Moving to Abu Dhabi
Hello, I have been offered a job in Abu Dhabi with an annual package of 600k AED. In addition to this, schooling allowance is provided for my children as is healthcare for the entire family. I’ve been looking at areas to live and Al Reef villas look good value, with a good community feel with other expats nearby. This would around a 25 minute commute to my work each day and around 10-15 minutes to school. A suitable villa in this area looks to be around 150K AED. We’d also still have to cover some costs here in the UK while living over there (around £2k GBP per month). Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on the cost of living in Abu Dhabi compared to the UK and if this level of package be sufficient? Also, what are your thought on Al Reef? Thanks in advance! |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Can't judge the package without knowing what the job is. If you're middle to upper middle management, it's a good package. If you're a CEO, not so much. Either way, it's more than sufficient if your school fees are covered. Cost of living is much higher though, if the package is not a significant increase on your UK package, I wouldn't bother unless you particularly want to move to Abu Dhabi.
Al Reef is ok, everyone I know who moved there did so because the rents are cheaper more than any other reason, none of them are unhappy there. Rents are dropping all over the place though, you may be able to find somewhere comparable in Al Raha Gardens for 150k if that's similarly convenient for work/school. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
50,000 a month
+ Schooling - fully covered or an allowance? + Medical So: 50,000 monthly. - Housing 12,500 - Cars 5,000 - Flights 1,500 - UK money 10,000 = 29,000 left = £5,800 for savings, beer, whores, skateboards, holidays, new kicks. Depends how that compares to back home and if that money is an improvement or similar after you've paid rent / mortgage and transport where you are. If it's a chunk more then it's probably worth the jump, if it's the same it's just whether you want sunshine or not. If it's less most would say don't bother. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Originally Posted by Scamp
(Post 12506326)
50,000 a month
+ Schooling - fully covered or an allowance? + Medical So: 50,000 monthly. - Housing 12,500 - Cars 5,000 - Flights 1,500 - UK money 10,000 = 29,000 left = £5,800 for savings, beer, whores, skateboards, holidays, new kicks. Depends how that compares to back home and if that money is an improvement or similar after you've paid rent / mortgage and transport where you are. If it's a chunk more then it's probably worth the jump, if it's the same it's just whether you want sunshine or not. If it's less most would say don't bother. 4,500 annually for housing tax c15,000 annually for utilities |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Originally Posted by Pongo
(Post 12506475)
Plus 4,500 annually for housing tax c15,000 annually for utilities TV Internet Mobile etc All that stuff is so broadly similar to the UK that comparing them is just making the lists longer than they need to be. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Thanks for all the feedback, much appreciated!
Gavtek - It's a supervisory role, one step below management. Thanks for the recommendation on Al Raha gardens. In your opinion is this a better location than Al Reef? My office is near al Maryah Island so driving time looks to be similar from both locations. Scamp - We get an allownace of 40k AED for schooling for up to three children. By the time our kids start school our UK costs will be around half the current level (loans/mortgages paid off). I forgot to mention that we also get an annual home leave allowance which should cover 2 trips home to the UK each year. There is an annual bonus scheme and the relocation allowance is more than enough for us to transport our belongings from the UK, buy furniture over there and have plenty left over. I think we'll be able to save some money but not a huge amount. The key things for us is my wife can work less, (she works full time in the UK), kids will go to nice school (can't afford private education in the UK) and we like the idea of the way of living and the climate. My main concern at this point is choosing the right location and dealing with the traffic. Do any of you know what times of the day the traffic is at it's worst? I was hoping I could start early/finish early to avoid the worst of it. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Originally Posted by Abudhabi2018
(Post 12506541)
My main concern at this point is choosing the right location and dealing with the traffic. Do any of you know what times of the day the traffic is at it's worst? I was hoping I could start early/finish early to avoid the worst of it. hw2014 |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Thanks helloworld2014.
It's good to hear from someone who lives in Al Reef. Have you lived there a long time and would you recommend the area for an expat family with young children? I take it rush hours tend to be 7-9am and then 3-5pm? Or thereabouts? |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Hello,
We've lived here for just over 3 years - our son (10) loves it, we live an apartment (my wife's employer's pays for it), we have 2/3 pools that we can use, a small supermarket, costa, starbucks, fast food restaurants, chemist and more 2 minutes walk away. It's great for kids as they all congregate near to the supermarket area in the evenings - with open space to run around in, and a small park etc. It's good for my wife's commute into work and sons school trip (bateen area - 25 mins away, my wifes employer's pay for his school fees), and for my work commute in Dubai - at the beginning of Sheikh Zayed Road (45-50 mins) away. Everything is "25 minutes or so away" from Al Reef in Abu Dhabi - the Corniche, Yas Waterworld, Al Mayah Island, Yas Island etc etc - Yas Mall (the best Mall in Abu Dhabi) is 10 mins away. Good location for the airport too, 10 mins. And also for those staycations and visits to Dubai on a weekend. Yeah - rush hour is as you mention. I travel into Abu Dhabi quite regulary in rush hour for work, and I can get pretty much anywhere in about 25/30 minutes regardless of traffic in the morning evening - occasionally there are one or two issues on the Al Reef roundabout - usually when there is an accident, or the police block one of the exits as there is a palace 3 minutes away - but this usually clears after 5 minutes or so. hw2014 |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Originally Posted by Abudhabi2018
(Post 12506541)
Thanks for all the feedback, much appreciated!
