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car bodywork jobs in uae

car bodywork jobs in uae

Old Apr 22nd 2018, 7:03 pm
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Default car bodywork jobs in uae

Hi Everyone...

Im new to the forum and wanted to know if anyone can give me information on the car bodywork trade in the uae.. e.g work availability, salary etc. Also is speaking arabic a must or beneficial in relation to work opportunities?

Currently I'm in the uk but looking for opportunities to move there and most of my experience is in the car industry.

Any advice or guidance would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
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Old Apr 23rd 2018, 11:50 pm
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

All the bodywork shops in Abu Dhabi anyhow are in Musaffah and done by men from the sub-continent. I've never seen a western in any garage in Abu Dhabi. I imagine there salaries are between 2-4K AED a month and not something a Western expat could consider. It's not a professional for UK Nationals
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 12:27 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Thank you for your feedback..

I understand the small independent garages wouldn't pay very well as its the same in the UK, I was looking more towards working for car dealerships or a company with big financial backing e.g at the moment the company I work for purchase and repair cars to then sell them on a national scale so I was hoping the UAE may have something along the same level?

Out of curiosity, where do car hire and insurance companies get damaged vehicles repaired in the UAE?

On the other hand, isnt the UAE big on cosmetically enhancing vehicles like wrapping or tinting? Is that a possible trade to do as a westerner?


Once again thanks in advance for any feedback given by anyone!
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 1:44 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

The car dealerships and car hire companies also only use people from the Subcontinent or Africa, though occasionally you might see an Arab Expat (from Egypt etc) in there. I've never seen a Westerner.

Though I think the salary sman987 quoted is very, very high. I leased a car for 5 years (I put about 5,000 to 6,000 km on it every month) and got to know the folks at the company I leased from very well - the branch manager showed me his monthly pay slip once and it was 1,500 AED. That was the manager . . . one of the regular staffers who was East African was making less.

Those companies, employ people in-house to do the repairs, they have big lots in multiple places across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and they are also not staffed by Westerners.

Tinting and wrapping is the same, your resident car owner goes to the little shop in the industrial area or has a friend do it. The big companies who hire cars out, have that done at the start but if for some reason they need it re-done their in-house people do it.

Sorry this just isn't a profession for Westerners in the UAE, and you will have to try some other avenue.
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 6:58 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Originally Posted by carcajou
The car dealerships and car hire companies also only use people from the Subcontinent or Africa, though occasionally you might see an Arab Expat (from Egypt etc) in there. I've never seen a Westerner.

Though I think the salary sman987 quoted is very, very high. I leased a car for 5 years (I put about 5,000 to 6,000 km on it every month) and got to know the folks at the company I leased from very well - the branch manager showed me his monthly pay slip once and it was 1,500 AED. That was the manager . . . one of the regular staffers who was East African was making less.

Those companies, employ people in-house to do the repairs, they have big lots in multiple places across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and they are also not staffed by Westerners.

Tinting and wrapping is the same, your resident car owner goes to the little shop in the industrial area or has a friend do it. The big companies who hire cars out, have that done at the start but if for some reason they need it re-done their in-house people do it.

Sorry this just isn't a profession for Westerners in the UAE, and you will have to try some other avenue.
i thought it was illegal to have tinted windows in a leased/hired car.
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 7:14 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

I seem to remember mine having it, I think it's illegal to have it tinted past a certain darkness? The point is the same. They're not going to hire out a Westerner at Western prices to do anything.
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 7:56 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

UKcit - for work in this sector you would need language ability in English and Arabic. And expect a thousand Dirhams a month as salary.
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 9:04 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Originally Posted by scot47
UKcit - for work in this sector you would need language ability in English and Arabic. And expect a thousand Dirhams a month as salary.
Actually more likely Urdu and Jinglish.

I know a Brit-Indian who runs a garage. Only able to do this by exploiting his homeland brothers and using the language.

It’s cheap too. A panel is about 300dh.
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 3:19 pm
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Thank you for your replies..

what other avenues are available in this field that you would recommend. Or even not in this field but speaks English and is from UK?
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 5:43 pm
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Originally Posted by UKcit
Thank you for your replies..

what other avenues are available in this field that you would recommend. Or even not in this field but speaks English and is from UK?
Financial advisor or estate agent.
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 6:04 pm
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Hey Millhouse, do you not need to be qualified for financial advisor?

