Have either of you ever been to Abu Dhabi or the Middle East?

Ellie and Jason

no - we have travelled various countries between us, as tourists, from usa, mexico, maldives, czech rep, europe etc.

the job would be a 2 year contract which is why we would keep the house over here in case we decided at the end of it to come back iyswim?

ellie
xxx

Hello.Kitty

I'd definitely recommend visiting it first. We spent 3 weeks in Dubai before moving over some months later - and it gave us a real taster of what was to come... mainly cos we had 1 week as a family holiday and then 2 more when Mr Kitty was working, which was the real eye-opener. I'd also recommend visiting when the weather is not considered nice - so from May to Sept - cos if you can hack it then, the rest will be a ball.

If you're looking for a change in culture and basically everything you may have come to take for granted in the UK, then the UAE is a great place to get all that experience!

BUT, that's not considering the job scene, financial situations, etc...

Ellie and Jason

Unfortunatley we dont have the option to visit there before hand unless a job is secured, due to our current work commitments - dh works term time and i generally work all the school holidays (and school hols tend to be very very expensive times to travel, he cant get time off work) We are prepared for a big leap and an even bigger change and this is what we are looking for tbh - specifically our main/only concern would be the type of housing over there, in particular what is offered to teachers - we have been informed we would be offered a villa or apartment if he got the job, we want to know first hand what this type of accomodation would be like - not because of us, as we would live anywhere but because of taking the children into consideration.

what did you mean by - BUT, that's not considering the job scene, financial situations, etc..?????

Ellie
xxx

Princess Button

Hi Ellie and Jason,

We are in the same boat. My husband is currently considering a job offer in Abu Dhabi. We have 2 young children ( 3 yrs 8mths and 8mths). Have you done much research on schools? Where would your husband be teaching?

Does anyone have any advice on schools/nurseries?

We have been looking into possible places to live. Can anyone give any advice on suitable places to live for expats with a young family? Are there any areas to avoid? Any comments on Sas Al Nakhl?

I would not be working at first, but would be looking for a job that would fit in with school/ nursery times. Do such opportunities arise in Abu Dhabi?

Whilst not at work, what would there be for me to do whilst my children are at school/nursery?

Many Thanks in Advance for any advice ( sorry to hijack your thread)

commander

Ok,what is the package for teachers...

Do they provide accomodation if so WHERE?

Do they give you an allowance, if so HOW MUCH?

State that and ill tell you if its worth it..

Do you want the fluffy bunny reply or the harsh truth??

Zico2009

Commander its worth considering the harsh truth.

I myself came out here but chose to live in Dubai as it has more to offer on a daily basis for kids and families in general.

I know housing in Abu Dhabi is expensive and a lot older in comparison to Dubai.

Before making the leap I visted Dubai 5-6 time for maybe 1-3 weeks at a time, however, even Dubai looks good on the outside but when you live in the UAE you realise it really is a third world country.

I dont regret leaving London - but London isnt all that bad, the UK has to be said has some of the best public transport, NHS, and school system.

In the UAE the schools are packed to capacity, expensive and generally not well administered.

Damn...and I've only been here 4 weeks..but I love the sunshine.

hawkhead

We came here 10 years ago without visiting first and have never looked back. Our kids were 1 & 3 at the time.
Which schools? Some will look after you well but others will be a nightmare.
Depending on the above, schools will provide you with housing suitable for your family situation, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Nurseries are pretty busy I believe so get their names down asap. Presumably the school would provide schooling for any school-age kids you have.
There's various clubs, sporting activities, women's group things you can do if you're not working. There are not many part-time job opportunities in AD.
Sas Al Nakhl is a pretty good location - off island, but only just, so not too far away from the city.

Princess Button

When i said we are in the same boat, i ws referring to the family situation, not identical job roles. My husband will be working at setting up a new office for the company he works for, so the package is sufficient. A housing allowance (200 pa), medical insurance, vehicle for him and schools paid for the children.
Commander - always the harsh truth please, from reading other threads thats what you give anyway!
Knowing first hand what companies will arrange for you if you let them, we have decided to look around and sort ourselves out, hence all the questions. We have a (bare bones) budget which breaks down like this opbviously all the socialising will be on top! :-

Housing, utilities, internet etc 250,000
Food 50,000
extra vehicle for me (hire) 17,000

School prices we have based on sending the eldest to the British School (looks ok but would really welcome any comments) and we are awaiting responses from humpty dumty and bright beginnings for nursey prices. Again advice would be gratefully recieved.
Are the above estimates realistic, are there other hidden extras that anyone can advise us of.

Again many thanks, its good to know you csn rely on British Expats, we asked a few questions on another expat forum 2 weeks ago without any responses!! Thanks everyone

Eva

All I would caution is thoroughly research the owners of the school and have a look on 'Jim's Cafe' -a site dedicated to EFL & other Education positions in UAE...Sorry don't know full www address.

hawkhead

The housing allowance isn't huge. A decent 3-bed apartment would set you back at least 250k at the moment (or you might get something for less if you were happy to live off the island).
BSAK is a great school but still has waiting lists as far as I know, so contact them asap.
I assume the company will also pay for flights home and hotel bills while you look for a house?

Eva - it's Dave's cafe, not Jim's!!
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewforum.php?f=30

Eva

Thank you Hawkhead.He'll be a good singer then...

hawkhead

?? You'll have to explain that one to me!

Eva

Dave?? Welsh innit.

S'alright it's not you.