Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Jan 26th 2010, 5:50 pm
#16
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
I think you have more financial restraint than the average Joe which makes your situation just fine. We just moved from Al Ain and it takes a lot of care not to get caugh up in things here. I truely "get it" now. Everything here is flashy and waaaay expensive and everyone else seems to have it all.
Jan 26th 2010, 7:28 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 38
Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Hi Kitty,
Agree with you on that one. Primark rocks. By the time your clothes are ready to through away, new fashion comes in and you're able to afford it, cause you never pay much in the first place.
Agree with you on that one. Primark rocks. By the time your clothes are ready to through away, new fashion comes in and you're able to afford it, cause you never pay much in the first place.
Jan 27th 2010, 4:10 am
#18
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
I'm also a great fan of doing the rounds of the charity shops for the kids' clothes - especially as I need to have summer (Dubai) and winter (UK) clothes for them all year round. You can pick up stuff from Next, M&S et al for about £1.50 per item max... at that kind of price, you don't mind if they only wear them once (baby) or stain it senseless (toddler)!
Jan 27th 2010, 4:44 am
#19
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Location: Dubai
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Oh, sure, you can live decently on the money and sock away savings.
35K a month adds up to 420K a year, which is not a shabby income by Dubai standards.
A two-bed in the Springs can be had for 100K a year.
Buy second hand Pajero off an expat leaving - 40-60K depending on mileage and age.
Keep your dining habits under control. Check out the cheap and tasty curry houses in Karama or Satwa and don't go to Madinat every Friday night.
Treat brunch like a special occasion and not a regular occurrence.
My suggestion: forget about villas. There's some terrific deals on apartments right now, and posh 3-bed apartments in the Old Town (overlooking Burj Dubai) are going for less than 120K, and your DEWA (utilities) bill will be far, far lower than in a villa (lots of people in villas had unexpected surprises last year when their DEWA bills doubled or even tripled, adding thousands more every month to their regular bill). You'll save much more money that way. Old Town/Burj dubai has become very pleasant with the completion of the promenade around the lake and you could be watching the fountains every night from your flat.
But I agree with the others above: avoid debt at any cost. Have the employer rent the flat for you. Always be prepared to leave Dubai earlier than anticipated.
35K a month adds up to 420K a year, which is not a shabby income by Dubai standards.
A two-bed in the Springs can be had for 100K a year.
Buy second hand Pajero off an expat leaving - 40-60K depending on mileage and age.
Keep your dining habits under control. Check out the cheap and tasty curry houses in Karama or Satwa and don't go to Madinat every Friday night.
Treat brunch like a special occasion and not a regular occurrence.
My suggestion: forget about villas. There's some terrific deals on apartments right now, and posh 3-bed apartments in the Old Town (overlooking Burj Dubai) are going for less than 120K, and your DEWA (utilities) bill will be far, far lower than in a villa (lots of people in villas had unexpected surprises last year when their DEWA bills doubled or even tripled, adding thousands more every month to their regular bill). You'll save much more money that way. Old Town/Burj dubai has become very pleasant with the completion of the promenade around the lake and you could be watching the fountains every night from your flat.
But I agree with the others above: avoid debt at any cost. Have the employer rent the flat for you. Always be prepared to leave Dubai earlier than anticipated.
1. Accommodation must be covered by employers
2. Never have anything here that you can't walk away from at a month's notice.
Because in reality that's all most of us will get if the proverbial hits the fan.
Working here is a means to an end period .
Last edited by co durham boy; Jan 27th 2010 at 6:07 am.
Jan 27th 2010, 7:52 am
#20
If I have to explain...
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
...or spill beer down the front (dad), although I must say have never been in Primark. Don't think it existed when I was in the UK. TKMax was the place to go for cheap "brand" labels.
Last edited by Roadking; Jan 27th 2010 at 7:53 am. Reason: stoopid!
Jan 27th 2010, 8:31 am
#21
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Jan 27th 2010, 9:38 am
#22
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Tbh, all the shops in the UK have had amazing sales on this winter... I don't think I'd ever buy clothes here in Dubai unless I could really help it.
Jan 27th 2010, 10:25 am
#23
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,271
Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
So OP did you get the advice you needed?
Jan 27th 2010, 10:55 am
#24
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Posts: 9
Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Thank you everyone for all your contributions. It has been really helpful. We are moving to Dubai - there seems to be enough people who are making it work for them so we'll give it a go.
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
Jan 27th 2010, 11:52 am
#25
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Thank you everyone for all your contributions. It has been really helpful. We are moving to Dubai - there seems to be enough people who are making it work for them so we'll give it a go.
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
Keep the 'wants' out of the 'needs' category and you'll do a lot better than most here.
Jan 27th 2010, 12:20 pm
#27
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Jan 27th 2010, 2:22 pm
#28
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Well, welcome to Dubai. You will have a few months of glorious weather before the summer hits.
Let me second what I said earlier and be as frugal as possible in your first year. Since you're a small family get a roomy two-bedroom flat in Jumeirah Lakes Towers or the Marina for as low as 75K. Rent, not buy, a car. You will be amazed at how quickly you can spend money just setting up housekeeping in Dubai, and the key to successful saving is to really keep your expenditures to a minimum when you first come here and don't jump into the golden villa lifestyle immediately.
After you've been in Dubai for a year and built up solid savings, you will have a better idea where you stand in terms of security and only then would I take the risk to move into a more expensive property or villa, buy a nicer car and so forth.
Let me second what I said earlier and be as frugal as possible in your first year. Since you're a small family get a roomy two-bedroom flat in Jumeirah Lakes Towers or the Marina for as low as 75K. Rent, not buy, a car. You will be amazed at how quickly you can spend money just setting up housekeeping in Dubai, and the key to successful saving is to really keep your expenditures to a minimum when you first come here and don't jump into the golden villa lifestyle immediately.
After you've been in Dubai for a year and built up solid savings, you will have a better idea where you stand in terms of security and only then would I take the risk to move into a more expensive property or villa, buy a nicer car and so forth.
Thank you everyone for all your contributions. It has been really helpful. We are moving to Dubai - there seems to be enough people who are making it work for them so we'll give it a go.
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
Jan 27th 2010, 2:44 pm
#29
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Joined: May 2009
Location: Back in the best hemisphere...
Posts: 474
Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Thank you everyone for all your contributions. It has been really helpful. We are moving to Dubai - there seems to be enough people who are making it work for them so we'll give it a go.
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
If it doesn't work out, I'll let you know and those who want to, can say I told you so!!!
I am in the process of winding up our company office here in Abu Dhabi, and for several of our employees it was a (relatively) easy process. They packed up their families and moved home, leaving the company holding the leases.
Others, some who were here in the UAE already, or those who wanted to find their own accomodation, have been left with large leases that they have no chance in getting any money back from, and no ability to stay in the country after we had to cancel their visas.
Get your company to provide the housing.
Jan 27th 2010, 3:15 pm
#30
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Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Dubai
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Re: Job offer in Dubai - need advice
Or if they won't - at least get them to put the money for it up front and deduct on a monthly basis from your salary - even if only for the first year (I'm sure some one has already said that).
My company did that for me for the first year....where I work we'd have nought chance of getting company paid accommodation.
Works better for me though...my allowance is more than my rent (and for 5.5 years out of the 6 it always was)...so better off this way.
My company did that for me for the first year....where I work we'd have nought chance of getting company paid accommodation.
Works better for me though...my allowance is more than my rent (and for 5.5 years out of the 6 it always was)...so better off this way.