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Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Old Apr 1st 2009, 11:25 am
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Default Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Hi,

We are moving from UK to Abu Dhabi in June (me, wife and 10 year old daughter).

I am trying to get a feel for whether my salary package is ok for a nice lifestyle plus opportunity to save some money. The deal is AED 720,000 per year, which includes salary and allowances - from this we have to pay for everything (accommodation, schooling, etc.)

Also, how easy is it to commute from South Dubai to Abu Dhabi?

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on the above.

Best regards,
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 11:32 am
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

NO idea what a verification engineer is/should be but I wish I was making that much....

Then again i dont have a wife (or daughter).
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 11:41 am
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

ok,

720,000AED per anum = 60,000 per month

Annual housing in AD = 20,000 per month (3 bed villa)
same in dubai 15,000 per month (3 bed villa)

so already you are down to 40,000.

still to deduct

schooling
utilities
car(s)

It sounds great, but when you consider the cost of living here...
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 12:00 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Thats a good wage in anyones eyes as far as salaries go.
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 12:11 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Originally Posted by rowell
Thats a good wage in anyones eyes as far as salaries go.
Well i work in that industry and once you take away all the costs ive mentioned, a rig sparkie working in the north sea gets paid more..
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 12:35 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Thats a really good salary.

A two bedroom house in dubai now can cost 90,000 and for schools you will be looking at 30,000 max per year. so 110 deducted so far and for a pimped up car say 300,000 dh so now we are at 410dh deducted. Still enough to enjoy a year in the sun with a tax free salary.
Go for it no hesitation
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 12:51 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Originally Posted by Tiger989
Thats a really good salary.

A two bedroom house in dubai now can cost 90,000 and for schools you will be looking at 30,000 max per year. so 110 deducted so far and for a pimped up car say 300,000 dh so now we are at 410dh deducted. Still enough to enjoy a year in the sun with a tax free salary.
Go for it no hesitation
think schooling for a 10 year old will be more towards 40.000 dhs for 2009/2010...plus extras for registration fee, school uniforms, schooltrips etc, maybe the schoolbus...
they may need 2 cars, so that's more to take off that amount...
2 bedrooms that leaves no extra room for visitors, most people will want/need an extra bedroom...
not forgetting the initial cost of getting the new house furnished if they are not shipping their stuff over from back home...
does he have to pay the rent upfront out of his own pocket...
I am not saying it can't be done but there are a few more things to be taken into consideration...
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 12:51 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Originally Posted by Tiger989
Thats a really good salary.

A two bedroom house in dubai now can cost 90,000 and for schools you will be looking at 30,000 max per year. so 110 deducted so far and for a pimped up car say 300,000 dh so now we are at 410dh deducted. Still enough to enjoy a year in the sun with a tax free salary.
Go for it no hesitation
Why would anyone live in just a two bedroom house but spend 300,000 on some stupid automobile? Completely wrong set of priorities!

90,000 won't get you much by way of good accommodation, especially in Abu Dhabi. It might get something small in Dubai...but then driving daily from Dubai to Abu Dhabi (plus return) is hardly advisable for a newbie, nor is it part of the "nice lifestyle" the OP wants!
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 1:04 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

I would suggest reading some of the other past threads on this subject, I dont know what salaries some people are on but I would guess not as much as you are going to be on, I am certainly on less than that and have a nice 2 bed apt, a car, have a 14 year old at school and would save a reasonable amount on your salary.
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 4:26 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

You should be OK on that, depending on what you are coming from. School for a 10 yr old would be 40-50k as MH said. Really nice 4 bed villa up to 300k, cars are up to you but should be some very reasonably priced used cars about; less than 1yr old at 60-70% of value.

It's not a bad place and life can be good.

Enjoy!
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 5:19 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

ok, im wrong, ignore me (as someone in the same industry as the op)

as you were, nothing to see here

im not saying its a bad salary, just when you deduct EVERYTHING that a lot of oil and gas jobs INCLUDE, then it aint that good.

anyway, go for it and then i can say 'told you so' when your collegues and clients etc are getting a lot better deal.

dont get me wrong, if he was a construction PM or suchlike then its a bloody good salary, but shit, this is specialised and skilled stuff here, not bricks
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 5:22 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Originally Posted by commander
ok, im wrong, ignore me (as someone in the same industry as the op)

as you were, nothing to see here

im not saying its a bad salary, just when you deduct EVERYTHING that a lot of oil and gas jobs INCLUDE, then it aint that good.

anyway, go for it and then i can say 'told you so' when your collegues and clients etc are getting a lot better deal.

dont get me wrong, if he was a construction PM or suchlike then its a bloody good salary, but shit, this is specialised and skilled stuff here, not bricks
fewking prima donna...
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 5:41 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Originally Posted by Roadking
fewking prima donna...
im the tea boy...
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Old Apr 1st 2009, 6:36 pm
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

Originally Posted by commander
im the tea boy...
get the kettle on, then..
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Old Apr 2nd 2009, 4:57 am
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Default Re: Oil & Gas Engineer moving from UK to Abu Dhabi

I'm with the commander on this one. Looks like a fab salary but he'll easily lose 400k of that on a decent villa. (Roadking - there's no way he'd get a really nice 4-bed villa in AD for 300k - not unless prices have dropped severely when I wasn't looking.) Plus - OP, accommodation is still difficult to find in AD. Will your company put you up in a hotel til you find something or would that come out of your salary too?

Not saying it's not do-able, but you need to take everything into careful consideration. Remember your daughter's school fees will take a huge hike once she's in secondary school.

Commute might be do-able but personally would advise against it. Where in AD would you be working?
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