Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH

Will all due respect, Mike,

Originally Posted by khitan004

I'm back after many years away from getting out of the Saudi Sand Pit. I'm looking at a school in Dubai and the package I've been preliminarily given seems far too low.


I know of housing agonies from my time in Riyadh and only just managed to get on a compound thanks to a kind fellow forumer.
My golden figure is 260k Dir/yr inc housing allowance. I can either accept their allowance or have them house me in a 2-bed apartment. I don't know at the moment where their apartment is located. I am married with an 11-month-old daughter.I am definitely going to be asking for more in terms of basic everything as I know the stress it causes people when moving to the UAE. Unfortunately for them, I am acutely aware that my life is not worth living if I have the same experience in Dubai as I did in Saudi with my wife and baby in tow. I would like to know where the best areas are in Dubai to live to allow us to socialise with other expats. My wife seems to be fine with apartments closer to the sea, but there are also new developments further our. I have ruled out Mirdif based on what I've read so far and the traffic issues. Sahara Meadows is closer to the school, but seems to be surrounded by sand and probably doesn't have the facilities, social life I would like my family to have.
Any advice would be appreciated. BTW we have a dog who would be coming with.

Originally Posted by mikewot

With all due respect, a sure sign that what follows will be insulting LOL! I think things were way different back then with people fleeing the country (and debts). But if rents do drop by half then thats fantastic for those staying here'(which is not me).

Originally Posted by Millhouse

... it's always different back then. Same words are said when the bubble inflates.

It certainly is different now - last time was a banking crisis that caused a wider economic crash and a spike in commodity prices. There was wide government policy response possible at the time.

This time, we have commodity crisis as a result of a slowing economy which is quite likely to cause a banking crisis. There is little government policy response possible this time.

Low oil prices are never good for the Gulf. No matter how much sugar you coat the news with - the west will probably do alright out of this though.

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH

My guess is that we're in for a solid decade of low / lowish oil prices. The Gulf will struggle. USA will boom and the UK will tag along with USA.

Originally Posted by khitan004

There must be lots of people out there living on this level of income and having a good enough time of it? Is it just going to be a bust with AED14,000 per month to live off? Are we just going to have to live with the air-con switched off and no TV and have to walk to work? It basically covers our joint income in the UK and I'd be the only one working.

Originally Posted by Scamp

14,000 once housing is provided / paid for? If so, it will be tight. As a couple, our bills are 2,000 ish (DEWA, Empower for AC and Du TV).Food shops are 3-600 per week. Let's say 2,000 a month as well.Car used to cost me 1500 in repayment (but that's paid off now), hers was 1100 (paid off as well) + banking 5-1000 a month for maintenance.So that totals; 2 + 2 + 1.5 + 1.1 + 1 = 7,600. 14,000 - 7,600 = 6,400 Do you get schooling provided free?Do you get flights provided? 6,400 is then your spending money, for nice things, for essentials like clothes, for petrol, for takeaways, for new shoes, for new bedding, for anything that you might spend money on. It's also your savings pot. I'd suggest if your nipper goes to school for nothing and your mrs can get a part time job paying 5-10k a month, you'll be in a half decent position. Not great, but livable for sure. If you're careful and sensible you can do it on the 14k + Housing. It just might limit the amount of cash you can save and therefore how decent the float is for when things go wrong or you want a holiday etc.

Originally Posted by khitan004

It is AED14,000 after a AED90k housing allowance. 90k doesn't get you very much except a 2-bed apartment. I have a 3-bed house here in UK.
Our nipper is not 1 yet, so schooling isn't a consideration as yet. Having AED6000 to spend per month is far more than we have now in the UK. So it might sound low, but to us, it is high. We are running at break-even or even a loss each month due to childcare currently. We could not afford to have another child. We wouldn't be dining out every night, or buying expensive clothing (I still have 20 year-old T-Shirts). But we would have to pay off the mortgage in this country too whilst we were out there which would take off 3000 of that every month. We only get an annual flight on top of that.
Even with all of that, we'd still be better off than we are over in the UK with me being a teacher and the Mrs working in cancer treatment. That's the depressing part!

Originally Posted by Scamp

14,000 once housing is provided / paid for?

If so, it will be tight.

As a couple, our bills are 2,000 ish (DEWA, Empower for AC and Du TV).
Food shops are 3-600 per week. Let's say 2,000 a month as well.
Car used to cost me 1500 in repayment (but that's paid off now), hers was 1100 (paid off as well) + banking 5-1000 a month for maintenance.
So that totals; 2 + 2 + 1.5 + 1.1 + 1 = 7,600.

14,000 - 7,600 = 6,400

Do you get schooling provided free?
Do you get flights provided?

6,400 is then your spending money, for nice things, for essentials like clothes, for petrol, for takeaways, for new shoes, for new bedding, for anything that you might spend money on. It's also your savings pot.

I'd suggest if your nipper goes to school for nothing and your mrs can get a part time job paying 5-10k a month, you'll be in a half decent position. Not great, but livable for sure.

If you're careful and sensible you can do it on the 14k + Housing.
It just might limit the amount of cash you can save and therefore how decent the float is for when things go wrong or you want a holiday etc.

Originally Posted by Scamp

I understand what you are saying. But: 1. Rent your house out in the UK. **** paying a mortgage back there when you can rent it and someone else pays for you to own your own home. Surely?2. This isn't a very fun place on a tight, tight budget. I know you might be frugal in the UK but stuff gets expensive here PDQ.3. Do you get schooling for the littlun at all? If your wife found work in a Nursery or something part time, would she do it if it meant free childcare and an income? How much experience do you have as a teacher?Roughly where is your school?Are you going to work for a big name company like GEMS?

Originally Posted by khitan004

We cannot rent out our house as we've had to do the Government scheme to help us buy our first home. The school is Dubai British School in Springs 3. I have 6 years exp of teaching Physics and Maths.
If this salary level is far too low, then people must be pretty damn unhappy in Dubai, or leaving in droves. Maybe why there are teaching positions to fill!

Originally Posted by khitan004

We cannot rent out our house as we've had to do the Government scheme to help us buy our first home. The school is Dubai British School in Springs 3. I have 6 years exp of teaching Physics and Maths.
If this salary level is far too low, then people must be pretty damn unhappy in Dubai, or leaving in droves. Maybe why there are teaching positions to fill!