flares

it isn't! believe me!!

auzdafluff

About the Yaris? Tough to be honest. Millhouse is right when he says forget about thinking in pounds, but just to help you realise how much more expensive it is out here, consider this. That 2K a month is the equivalent of you paying £340 a month for it in the UK.

Anything better is about another 1K a month. Want a 4x4? Be prepared to drop 4K+ a month. Do it for 12 months, or push for a car allowance of 3K.

Oh, and the one piece of advice that isn't being banded around is do not under any circumstances take out a loan (vehicle or personal). Working in the Middle East, you can be dropped quicker than a fly to shit.

There are no bankruptcy laws over here, and even leaving your current employer for a position that pays 50% more with a load more benefits when you have a loan is a major pain in the ass (as I'm about to discover all to well).

auzdafluff

Saudi's right. The only thing booming is stocks in Real Estate bullshitting.

Tockalosh

Mate, 1 as in Kix is not loads.

On a more constructive note, focus the agent on him finding out why 6 single guys have left before you even buy the train ticket. As previous posters have already said, AD should be close to paradise for a healthy heterosexual male. I would have loved to be have been here in my much younger and single days as the opportunities for fun are endless.
So something sounds very wrong and I don't want to piss on your flames of hope and expectantcy but if you come here on what is a shite salary, working longer hours than you are used to, in a brutal climatic environment, for a shite company then you may end up worse off and much more unhappy than you are now.

It worries me that you dismiss a yaris. They are a perfectly good little car and a Geordie in a range rover is like putting ketchup on caviar so cut your cloth accordingly if you do take the position.

scrubbedexpat141

This might make you both feel a bit better.

I get paid less than both of you (would be)

My basic is less than 20,000 a month (but I do get monthly commission which can make it much much nicer, but ignore that, because I save it).

I rent a 1 bed apartment for 62,500, its amazing (5208 per month)
Du (internet / tv) - 500 a month
DEWA (leccy/water) - 200 a month
Air con - Varies, it's on 24/7 at mo and am shitting myself for next bill, but about 250 a month
Car - despite what people say, a car loan isn't scary, i pay 1547 a month for a 4x4.

That totals 7,705 per month, leaving 12,000, give or take.

That's 2,000 quid, disposable income. Alright, I transfer some home every month (500 quid / 3000 dizzers) and then have to buy food and shit and don't have a baby / wife to look after (although my girlfriend doesn't come too cheap)......but it's more than enough to live on.

Fortunately I've not had a month without bonus yet, so that makes a huge difference to me but if I were in your boots, I'd probably be thinking the following;

When do I fly?

Oyibopeppeh

That makes a HUGE difference Scamps....if things go tits up for you, it's not difficult to either get yourself another job or do a runner.

Having a family with him (as the OP does) not only puts a much bigger strain on the financials, but a much greater responsibility to provide for them and keep the money coming in.

Millhouse

Totally agree. The costs and risks explode as soon as you have dependents.

Scamp - Imagine the situation when you lose your job - you will just do a runner, bin the 4x4 at the airport, 700quid and 9 hours later you are back in Reading drinking tea at your mums. Our Geordie mate has just sunk in another terms school fees and needs to find 3 flights. He isn't going anywhere.

scrubbedexpat141

Completely agree. It does make things much more complicated, but I pretty much pay for everything for the mrs and I, bar the odd bit of food shopping and still save each month.

Therefore, on a larger salary surely there is the ability to provide for the small one and still have a good time.

People shouldn't worry too much.

Millhouse

26k will be very tight. 30k sorted and comfortable.

Remember the poor woman at home, bored out of her skull with a kid who isn't allowed outside as it's too hot. There are only so many cakes a woman can bake in a day. Knock up the misses Scamp and then you can report back

I never realized until Mrs Millhouse got a job quite how much she was spending during the day keeping herself entertained.

scrubbedexpat141

Is 'baking cakes' some sort of euphemism?

Knock the missus up? Got to be kidding haven't you? I can barely look after myself let a lone a mini-Scamp. Not for at least another 7-8 years. Plus, they ruin your life.

ChrisH3

Some conflicting reports here!!! Its doin my head in! A lot of me wants this but like everyone is saying iv got wor lass and the bairn to sort out! I could drive a yaris i was only joking i used to hav a clio a few yr ago!!! I will speak to agent tomoro or friday and see what options will be there i hae actually seen decent apartments in decent areas? Corniche for 100k a year? If i get my school feed sorted i shud be ok? My gf is a sun worshipper and she could end up working as well as she would end up wanting too. So lets see what happens yes need to find out real reason 6 ppl have left but i have a friend of a friend on the job who says its fine? I have not spoke to him myself tho. In anycase without the employer guranteeing long term work i wudnt leave...... But i want to!!

Millhouse

there are conflicting reports as you are getting answers from (1) people in the same situation as you and therefore know the costs and (2) those who are only imagining what it would be like.

ChrisH3

Fair one millhouse! Well i have not accepted anything yet and i will make it clear to the regional director that i have done my research and i wont be going over to have a worse life than i have here in the uk. So it will all depend on what i can get. Maybe i will just come on my own but then i will also be sending money home and it will be hard being away from son and id miss the gf after a while! School fees is a must. The corniche area for 100k aed wud mean less on a car and on taxis yes?

Millhouse

I'd be surprised if you can get the corniche for 100k, but then again rents have fallen a lot so maybe it's possible since I left there. (My three bed flat was c.200k in 2009 - I'm now told its around 130k).

ChrisH3

There was at least 9 or 10 different 2 bed 3 bath apartments in the corniche for 100k? I would post link up but im on my iphone at work! Its using same site as i put links on last nite. When i looked on the one u gave there were places for less 70k.