wonderer123

Hey guys & gals,
I have yet another job offer to consider..this time it is seriously tempting me to move to UAE, basically i have been offered AED45k per month, no accomodation allowance.
Wondering whether it is enough for a bachelor, have heard a lot of horror stories about people living in friends houses as no apartments are available in Abu dhabi, not sure how much of this is true.

Foxes

the offer is good in my opinion for a single person but you are correct that accomodation availablility in AD is not good. I would advise that you ask your employer if they can offer any assistance in finding you accomodation or (preferabaly) providing you with accomodation even. This will give you an idea as to how helpful your potential new employer will be in assisting you in critical personal issues - which you will definitely face with once you here !

Best of luck. Foxes

wonderer123

Thank you very much Foxes, employer is reputed as one of the best in the region and other benefits (all utilities paid) offered are really good. I will definitely try to negotiate some assistance on accomodation.

Is AED140k per annum enough to find a decent sized 1 bedroom flat/apartment or is that asking for too much in that price?

Also, people in Dubai tend to live in Sharjah to avoid Dubai rents, can that be done in Abu Dhabi? is there any place near Abu Dhabi which is cheaper to live?

Thanks

Foxes

I am relatively new to AD ( 3 weeks) so cannot really comment with conviction. all i can say is that i am commuting from Dubai to AD 2/3 times a week present ( approx an hour and a half one way). Not ideal but awaiting company accomodation to come live in nov ( allegedly !). rest of the time am staying in serviced apartments in AD. I believe decent 2 beds are going for over 220k currently and if anything prices are rising on a monthly basis purely due to demand exceeding supply.

it is a difficult by all accounts but I am solely putting my fate in the hands of my employer who like yours are a reputable firm in this part of the world. BTW I believe that utility bills are generally included in the rental costs for AD - but i could be wrong. perhaps someone more knowledgeable maybe able to give you better clarifcation. cheers.

Black Eyed Susan

Utilities are seperate in AD they are not included in the bill, however, if in an apartment, the central AC is paid for by the building.

I would imagine that out of the 45k, you need to take some out for housing. When we first moved here, the other halfs package was 40k, and 10k of that was for housing each month, so when it came time to find an apartment, the company gave us 120k for the rent, leaving 30k for us to do with as we pleased. I would imagine that your package would be the same. Can not see why they would provide you with no housing allowance yet pay your utilities!

wonderer123

It seems like accomodation is the key thing to sort out before considering the offer. If decent 2 bed is going for AED 220k then I guess I might be able to find one bed in the AED 140 to 150k range, correct me if i am worng.

The package is indeed split, 30k base, 12k accomodation, 3k other allowances, children education paid (something to consider for future), annual business class flights back home, there is a bonus element as which could touch 30%, medical is also included and like other employers they give an interest free loan to buy a car. I believe if accomodation can be taken care off in the AED12k pm then will have plenty to play with/save.

Are the AD rules building new apartments etc like Dubai to meet demand or just lazing around. Inflation i heard is quite high as well, something in the region of 13%, should probably check with employer about annual pay increases.