Blue Cat

I do alot of work with expatriate women relocating to the UAE, I used to run my own support group but got a bit sick of stupid questions so backed off. There have been many a woman that I have had to say them, keep away it isn't the place for you, for varying reasons. I had one lovely lady who e mailed me for three months. Both her and her husband had been offered good jobs here as Teachers. They had two little ones, 2 and 4. They were from Ireland had a 4 bedroomed house in an acre of land and their kiddies in the local school which they walked to daily. The had a good income and travelled reguarly to some pretty good places. The school told them they would give them a two bed apartment in TECOM (construction HQ and where I am). I thought it would be too big a change and told her so, a few weeks later her husband had been offered a promotion in Ireland and they stayed. I know I gave her the right advice. If coming here is going to better your lifestyle and financial situation then fair enough, if not forget it. If your young and single like our original poster then why not give it a shot. It is alot harder when you have little ones to consider.

Dutchie

Hi BC,

I'm not saying not to give it a shot. If you're young and in for some adventure and fun? Sure give the UAE a try. But it's like an old Aramco friend of mine so accurately said "A soldier of fortune, a whore and I have one thing in common, we all do it for the money and money alone. Anyone that comes to the ME for the grand life style is either a liar to him or herself or hasn't reached full circle in self evaluation yet." If I would be offered a job in the UAE today? I would do as I always did. XXXXXX in Euro's on my European bank account in XX years, then leave. I admire the UK nationals living there, building a home away from home. It's just not how I see expat life, if it means a less grand house, or a reduced social life for me to reach my goals earlier I will do it.

Eeyore

That's an interesting one. Personally, I don't think I'd ever commit long-term to a country where I could never become a permanent citizen. Any place where you have to keep reapplying for permission to stay every few years, and you can be deported at the drop of a hat, can never be a proper home. A place to live, yes, but a forever home? Nope.

Dutchie

Always kept that in the back of my own head. Saved me some serious money when things went terribly wrong in Saudi Arabia in the early 1980's. I can remember every (none Saudi) pilot of Saudia Airways grounding 99.2% of the Saudia fleet worldwide because the Saudi's thought it was wise to tax expats (not the Saudi's themselves). This old dog? Resigned and left within two weeks. Wait until the tax system hits the UAE, it's going to be panic in it's purest form. They just might hit the famous book of records with it.

arbroath_abroad

how educated people from the uk would come here without a full package including rent/utilities/car/phone/ etc is totally beyond me....

Its not as rare as some would have you think...

Dutchie

Eye mate, but how long can your employer afford the five star deluxe package for an employee is the ham question here.

Norm_uk

The only thing you need to really consider is that if your company doesn't give you a hefty housing allowance it's not worth coming over...

N.

Dutchie

Look at what is called the new Middle East's. I mean Mexico, South America, Russia and China where it is normal that an expat pays what you get for free rent/utilities/car/phone/ etc I mean. One of these days that sand rabbit of an employer of yours is also going to start thinking " Hey AA... Lets make the system a bit more realistic for both parties involved..." It's gong to happen sooner or later AA, better accept it. Correction, it's already starting to happen.

Blue Cat

I only know two couples who pay their own way so to say and let's face it I know alot of people.

Dutchie

I'm not trying to be super negative hear BC, but logic and commerce often sing different songs. Had my fair share of it in my expat days.

Shadya

Presumably you mean "British couples" because I know a helluva lot of non-Brits who do have to pay their way...including Europeans, South Africans and Aussies too.

Blue Cat

and life is obviously better for them here in that case or they would have left by now? no not all my friends are British

Eeyore

I don't recall anyone ever saying it was rare. What *has* been said is that it's become far less common over the past few years, and a lot depends on the industry you're working in. If you work in the old-skool expat industries like oil, gas, aviation etc, you're far more likely to get an old-skool feather-bed package than if you work in the creative and knowledge-based industries like media and IT.

If you're talking about the entirety of the Western expat population of Dubai, I'd guess that the split runs about 50-50 between those who get old-style packages and those who have to pay for everything out of their salary. If you look at the likes of DMC and DIC, the majority of the employees there will be on all-in salaries with no company assistance for anything. That's just the way it is. I've met quite a few people in the finance industry here who are in the same boat, too.

Give it another five years or so, and I imagine that the split will be nearer 60-40 or 70-30 in favour of those who have to pay for everything themselves. Companies here simply can't afford to keep increasing their outgoings indefinitely.

Dutchie

And what a lot of people don't realize towards 2009/2010, with or without full package? Let's say your paying AED 250.000 for rent at the moment and getting that refunded from your employer. Add a mild 50% to that for a greedy landlord which then becomes AED 375.000 towards 2010. And as rumors state (and where there is smoke, there is fire) 14 to 18% tax, lets calculate with 16% tax, makes it a whopping AED 435.000,= !!! (Income via rent is taxable, and the UAE will do it) Are you still convinced your employer(s) are going to refund you 100%? You don't think your landlord is going to pay the tax for you are you? He'll just simply add it to the equation. And with companies in 2008 already trying to reduce expenses where possible, what do you think 2010 will look like? Just trying to say "Think & Re-think your position over there. I think reality is handing out some rather obvious slaps in the face." The UAE is steaming towards the biggest price increases the commercial world hasn't seen in the last 100 years. If the tax becomes reality, and it will sooner or later, does the average expat realize he or she from one day to an other will be earning 18 to 20% less? (If you add the rounded off to the top effect to the average tax calculation) And believe me, I hope, I really hope I'm 100% wrong in this. The UAE is spending more money then it's earning anno 2008? You guess who will eventually pay the bill. The locals? Come on....

typical

We have to pay our own way. Luckily we didn't come here for the money.