British Expats

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)
-   Middle East (https://britishexpats.com/forum/middle-east-60/)
-   -   Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years (https://britishexpats.com/forum/middle-east-60/looking-relocate-dubai-few-years-923958/)

pratt123 Apr 8th 2019 12:11 pm

Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 
Hi all,

New to this group but have been reading some of the posts on here and find it extremely informative. Thanks all for taking the time to help each other!

Quick context of my situation currently: My wife, daughter (infant) and I currently live in the UK. We're a young family - both early 30s, so hence looking to maximise time to explore other cultures whilst our daughter is still young. We've been discussing potentially moving to Dubai for a few years now and with the current state of affairs in the UK, we're thinking of perhaps aiming to move by 2021. Between us, we both earn a decent salary in the UK (pre-tax~150k between us) but clearly nothing to show for it at the end of the month ! Conscious Dubai is expensive too but hoping we'll perhaps have a better lifestyle there... even if it is only a stint for a few years. We've a house in the UK, so we could always potentially move back (looking to rent it whist we're there).

I'm a qualified Management Accountant and work as a Finance professional within a Telecoms company (unfortunately not the banks where they pay big money!). I'm not sure at all what the first step is towards planning a move in 2021.. Ideally I was going to contact a few recruiters (any specific ones I need to contact?) and then ask them the Question based on my CV... as to what other skills I probably needed to find a well paying job in Dubai by the time we decide to move. Is there anything else we need to bear in mind or actively be doing please?

P.S. Are we being naive in looking to move to Dubai as I've heard the economic climate isn't rosy there either despite the impending Expo...

Many thanks in advance!

UKCityGent Apr 8th 2019 12:30 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by pratt123 (Post 12667516)
..Between us, we both earn a decent salary in the UK (pre-tax~150k between us) but clearly nothing to show for it at the end of the month ! Conscious Dubai is expensive too but hoping we'll perhaps have a better lifestyle there...

Wow you have a combined income of GBP150k yet nothing to show at the end of the month but think that you will be able to save in Dubai ?

Is London that expensive now ?

I don't think being an accountant (Management or otherwise) is a high paying role in the Middle East due to the cheap(er) labor from the Asian countries - however im sure that someone in the industry will give a better account (no pun intended!)

pratt123 Apr 8th 2019 12:52 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by UKCityGent (Post 12667525)
Wow you have a combined income of GBP150k yet nothing to show at the end of the month but think that you will be able to save in Dubai ?

Is London that expensive now ?

I don't think being an accountant (Management or otherwise) is a high paying role in the Middle East due to the cheap(er) labor from the Asian countries - however im sure that someone in the industry will give a better account (no pun intended!)

Yes, it is sadly :(. We live just outside actually but still quite pricey. Mortgage + Commuting costs x 2 (well into £££s) + Nursery fees + Car + Utilities + General expenses, and we're not looking at a lot left over! Sad fact is we don't even have an extravagant lifestyle to begin with!

dominoman Apr 8th 2019 12:55 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 
You're making a great salary in London so could choose to save money if you wanted to.

Jobs market here is tough at the moment. If you really want to do it then look for jobs on LinkedIn and the big portals, plus an agent or two. Likelihood is that one of you gets a job and then the other will start looking from here. So you or your wife will have to give up their job in the hope of finding something here but with no guarantees. That can be tough (we did the same and my wife hasn't worked 2 years now and is getting frustrated).

One well paid job in Dubai could be enough to match you current after-tax salary. But outgoings will be much higher too so unless you both work you'll likely be worse off.

p.s. I don't expect Expo to make any difference, except for some short term construction work. There's already huge overcapacity here and Expo will make it far worse.

spouse of scouse Apr 8th 2019 12:56 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by pratt123 (Post 12667532)
Yes, it is sadly :(. We live just outside actually but still quite pricey. Mortgage + Commuting costs x 2 (well into £££s) + Nursery fees + Car + Utilities + General expenses, and we're not looking at a lot left over! Sad fact is we don't even have an extravagant lifestyle to begin with!

