harryharris

Hi all

i posted a while back about the possibility of moving to Dubai with my wife. we have just been given our packages and need to make a decision soon. we work for the same company and will be working in media city.we are both south africans, lived in the UK for 3 years, but cant find a similar site, so im going to be british for a while.

Please let me know what you think.

Me - Senior Graphic designer
Basic salary - 10,250
Housing allowance - 3,750
Medical - 1,500
Income protection / life - 1,000
1 air ticket per year - 417

Total-----------------16,917

My wife - Account Manager
Basic salary - 10,000
Housing allowance - 3,750
Medical - 1,500
Income protection / life - 1,000
1 air ticket per year - 417
Fuel - 500
Mobile phone - 400

Total-----------------17,567

we also get 22 days leave
household items to be shipped
20 000 to settle in etc
the contract is for a minimum of 2 years
we also have our positions to come back to if we give 6 months notice that we will be returning home

Is this a good offer and will we be able to save a good portion and have a good lifestyle. we plan to rent a 1 bedroom in the marina and will need to buy a car asap.

what has been left off that we need to consider?
utilities...house tax...estate agent tax???

thanks in advance
Darien Harris

MJC

There's a lot of info about this in the wiki guide, but basically, you can't spend Medical, income protection, flights, so that alone takes AEd3000 or so out of your wallet. You need to add deposits for dewa, phones and finders fee for estate agent (5% of first year). Soi between the two of you around 27k/month, yep you'll be ok on that, esp as they're paying a 20k advance which will take care of the up-front costs. You do realise that the market rent in marina is about 14k/month for a 1 bed don't you? You'll probably get it for nearer 12 though. You can't buy a car until you get residency and driving licence too btw.

I just hope you don't have kids, cos if you have the simple answer is no. It's nowhere near enough.

Also 22 days is really crap, you should get nearly double that. And make sure the working hours are 5 days/week, 8 or 9 hours/day.

Good luck

Eeyore

If you don't have school-age kids, you'll get by on what you've per month, but I stress "get by" - you won't be living any kind of luxurious lifestyle, especially not if you want to save a significant amount each month. You'll need to budget at least 10K per month for rent, so if I were you I'd ask that both your housing allowances be upped to take account of that.

You might also be shocked at how far the 20K upfront doesn't go.

I guess a lot depends on your own personal perceptions; if you're more interested in the experience of working here than in saving money, and if the salaries equate well with what you're currently getting, then go for it.

IndieG

Hi,

What is income protection/life that's a first for me.

22 days is too little - minimum should be 30 days . And definitely ask for a 5 day week.

Ask for rent to be paid in a lump sum and in advance.

Vehicle loan - shop around and bargain, read the fine print - banks are a rip off Be prepared for extremely poor customer service.

I am also surprised to hear people saying you will only 'get by' on that salary! But then I guess it is because this is down to each individual - some can get by on 10k and some can barely manage on 50k

I think we live very well indeed (ok, so we don't live in a villa in Jumeirah.....but in a very nice apartment off Trade Centre Road, rent's much lower, but then our priority is to save and to splurge on things that do matter to us - e.g. education, maid, car, 2-3 holidays a year..... )

Here is a break up of my living costs, just the basics, and excludes entertainment and holidays.

7,000 Rent and utilities (Rent is 72k)
7,150 School (2 kids, per month)
2,000 Maid
2,500 Groceries/general living
816 Car Insurance p.m.(3.5%)
500 Petrol
________
~ 20,000 per month
________


Medical and Rent tax paid by employer.

So in my personal opinion, given your combined salaries, yes, you can live well and save.

MJC

Hey Indie you give your maid 2000 a month? Does she live in, cos that's big bucks if she does!

W10

Alternatively, its a fairer wage

Jeeper

I assume the 22 days holidays are working days?
Most companies here give leave as calendar days so you'll need to check what you're getting.

IndieG

No, but I pay her a bonus (around 3k every year), to cover her accommodation costs. Actually she started off on 1300+bonus, but I increased it over the past 1 year to keep up with living costs. I increase her salary everytime I get a pay rise - she has another one coming

And I am not letting her go, just because both my kids are at school, not fair, unless she finds something better - up to her. She has a small child in the Philippines who lives with her parents.

harryharris

yes, the 22 days is working day (30 calendar days per year)

im really confused as i have done a serach and spoken to people over there and 20 000 between 2 people with no kids seems to be a descent figure. perhaps it is just the housing that is low?

what does everyone think

in south africa my wife and i are able to save the equivalent of 3500 AED each month between us. would we be able to save perhaps 7000 AED per month between us in Dubai on this package?

Thanks
D

W10

Your rent will probably be a minimum of Dh10,000 a month if you want to live in the marina.

If you both want a car then that will set you back (depending on what kind of car) say Dh1,000 to Dh3,000 a month for something average.

Your relocation allowance (providing you don't have to pay it back) will cover the huge deposits and fees you need.

But you will still have to furnish the apartment yourself.

In the long run, you should be ok. But it's easy to get sucked into spending money here - simply because there isn't an awful lot else to do!

PS - I notice you say you get medical allowances...does this mean you don't get company private healthcare included?? shocking! It's pretty expensive to buy it here I think.

IndieG

Harris,
Read # 4

Eeyore

Yes, because you're in the traffic hell that is Bur Dubai And it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

I wouldn't advise anyone working in Media City to live as far away from work as that, unless they are absolutely forced to by financial considerations; the commute can ruin your quality of life. A friend of ours lives right next door to Burjuman, and has been there for about 4 years now; he felt that the commute to DMC was okay when he moved in, but he's screaming to get out now because it can take him up to 2 hours each way... and of course, if he wants to live nearer, he'll have to pay more!

Eeyore

It's okay, it's nothing outstanding. I don't know what the going rate is for Senior Graphic Designers out here, but your particular salary does sound low to me; I'd expect you to be in the plus-20K bracket.

Depends entirely on how you want to live out here!

IndieG

Takes us exactly 12 minutes to get to work and same time to return - now try beating that

But what about SZR?

shiva

I know a south african couple on around 25K combined income, they have a good life here, have plenty of fun and send a shit load of money home each month.Ok it helps that the rand is in the shit but still. Incedentally neither of them drinks much and that seems to be how most people like to spend their money in Dubai

Rent is a killer here no doubt so I would consider an alternative to the marina.

Cars, 500 aed per month will get you one and 3000k will get you a very nice one, something like a focus or small hatchback will cost about 1000/mth a 4x4 1,500 -2,500 etc

Frankly people here just like to moan about money constantly, yes you can live the high life but it will cost you and yes you can get by on a couple of thousand a month.
As ever if your a ****ing idiot you'll soon be parted from your money.