tinkle.1986

Hi there,

I'm looking to move out to Abu Dhabi to work. I have a job interview lined up in the UK to move over as a nurse, after looking at the rental market the housing allowance that's set doesn't look great to cover an apartment or a serviced apartment. It's 80,000.

Can anyone suggest the better areas to live in? Or does compound living come at a cheaper cost?

Are there any websites out there for expats to meet and share apartments etc?

Obviously I am (as everyone else is) looking to keep costs down and save money while out there.

If anyone has any handy tips or suggestions I'd be grateful.

Thanks!

harris00716

Hi

Wish you good luck. I arrived in dubai three weeks ago and quite like it...

Hope you will have good time. As I am in dubai so its difficult to tell abt abu dhabi ..but i cant see any difficulty finding accomodatio i.e. sharing or having ur own in that budget...

thanks

man1mal

Depends on what you want Tinkle.

Knowing the abu dhabi traffic and how rage inducing it can be location near your work may be preferential! I have'nt lived there in afew years but my folks still live in the same building in the tourist club area. Relatively cheap, and close to a few main roads and a big shopping mall. Another area that I have seen and liked on last trip is those new sets of building near (ish) the Club! In Fact you could do no harm in contacting the Club and maybe asking their advice? I know they have a notice board so you may find something there


hmm just realized this wasnt very helpful but I tried ha!

Bahtatboy

Rents are falling in AD, plus there are a load of new developments coming onto the market. 80k will get you something modest; have a look round dubizzle.com. The traffic can be tiresome, but depends where you live and work. I would strongly suggest the one thing you don't want to be doing is travelling towards the Corniche in the morning. Where will you be working?

lanarkwitch

What? Where are you getting your info from?? 80k will get you something but not anything decent unless a room share comes up. Best places for anything in AD are the boards in Spinneys and Abella. In a new developments you might get a very tiny studio for that money but you will need a car as well, so it might be better to live closer to work and no car as there will be no parking with a studio

It takes my DH 30 mins to get from MBZ to the Corniche at around 6.30am, after that it will take around 40 mins, but thats to travel 33km directly through town.

lanarkwitch

Hi there I have lived in AD for the last 3 years and I agree with you 80k is really on the low side for housing, as a nurse I would have thought the hospital could provide you with accommodation? As far as the better areas go, assuming you will want to enjoy what night life AD has to offer, then the closer to town the better, also which hospital are you going to be working at?

Crystal77

i think 80,00kdh can actually afford a decent 1 or 2bedroom apartment, houses are quiet expenses here don't know, why we were faced with same n now we're looking for a good British school.

Bahtatboy

65k in Muroor:

http://abudhabi.dubizzle.com/propert...ce__lte=100000

65-70k in Al Nahyan:

http://abudhabi.dubizzle.com/propert...ce__lte=100000

lanarkwitch

I wouldn't even bother going to look at either of those

soukie

Have to agree - the agent will probably tell you that they have "just been let but I have another one for 85K!" However, looking at MEED this morning it seems that AD is in for a rough ride re new projects etc so I expect there will be lots of places free sooner rather than later......

lanarkwitch

Have just spent the last 3 weeks trailing AD for a new apt, yes on the face of things there is more available, but when you actually go and look at these places they might not be what they claim to be. The newer places tend to be much smaller and parking is an issue, many building are only giving 1 space with either 2 or 3 beds, nothing with studios or 1's at all. Looking in Dubizzle you could be fooled into thinking that you will get something decent for 80k but it's going to be well out of town and probably very small and most unlikely to have many UK expat neighbours which I suspect could be an issue for the OP.

nikkisizer

Hi tinkle.1986,

If you are prepared to commute to Abu Dhabi there is an area called Mirdif (approx 15min drive from Dubai airport) which has a really nice community feel to it. We have a two bedroom villa with private garden and private pool (not communal) which costs AED 75k per annum and is due to further reduce so the housing allowance offer seems fair to me.

Also, I would advise that when you do arrive here in sunny Dubai you ensure that everything is wrapped up and in hand with your tax affairs back in the UK as you do not want any nasty surprises!
Happy to help if needed

flares

You cannot commute to Abu Dhabi from Mirdif (imo)...wrong side of Dubai

Norm_uk

Of course you can...it would only be about four to five hours there and back each day by car

N.

lanarkwitch

Better yet, get your own helicopter and then you won't even have to worry about Mawaqif charges