co durham boy

6 months will fly by , new job , new country and a whole different way of life . It's always difficult leaving the family but that's the nature of the game. I've done it umpteen times and it doesn't get any easier but it's only a small downside if it works out for you.

Best of luck mate !

Meow

It hasn't been scrapped, but for people on a decent salary who have been employed for a while it's not as harsh as it used to be.

scrubbedexpat141

You can leave whenever you want, the NOC laws are a bit hit and miss but as long as you're moving Emirate, you're fine. Normally you need to have done 2 years to get an NOC to move within the Emirate your visa is for.

ALTHOUGH.....some say that has since changed to depend on qualification and salary level, but don't hold me to that.

ChrisH3

Suppose you are right Durham lad, 6 months would fly by especially with taking everything in and settling in etc. Have you worked and lived in AD? if so what do you think of the offer so far? i say so far because obviously i have not had interview yet...i only ask because i see from your profile you too are in construction. Have you had any dealings with ETA... I know from what Scamp says they seem to have a bad rep...but theres a good few companys in the UK that if someone rang me and said what do you think of them id day do not work for them they are terrible etc?!

ChrisH3

Just seen this, could not view it on my phone earlier today... brilliant!!! haha
i dont feed him in england apart from a pot noodle every now and then!!! he will be fine!

ChrisH3

ok people so iv had a look around a few rental places tonight just for estimates etc, and iv found a lot of apartments for rent in Corniche 100k PA, Tourist Club Area 90k-100k PA, Abu Dhabi city downtown 100k PA, Al Khalidya 85k, all with quite a few properties available, so using your figures i can take away the 0.5k for fuel, but il keep the 2k in there for a car and add that as taxi use per month,but keeping all the other figures, even tho internet, tv and phone can come cheaper in these apartment blocks thus far lets say i pay the 100k a year for say the corniche or Tourist club area
8350 rent
2000 taxi
3000 school - if i cant negotiate half or full payment
4000 shopping
1000 utilities
500 internet/phone
1000 saving for flight home (says on email from agent should be included but)
500 night out
comes to 20350 Per month
saving 4967.5 AED per month out of a 25317AED £52k salary PA
Also get free gym and swimming pool etc with these apartments.
doesnt seem to bad? just need to get better feed back about the job. see what interviewers say, and i will get a contact email for the lad who is on the actual job for feedback from him. I have worked in construction for 14 years now iv been on big jobs and little job good firms and bad firms, and all construction goes wrong in places even on little jobs so not suprising if it is on a major contract like this one...il just crack the whip and get it back on track.
Anyone think iv got these figures wrong or exagerated?

lullabelle

You're kind of not listening, really.

You making the figures work on paper won't actually make the figures work in reality.

You wanting this company to be kosher won't make what Scamp says any less valid.

People either cme here for the money or the opportunity ( ie decent job)

If the money is good and the job is shit, just wait for that little text every month that tells you why you are sacrificing your soul for a bunch of utter twats.

If the money is shit but the job is good, you have the warm glow of doing
something that will make a difference to your career.

Neither of the above in one offer is a lose lose situation.

Put it this way, if you were offered a job with a shit company in the UK, which had a terrible reputation for staff leaving and general uselessness, which paid you an extra 150 quid a month but you had to shell out about five grand before you even got your first pay packet, where you had no way of leaving for a year, where you had to pay your rent at least six months up front with no break clause, and you took your life in your hands every time you drove to the school...would you take it?

If the answer is yes then you best go and buy some sunnies for the sandpit.

co durham boy

I've lived and worked in A.D but it was over 10 years ago and i enjoyed it . You're offer is entry level expat and it's on the low side for a family , in my opinion you'll struggle and you need to negotiate up and get everything itemised and broken down in an offer in writing .

Any construction company who wants to hire Western Expats but doesn't want to pay the Western Expat premiums isn't worth working for in my eyes . If they're going to turn you over now they'll screw you when you're on the job.