Hi and welcome to BE. Just something that you may already be aware of, if you have a mortgage on your UK property and are going to rent it out you'd need to let your mortgage provider know. The usual scenario is that unless your mortgage agreement allows you to rent the property, you'll need to switch to a buy to let mortgage at a higher interest rate. Good luck with your plans.

Millhouse Apr 8th 2019 1:58 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 
Why 2021? That’s some serious planning ahead.

A CIMA accountant is pretty cheap here thanks to cima selling out to Sri Lanka.

You need to be CFO to make the cash. Western CFO, Indian finance manager is (or was) the modus operandi but this has been changing to levant Arab/ Indian CFO and the usual mafia below. Salaries dropped with the change.

150k over two salaries is very decent (two sets of allowances etc) and better than a single person clocking 150k. London isn’t that expensive is it?


pratt123 Apr 8th 2019 2:08 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse (Post 12667534)
Hi and welcome to BE. Just something that you may already be aware of, if you have a mortgage on your UK property and are going to rent it out you'd need to let your mortgage provider know. The usual scenario is that unless your mortgage agreement allows you to rent the property, you'll need to switch to a buy to let mortgage at a higher interest rate. Good luck with your plans.

Yep, aware. We'll move to the more expensive BTL...!

pratt123 Apr 8th 2019 2:14 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by dominoman (Post 12667533)
You're making a great salary in London so could choose to save money if you wanted to.

Jobs market here is tough at the moment. If you really want to do it then look for jobs on LinkedIn and the big portals, plus an agent or two. Likelihood is that one of you gets a job and then the other will start looking from here. So you or your wife will have to give up their job in the hope of finding something here but with no guarantees. That can be tough (we did the same and my wife hasn't worked 2 years now and is getting frustrated).

One well paid job in Dubai could be enough to match you current after-tax salary. But outgoings will be much higher too so unless you both work you'll likely be worse off.

p.s. I don't expect Expo to make any difference, except for some short term construction work. There's already huge overcapacity here and Expo will make it far worse.

To be honest, we do save around £2k a month despite earning close to £8-9k between us, and we do not have a lavish lifestyle whatsoever. Fixed costs itself would be close to £5-6k/month with all the usual outgoings (house,car,travel,nursery etc). So I don't mind perhaps saving less than £2k in Dubai if that means we get to live comfortably in a nice house, nice location, good weather (!!!), etc...

Regarding my wife working, she'd be devastated if she can't! She's quite career-minded and so any plan to move there would involve her working as part of the equation too.. unless I earned 6 figures monthly and she can just chill by the pool....... so, in short, no, she'll work too!! :)

Another reason why we really want to move there is because my brother and family lives there and he keeps asking us to move there, even if for a few years. Not sure how feasible it is though judging by all the comments! Dubai is no longer the paradise it once used to be I guess for expats!

pratt123 Apr 8th 2019 2:18 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12667566)
Why 2021? That’s some serious planning ahead.

A CIMA accountant is pretty cheap here thanks to cima selling out to Sri Lanka.

You need to be CFO to make the cash. Western CFO, Indian finance manager is (or was) the modus operandi but this has been changing to levant Arab/ Indian CFO and the usual mafia below. Salaries dropped with the change.

150k over two salaries is very decent (two sets of allowances etc) and better than a single person clocking 150k. London isn’t that expensive is it?


Shame about CIMA because I think I know exactly what you mean.... which is why I'm keen to find out from recruiters what is in demand out there from an experience plus skills perspective. My role itself in the UK is more around business partnering (so quite operational) and less technical 'accounting'. Another reason why we're thinking 2021, is to give ourselves time to up-skill to get decent jobs once we're there...

We've got quite a lot friends and some family too in Dubai... another reason why we'd like to do a stint there when the kid (potentially kids by 2021!) are young....

