grafik

I'm a new member to the forum and am currently in the final stages of discussing a potential job offer in Dubai. I have lots of experience of working in the region, but have always lived in the UK and travelled.

I'm planning on reading some of the other threads, but would appreciate perspectives on a few specific questions:

1. How close is the construction market to crashing and how bad do you think this will be? (The job involves services to major construction projects eg. The Pearl in Qatar, The World, King Abdullah Economic City in KSA etc.)

2. I understand that property prices have risen and are comparable with London. Are they falling (as in UK right now)? What would a smart 2 bed cost close to DIC?

3. Any tips/thoughts on negotiating the package (things which you wish had been included)? I would be relocating by myself, it's a CEO role and the basic salary is good....what are the key add-ons which make life easier? (eg. driver, shipping etc.)

Other than that, I will read the other threads before posting further

P

banter64

From a HR Stace I can answer the following :-

1) Credit crunch has hit Dubai that is clear, we are also into PM work and we see it with major clients.

2) A smart 2 bed in that area will set you back around 250K

3) Package at your level should include the following

a) Relocation Costs
b) Full medical with dental
c) Annual flights
d) Repatriation terms

Hope that helps

grafik

Thanks....when you say 250k..assume you mean GBP??

How common is it to have a driver?

Hello.Kitty

no, that'd be 250k AED yearly rent... property prices are currently running into millions of AED.

Rents are expensive - extortionate even, so get as much as you can out of the company on the accommodation front - Ideally your choice paid for in entirity (some companies still do this if they're desperate enough to get the person over)

grafik

Thankyou - really appreciate the advice. Prices actually seem lower than I expected.

I understand that the company will appoint a relocation agent to assist me with the search for a property, shipping etc. But are these people truly independant, or am I better off getting as much in the package as I can and then arranging it myself?

For a single person, looking for somwhere accessible, good facilities etc.. 'batchelor pad' type accomodation, where are the areas I should consider? I will be pretty 'full on' with work to begin with, so seeking convenience rather than getting away from it.

I've wondered about Dubai Marina and some of the shoreside apartments on the palm. Are the advertised prices very negotiable in the current financial climate? If so, how much should I aim to shave off the asking price?

Blue Cat

there are plenty of apartments available for rent, I can't see you having much of a problem to be honest with you.

somaye

I am architect and I have 5year experience in Iran. I 'd like to work international consultant .so I decide to work in Dubai .can you help me?
please explain me about conditions of job in Dubai.

thanks a lot

grafik

Sorry to keep pestering, but so many questions

I've been doing my research on this site and it's clear that the real-estate and construction sector is going to face some very tough times (ranging from bad to meltdown).

Now, the role is for a company which specialises in building automation products for high end developments. Obviously, this is going to be an area at risk of severe cutbacks. I'm cool with this.

My question is, if I decided to go ahead and basically asked for the deal to be constructed in such a way that they can't get rid of me easily (eg. 12 months notice, golden parachute etc.) How do the rules differ in Dubai vs. UK?

It's a CEO role, so I am confident that it should be possible to negotiate....I just want to ensure that anything we agree is actually enforceable.

Hello.Kitty

hmm, I don't honestly know about that. From what Mr Kitty's company seems to be about, they are emulating GB practices as much as possible, but you don't have the government backing on things like H&S in the workplace, maternity/parternity benefits, etc... It's very much up to the company to provide such things (or not). Your contract is therefore all-important.

I have no idea about default redundancy rights over here although have a sneaking suspicion that "none" springs to mind. Work it into your contract. Definitely.

As for the slowdown/meltdown, it's all relative really. Yes there is one, but Dubai is building more than in the UK. High-end spec stuff is bound to have a few issues, but it's not like all building work will stop. Mr Kitty's company is sending work back to GB and another architect friend in London is saying that Duabi work is tiding a good few people over at the moment.

kaz911

To be very specific...

1. Negotiate that your workplace will get you a 3+ bd in marina or palm with full sea view in good building and let them pay. Rent will fall through the floor. They should pay all expenses and organise cleaner etc.
2. Get a company car paid for (not more than 1 year old etc.) with company paid for insurance etc.

The above is to protect you from getting sacked since here you cant get out of Dubai if you have a none paid mortgage og dept to the government. So the less risk you have in the two points above the better you are off.

3. Get a golden parachute of at least 12 months pay, incl. the value of car and flat. CEOs are not always treated very well if they dont agree with the board/owner. Boards/Owners do not act like they do in the UK. They are quite temperamental. So you might end up in a 3 month job..... So that is why 1 and 2 is very important as well. Else you could end up loosing up to a years rent if you paid 1 year upfront, and loose a lot if you bought a car.

4. Make sure everything is signed and sealed before you move here. A lot of companies lure people here with promise of high saleries and then when they relocate on the companys visa - the final contract show a very different picture. And then you are really screwed because they "own you"

5. Do NOT get a time limited contract. If the contract is time limited you might run into problems if you want to move BEFORE end of contract. They can block you from working in the UAE. If you are on a normal contract with 3/6/12 months notices you are better of. As a CEO you are actually more free to move jobs in the UAE than a normal "white collar" worker. But make certain that your visa actually says CEO or MD.

good luck :-) and if things come through i'll buy a coffee :-) in the marina.

Blue Cat

A CEO position should be offering more than an apartment for housing?

grafik

Thankyou all for your comments - especially Kaz911, really helpful insight.

I had another round of interviews this morning (although not touching on package).

Can anyone point me to a good resource/contact to help me understand the personal accountability (civil and criminal) of a CEO in Dubai?

theduke

A CEO of a $2 shop may not get as much as say the CEO of Microsoft, horses for courses.

I was about to start negotiating a project once with a company and the CEO came along with the Project Director, I thought wow they mean business, turned out that they were the only 2 in the business,

kaz911

Hmm - if I worked in DIC i would rater live in a flat closeby than a house far away. But that is of course dependent on the family situation.

But the value of a 3 bd flat on palm vs. House in Arabian Ranches or Springs are the same. Right now about 200.000-350.000 dhs/year.

But the point was more "be specific" in what you want - AND let the company pay so you dont personally build dept up.

Rents WILL come down to 1/2 within 6-12 months - so I would as for the company to pay. So contract says "You get a housing allowance of 350.000/year paid up front" - that means you can move to a twice as nice property next year. :-)

The experts I talk to says we are heading for a 50 to 80% correction in the property market and that will impact a lot of things. Rental market are a bit slower to react - but as you see now in the UK rental prices are dropping faster than gravety. And UK "for sale" house market has been turning downwards for about 1 1/2 to 2 years.

Here it will happen quicker since only 50% of flats are occupied.

grafik

Agreed. I am most likely planning to come without my family and may even consider returning to the UK on a fairly regular basis (but not regularly enough to establish a tax presence)

I'd prefer a flat (lower maintenance), ideally fully serviced and possibly fully furnished...close to work and facilities.

Given the choice, which would people recommend :- Marina or Palm?