Gavtek - It's a supervisory role, one step below management. Thanks for the recommendation on Al Raha gardens. In your opinion is this a better location than Al Reef? My office is near al Maryah Island so driving time looks to be similar from both locations. Scamp - We get an allownace of 40k AED for schooling for up to three children. By the time our kids start school our UK costs will be around half the current level (loans/mortgages paid off). I forgot to mention that we also get an annual home leave allowance which should cover 2 trips home to the UK each year. There is an annual bonus scheme and the relocation allowance is more than enough for us to transport our belongings from the UK, buy furniture over there and have plenty left over. I think we'll be able to save some money but not a huge amount. The key things for us is my wife can work less, (she works full time in the UK), kids will go to nice school (can't afford private education in the UK) and we like the idea of the way of living and the climate. My main concern at this point is choosing the right location and dealing with the traffic. Do any of you know what times of the day the traffic is at it's worst? I was hoping I could start early/finish early to avoid the worst of it.
Originally Posted by Scamp
(Post 12506477)
Food shops
TV Internet Mobile etc All that stuff is so broadly similar to the UK that comparing them is just making the lists longer than they need to be. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Thanks again for all the information. helloworld2014 - as you live in Al Reef would you mind if I got contacted you with any other queries on the area as we get nearer to moving? I emailed 2 estate agents today asking to be kept informed of properties coming up in the area. We’ve looked at a few properties on property finder and wondered if the rents advertised would be negotiable at all? I guess it depends on the property and level of demand? My employer has advised they apply the one cheque option so that might come in handy when negotiating, or perhaps that’s just standard. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Originally Posted by Pongo
(Post 12506675)
yep, those are optional expenses, the municipality fee is not and I’ve just read in the news that it could be increasing soon from 3% flat rate, to 5% for apartments and to 7.5% for villas, a substantial increase.
I think our municipality fee is 5% here in Dubai, not sure what it is for a villa. Managed to avoid it the first couple of years. :thumbup:
Originally Posted by Abudhabi2018
(Post 12506700)
I emailed 2 estate agents today asking to be kept informed of properties coming up in the area. We’ve looked at a few properties on property finder and wondered if the rents advertised would be negotiable at all? I guess it depends on the property and level of demand? My employer has advised they apply the one cheque option so that might come in handy when negotiating, or perhaps that’s just standard. When you do arrive, get an estate agent to drive you round and show you loads of places. Make them work for their 5%. One cheque can help in negotiations for sure, you might see some places advertised at "150-4 chq, 145-2 chq, 140-1 chq" for example. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Thanks Scamp. Great advice on making the estate agent work for their 5%. My employer provides accomodation for the first month so it gives us time to look at plenty properties.
|
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Originally Posted by Abudhabi2018
(Post 12506541)
Thanks for all the feedback, much appreciated!
Gavtek - It's a supervisory role, one step below management. Thanks for the recommendation on Al Raha gardens. In your opinion is this a better location than Al Reef? My office is near al Maryah Island so driving time looks to be similar from both locations. Scamp - We get an allownace of 40k AED for schooling for up to three children. By the time our kids start school our UK costs will be around half the current level (loans/mortgages paid off). I forgot to mention that we also get an annual home leave allowance which should cover 2 trips home to the UK each year. There is an annual bonus scheme and the relocation allowance is more than enough for us to transport our belongings from the UK, buy furniture over there and have plenty left over. I think we'll be able to save some money but not a huge amount. The key things for us is my wife can work less, (she works full time in the UK), kids will go to nice school (can't afford private education in the UK) and we like the idea of the way of living and the climate. My main concern at this point is choosing the right location and dealing with the traffic. Do any of you know what times of the day the traffic is at it's worst? I was hoping I could start early/finish early to avoid the worst of it. |
Re: Moving to Abu Dhabi
Thanks for the advice on part time work. She works in marketing so it may be she can do some work from home for some research based companies.
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