Any roles that pay atleast £1500 to begin with would be great? Maybe jobs that require taking a short course in the UK to get certified even?
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Old Apr 24th 2018, 11:53 pm
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Teaching English through one of the British Council courses like CELTA etc that are about a month long.

They aren't "real" teaching qualifications and can't be used in place of a PGCE to teach in a "real" school, but lots of after-school academies etc in the Gulf hire people with those. You may need to get a year or two of experience in Korea or Southeast Asia first before becoming competitive in the Gulf. It would also be helpful if you broadened your horizon to include other Gulf countries like KSA. You could probably get 1,500 GBP in the Gulf on that (you won't get that in the Far East).
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 1:00 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Originally Posted by carcajou
Teaching English through one of the British Council courses like CELTA etc that are about a month long.

They aren't "real" teaching qualifications and can't be used in place of a PGCE to teach in a "real" school, but lots of after-school academies etc in the Gulf hire people with those. You may need to get a year or two of experience in Korea or Southeast Asia first before becoming competitive in the Gulf. It would also be helpful if you broadened your horizon to include other Gulf countries like KSA. You could probably get 1,500 GBP in the Gulf on that (you won't get that in the Far East).
I have my mind made for it to be the UAE as coming from the UK the UAE is the closest country similar to the UK out of the whole of the GCC. Im looking to move and settle there hence why I wouldn't mind looking into courses that could kick start a career for me there as bodywork does not seem to be as beneficial as it is in the UK unfortunately

I will look into CELTA though thank you, it would be satisfactory to attain work in the UAE still right?

Any other advice or help would be highly appreciated.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 4:05 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Originally Posted by UKcit
I have my mind made for it to be the UAE as coming from the UK the UAE is the closest country similar to the UK out of the whole of the GCC. Im looking to move and settle there hence why I wouldn't mind looking into courses that could kick start a career for me there as bodywork does not seem to be as beneficial as it is in the UK unfortunately

I will look into CELTA though thank you, it would be satisfactory to attain work in the UAE still right?

Any other advice or help would be highly appreciated.
OK, wow. Not saying this to have a dig at you but -

1. UAE is not similar to the UK in any way, shape, or form. Saying it's the most British of the GCC countries is like ordering steak instead of hamburger or mutton, because you reason that of the three, steak is closer to a garden salad. Throw this out as a consideration for moving to the UAE.

2. Nobody is allowed to "settle" in the UAE. There is no such thing as permanent residency, and no path to citizenship. Living there is a continuous series of work visas that can be stopped at any moment and for, literally, any reason, including things that would be illegal and grounds for a lawsuit in the UK. When your employer ends your contract, you usually have 30 days to get out of the country. But, beyond that, very few Westerners last more than a few years there. Your thinking should be in 3-5 year cycles, and then re-assessing, not as a "forever" move or even a decade-long move. Throw in the economic downturn and things are really, really tough in a lot of fields.

3. This also means you can't move to the UAE first, and then find a job. You have to be sponsored by a company first. You won't be able to rent an apartment without a work visa (or do just about anything else). UAE employers are generally not amenable to "pop-ins" by job aspirants.

4. I think it's exceedingly unlikely you would find employment in the UAE on a CELTA with no experience, which is why I said in the other post that if you choose to go down that path, you probably would need to work a few years in the Far East or Southeast Asia first, and a comparatively low salary. You will also restrict your options if you focus only on the UAE. On a CELTA pathway you are looking at a multi-year strategy for getting into the UAE, but that's better than no chance at all I suppose.

5. Another angle to look at would be security contractors who sometimes need mechanics - they can hire Westerners on Western salaries for certain projects, because they can have specific contracts with foreign governments. But, again, very little shot at this if you are going to restrict yourself to only the UAE.

I would highly recommend you find someone in your town or neighbourhood who has worked in the UAE and can talk to you about what things are like in the Middle East.

Good luck.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 4:39 am
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Default Re: car bodywork jobs in uae

Originally Posted by UKcit
Hey Millhouse, do you not need to be qualified for financial advisor?

Any roles that pay atleast £1500 to begin with would be great? Maybe jobs that require taking a short course in the UK to get certified even?
Well... technically yes, but they are not hard and I think that most places in Dubai will put you through the basic one - or you can do that in the UK. Ultimately it’s a sales job.

1500quid a month won’t cut it here. You’ll need 10k aed/month to survive and 15k/month to thrive. A low grade teacher gets 10k + housing.
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