lionheart

To be honest, if you are single and pretty, you will find that going out at night in Dubai is not that expensive as there will be plenty of guys wanting to buy you drinks. Also you can further economise my eating at local restaurants, where a nice curry or whatever will cost you less than five quid.

Paddy09

I was in a similar situation to you a few weeks back as I had a job offer for KSA and Abu Dhabi. I chose AD.

The KSA offer was approx 20% higher but I would of been working 6-7 days a week in the desert rather than the 5 days a week in the city of AD. Since arriving here I feel I have made the right decision. The work is tough but there is a good social life to go with it.

I would say that it is important to repay your debts but you should not let it control your life. If you get a good deal for rent in AD, you could easily save money here.

Best of luck

admon

Choose Life.

spacecamel

I live on Aramco and I can advice!!

If you dont have family ,husband and children to keep you busy, even after work hours you will get crazy here, or at least for the first few months.

There is no social life ouside the camp. the only people you can hang out with are your neighbours and your coworkers.
You can go to bahrain, but only on the weekends.

Roadking

Choose money and save for your old age when you are too old to enjoy life

MovingToMidEast

I definitely dont want to move to Saudi just to save for my old age because its important to enjoy life in the present, not 20 years away because you will be missing out on life Now. Its def impt to have savings for the future but that shouldnt be the primary focus because again you deny yourself in hte present.

Spacecamel: why does it get better after the first few months??

norsk

How come I get a feeling this is a trolling session? Or is living in KSA making me cynical?

Victor Meldrew

Depends on your age now, and the difference in pay you will get in Saudi. I think 3 to 4 years now (I presume you are below early 30's? don't know why), when you have many more years left to live, will set you up well. You can still have a good social life, it's just different to AD.

If you are 50 + you have to think that it's generally harder to endure 'hardships' (though I dont actually think KSA is as much a hardship as it might seem to an outsider), and is a time when you should be easing off the pedal not pushing yourself into things you might not want to do.

I don't know what the place where you are going to is like, but I was in Riyadh for 3 years and socially had a blast.

You also say the AD job will involve a lot of very hard work and long hours, won't this be just as much an endurance? You could end up being too kn*ckered to enjoy yourself anyway.

The bottom line is that there are great advantages to both your options, which is why, like you say, it is a difficult decision.

spacecamel

Hi Moving to Mideast

It does get better after fw months living in Aramco , because you get to know more people and make new friends. Also You learn how to adjust to this kind of life. Whitch means, No driving outside camp, No malls or bars after work. The only way to socialise is in people s houses or in Bahrain on the week ends.

But actually if you don t mind the traffic , you can go to Bahrain after work, have dinner and come back late evenings. Lots of people do that.

Living in Aramco is not that bad, but you need to be motivated and ready for this kind of change in your life.

Good luck

spart

I did a stint in the back blocks of Malaysia, living in camps, making great money. Nothing to do but watch DVDs and drink home brew. Likewise stints in remote fly in fly out camps in Australia, watching satelite TV and drinking with your co workers. And saving money.

What you find is that the time goes very quick, and you can be exposed to more interesting and senior roles, ie when your boss is away for weeks at a time on R&R leave, you will get opportunities to step up.

You will also find it a great networking opportunity - you will get to know everyone in your industry in the compound/camp. The friends I have made from living in camps have opened doors for me years later. The flip side of that is that you can sometimes find out a little too much about people you work with.

Kiara

For goodness sake, listen to Lionheart. Take the AD deal!!!

lets just recap some facts about Saudi. Females can't drive, vote or give evidence in court (unless there in no man). Alcohol and relationships outside of marriage are forbidden. So what's a single girl to do for fun?? No TV, concerts, limited legal rights . . . the list goes on. Last year UAE hoasted Justin Timberlake, Elton John, Queen, every year Red Bull air race in AD, this year F1 GP just finished, Ski Dubai all year round, bar's night clubs and legal alcohol for licenced expats . . . where's the comparison?

How much money do you really need?? You should make plenty of money in AD, and as Lionheart correctly says, it's easy to live cheap if you are careful. After 3 yrs in UAE, turning my financial life around from bankrupt to millionaire, I'd say you'd have to be brain dead not to be well off in UAE, and since you got two job offers, I'd say you’re not brain dead.

Commuting from Dubai SUCKS!! But AD rent is high. You can have plenty of fun in AD because it's more about the people right? PM me your package details and I can give you some AD financial/expected-lifestyle advice if you like. (not that I'm opinionated, mind u)

IMHO Abu Dhabi is the best of all Gulf cities (having lived in AD, Dubai, Sharjah and Doha and worked in Bahrain), unless you are addicted to rave nightclubs, in which case go to Dubai. Even then, I know an Irish raver who found enough in AD to keep himself satisfied.

When you get to AD, drop me a line and I'll introduce you to some friends.

*SMACK* to YOU for even contemplating. Money or Lifestyle?? - Have em both!

eylesda

My 2 pennies worth after being in Saudi for 25 years is that life in Aramco and Saudi is not at all bad. Aramco really look after their people, you are all but untouchable police and mutawa wise, there is a great social scene and you WILL meet loads of single guys from oil and other industries.

There are open house and dinner parties every weekend plus Bahrain is only an hour away. Aramco has it's own cinema, supermarket, hospital, even a bloody golf course and private beach!

I know loads of people in Aramco who have a great life, in fact we had a better social life there before we moved the family to Bahrain for schooling.

I've been to AD often and find it to be a dull concrete patch, in Dahran you will be encouraged to explore the regions history, as there is loads to see.(if you have'nt been here then don't flame me!)

Give Aramco a chance, you can always quit and move to AD but not the reverse I think.

MovingToMidEast

Thank you all for your input. A lot of good advice and valuable input. Should end my misery by making a decision within the next day or so!

commander

Choose a job.
Choose a career.
Choose a family,
Choose a ****ing big television
Choose washing machines, cars,
compact disc players, and electrical tin openers.
Choose good health, low cholesterol
and dental insurance.
Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments.
Choose a starter home.
Choose your friends.
Choose leisure wear and matching luggage.
Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase
in a range of ****ing fabrics.
Choose DIY and wondering who you
are on a Sunday morning.
Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing
sprit-crushing ga me shows
Stuffing ****ing junk food into your mouth.
Choose rotting away at the end of it all,
pishing you last in a miserable home
Nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish,
****ed-up brats
You have spawned to replace yourself.
Choose your future. Choose life.

Blue Cat

busy in the office today then ...