There's no great construction companies in this part of the world mate , i've worked for some of the biggest ones in the U.A.E and have been royally screwed over the years . You come here make hay while the sun shines then move on when the shit hits the fans because believe you me it always does in this industry.

My advice to anyone in this industry is they should have the basics in their package covered by the company or a total sum that equates to that figure .
Like i said before if firms want grade A expertise then let them pay for it , if not there's plenty other donkeys out there who'll follow the carrot .

Good luck

popsicle

I don't live in AD, so this is more of a perspective from a woman in the middle east, but it's going to be really, really tough going on that salary. There is very, very, very little to do here that doesn't cost loads of money. I mean, you're looking at £6/7 to sit in a mum's and kids play group, £2 to walk on the beach. You just can't can't do a shop with a little one in tow without a car during the summer. Actually, I know some people do it, but it is really tough going out here in the summer when everyone has packed up and gone back to the UK or wherever. If you don't have a place to stay, that's going to end up really expensive too.

I'm not saying don't do it, because it will be an adventure, but you must must negotiate up. It's not like in the UK where they offer you a salary and you accept or not. It's a starting point to work on. It's the same as in shops in the UK where you wouldn't walk into a shop and ask them if that's their best price....you would here, and you'd be crazy not too. It's the way it works. It's more of a bartering system.

If they don't offer you what you need and you are still really keen to come out here, wait a bit and get a better paid job.

ChrisH3

This is it, iam still in a negotiating position. It is not that iam not listening iam. Iam just putting things together on a notepad so when i go for the interview i know what iam asking if ie with regards to school fees, they pay that theres another 3000aed im saving. I just want to see if when im in there and there is no budging on the salary if i shluld accept or not. Working on todays present prices over there with regards to renting etc. i mean iv already said iv found apartments for 2/3k less a month in better areas. It is a confusing time for me i aint done this before and i appreciate all comments back.

popsicle

As you say, I think the comments on it all looking like it would work money-wise on paper, but it would be more difficult in real life are worth taking in. It's difficult to explain, but what you end up spending money on over here is completely different to what you do in the UK. It's difficult to comprehend until you get here. You can go days where you spend hardly anything at all, you can get a shirt ironed for 10p, packet of cigs for £1.60, fill up your car for a tender all of that. But then it could be £50 to get a pece of paper stamped, £100 to get your child's name on the waiting list for each school you put their name down on. £15 for a kid's t shirt, £60 for a pair of shoes, £3 for a small jar of marmite... You can just get desperate to get out and it's boiling hot and end up spending £100 on going on some mediocre outing. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go back to the uk for all the tea in China, but when I do go back to the Uk and roll up to the library or pop round to my Auntie's, or watch some decent Saturday night telly I realise some of the things I have to compensate that with in the middle east don't come cheap.

Meow

ChrisH3 - some of us would be ever so grateful if you'd use a few more capital letters and punctuation.

Thanks

<pedant/>

ChrisH3

I do apologise, Meow. I shall try harder! Its sometimes hard for me as iam messaging on my IPhone, on site. I will negotiate up and i will not accept the move for that wage now. I do want to save more and want a better life, i guess on this wage it is unrealistic. Hopefully other offers will come, if this firm are not forthcoming with negotiations. I hope my friend who has put my name forward will not be top disappointed but in fairness he should understand. Any one know of any jobs for pipefitters? Mechanical supervisors? Im up for it! Haha

co durham boy

I hope it works out for you mate . Always remember though there's no streets paved with gold here , there's usually a few kerbs missing and numerous piles of dog shit that you'll tread in over time.

There's always a trade off being an expat , whether that's being away from family working over leave periods or being in places or with people you don't particular like.

There's very few people who get a free ride in this part of the world.

scrubbedexpat141

I got a free ride in Kuwait from a company I visited.

Took nearly an hour and the bloke had 3 thumbs, but was still free.