In a dilemma as we know (and are grateful) that our combined pay in the UK is above average and good enough to have a decent lifestyle with a decent holiday in a year too... but we don't want to fall into that rat-race eternally until we know we've explored this option too... just to avoid any regrets in the future!!

Moses2013 Apr 8th 2019 2:49 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by pratt123 (Post 12667572)
To be honest, we do save around £2k a month despite earning close to £8-9k between us, and we do not have a lavish lifestyle whatsoever. Fixed costs itself would be close to £5-6k/month with all the usual outgoings (house,car,travel,nursery etc). So I don't mind perhaps saving less than £2k in Dubai if that means we get to live comfortably in a nice house, nice location, good weather (!!!), etc...

Regarding my wife working, she'd be devastated if she can't! She's quite career-minded and so any plan to move there would involve her working as part of the equation too.. unless I earned 6 figures monthly and she can just chill by the pool....... so, in short, no, she'll work too!! :)

Another reason why we really want to move there is because my brother and family lives there and he keeps asking us to move there, even if for a few years. Not sure how feasible it is though judging by all the comments! Dubai is no longer the paradise it once used to be I guess for expats!

It just sounds like you need a longer holiday. Why not just take more time off (career break) and explore Europe for a few months. You could just lease a motorhome and drive where the road takes you, maybe Greece?

scot47 Apr 8th 2019 3:44 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 
Accountancy ? you will be competing with staff from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. How much do you suppose they earn at home ?

pratt123 Apr 8th 2019 3:58 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by scot47 (Post 12667618)
Accountancy ? you will be competing with staff from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. How much do you suppose they earn at home ?

Clearly not looking to work as an accountant. Did that 8 years ago. Hopefully having worked in decent companies here for 10 years will help I imagine Thinking more towards a Senior Finance Manager or something operational (management capacity ) within Telecoms.

Clearly limiting my options I know!

Lul37 Apr 8th 2019 5:28 pm

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 
You will probably have a ‘better lifestyle’ here if you (or both of you) managed to secure a job as good as the one you got now in London. Apartments are much bigger here, weather is great most of the year and it’s very toddler/family friendly. Be careful not to get too sucked in though, for example if you don’t need a nanny don’t get one just because everyone else has.
However if your wife will be working you will have no choice as schools here don’t have breakfast/after school clubs.

Just be wary if one of you decides down the line that you want to move back, and other one wants to stay put after having had a taste of Dubai, then it’s a real dilemma take it from me :confused_smile:

Make sure you discuss this in advance especially as you have a child/children. It only gets harder once they start school and you have to factor in expensive. school fees.

pratt123 Apr 9th 2019 5:44 am

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by Lul37 (Post 12667680)
You will probably have a ‘better lifestyle’ here if you (or both of you) managed to secure a job as good as the one you got now in London. Apartments are much bigger here, weather is great most of the year and it’s very toddler/family friendly. Be careful not to get too sucked in though, for example if you don’t need a nanny don’t get one just because everyone else has.
However if your wife will be working you will have no choice as schools here don’t have breakfast/after school clubs.

Just be wary if one of you decides down the line that you want to move back, and other one wants to stay put after having had a taste of Dubai, then it’s a real dilemma take it from me :confused_smile:

Make sure you discuss this in advance especially as you have a child/children. It only gets harder once they start school and you have to factor in expensive. school fees.

Thank you. This is precisely what we have been thinking as well with respect to lifestyle.
Our key concerns are about finding those good jobs for both of us.. we don't even know where to start... And we are also conscious and willing to upskill ourselves over the next 24 months or so to give us the best chance to succeed over there..

pratt123 Apr 9th 2019 6:50 am

Re: Looking to relocate to Dubai for a few years
 

Originally Posted by Moses2013 (Post 12667598)
It just sounds like you need a longer holiday. Why not just take more time off (career break) and explore Europe for a few months. You could just lease a motorhome and drive where the road takes you, maybe Greece?

Ah, tempting !! :)


All times are GMT. The time now is 8:17 am.

Powered by vBulletin: ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.