Everyone I know grew up and/or trained in the UK.

THIS IS IT. I've heard so many discussions around this and so many different answers, one gets lost. What is the perfect salary one should go for to work in ME? It DEPENDS on the person. No one can answer that except the person themselves. I have Accounting friends from East Africa and Yemen who dream of going to Saudi Arabia on a $500 a month job. I also have an Accounting buddy from Texas, who will only go to Saudi Arabia if they pay him minimum $50,000 a month. There is no black and white. If you are broke, unemployed, pretty much homeless in the UK living off welfare, then any offer is good enough. If you already have a 250,000 pounds a year job in UK with a beautiful mansion and 4 cars, the Saudis better pay you tonne more and give you a palace to live for you to move. It DEPENDS.

It all comes down to: after you take out all expenses and live a life that is EQUAL or HIGHER in standards of living where you currently are, how more are you going to save monthly net? For me personally, it has to be atleast 100% more. If not, the move is not worth it.

I wonder how these contracts work in the ME. Is the agency just a head hunter and your contract is directly signed with the employer?

Thanks for the feedback. Did the Job Grade change? I am assuming it is a grade 16 initially.

No, when you're working through an agency you sign the contract with the agency, its the agency who pays you (usually a day rate), they are responsible for your visas, flights, accommodation, end of service benefits etc.

Might sometimes feel like that, but it may not always be. I’m a first generation immigrant who has been settled successfully in the West for over 25 years now. As Western as can be. But originally I did come from a country which pays $500 for a job that I currently get paid xxxxx that. My current Western passport has to be taken into consideration because that’s where I have over half a million in mortgage. The fact that my old self (from my original country of origin) can buy 20 homes for half a million is irrelevant now. Fact is where is ones country of origin, because at the end of the day that’s where you will return to. For most, it’s usually the country of the passport you hold. That’s why most companies go with passport. It’s not racist, just simple economics. You can pay someone 10,000USD a month from some countries, and that would be heaven for them. You give that number to me or any of us living in California (for eg), we will laugh at it. Cause it’s pennies for us. That’s how it works.

What is the difference between Kuwait, UAE and KSA?
Why would you expect to get paid differently?
Why on earth would anyone consider "educating" their offspring in any of these locations?
What is the relevance of the last post on a British expats middle east chat room? None of us earn $10,000/mth.