greengables

Hi there

My hubbie and I and our 2 little kids currently live in Aus. I am a Communications professional (6yrs experience) and my hubbie in HR (10yrs experience). We both have degrees, my hubbie an MBA.

Basically we would both really love to move over to Dubai for about 3 yrs so my hubbie can work and I can be a stay at home mum.

Firstly : is there anyone who can suggest some good contacts? I've registered with as many agencies as I can find using google. I can send a CV for more info.

Secondly : is this a realistic idea? Can we afford to live on one income in Dubai? (we would have to make up the shortfall between rent and our mortgage on our home here in Aus)

Thirdly : does anyone have any other tips on how we can make this happen quickly??

THanks in advance!!

Madam Medusa

greengables, look in wiki, there's a list of recruitment agencies there...

you can live on one income if your hubbie gets a good enough package!! do a search on here, there are gazillions of threads with info...you'll find dubai is an expensive place to live, accomodation being the biggest outlay for people...Remember also that schooling is private too, and not cheap...

MM, xx

greengables

Thanks for the reply - I will check out wiki

I wont need schooling as my kids are too little...however if we were there for long enough I would actually home school

Madam Medusa

they start school in the september after they are 4 here...

home schooling is done...but once you start on that route, you can't change your mind, i believe, because the education ministry doesn't recognise home schooling (or something like that...)

MM, xx

Aussieoverseas

There is a HR Director's job advertised currently on the webiste for UAE University. www.uaeu.ac.ae

Link https://www.uaeujobs.com/applicants/...=1202318679078

it would be located in Al Ain and that is heaps better than Dubai or Abu Dhabi :-) ............. well I think so anyway - cheaper accommodation, smaller place and close enough to D and AD if you want to go shopping!

Good Luck

greengables

Heya - thanks for that I have put an application in for him!

You guys are really helpful and i really appreciate it. I have also checkout out expatwoman.com and this has been quite good - although not all of them are friendly!! some are quite snobby

anyways - we have already scored him a phone interview for next week - so fingers crossed. What do you guys think of the following as a proposed package? (remembering we will be living off 1 income and need at least a spare $1500AU for our mortgage back home)

PER MONTH

Base Salary: 15,000

Other:
Accommodation allowance: 15,000 (180 K per year)
School Fees 50 K per year ( 2 kids)
Mobile phone
Health cover for whole family
Airfare for whole family - annual

Madam Medusa

hahahaha...you should see what they are like if there is a thread on maids or schools...vicious...

MM, xx

MataHari

tut tut...no slagging off other forums...that is such bad manners

Madam Medusa

i was only commenting...anyway, i didn't start it...!

MM, xx

The Dean

You've "scored him" a phone interview?

Nicely put - with that sort of talk you'll fit in well round here........

And with an MBA, he will be VERY overqualified in this part of the world if he wants to work in HR......

Aussieoverseas

15,000 is not a big salary here and (depending on your lifestyle) I think for an Aussie family you might be cutting it fine on that amount. It is roughly equivalent to 45,000 Aussie dollars (after tax) - so lets say about $60,000 Aussie (as a salary that has to be taxed in Aus). Expenses here in Al Ain are roughly what we would have back in Aus - what you win on cheap food you lose on the occasional night out to a hotel. Cost of living in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is much higher than in Al Ain.

In Dubai or Abu Dhabi you will chew up that rent allowance very easily. It would be a generous allowance in Al Ain and would easily score you reasonable accommodation - if you could find it. There are a lot of commuters to Dubai and Abu Dhabi now living in Al Ain just because the rents are lower and it is putting pressure on availability and prices here.

The other benefits mentioned are taken for granted by most people here. I am not aware of the price of schooling for little kids but 50 K would go some way to covering them