Re: UK couple looking to move to Dubai
 

You never know until you try. Jobs are just as much about being in the right place at the right time as it is about experience.

If your wife is a skilled PA with demonstrable past experience as an office administrator/PA, she will find something with decent pay....eventually. As Blue Cat mentioned, we are in the middle of a recession and layoffs are still happening. Anything property related, including architecture, engineering and development is shot to hell around here, but Dubai is the trading hub of the region with loads of companies in the free zones that aren't dependent on Dubai's regional economy.

As for you - market yourself well. People change industries out here all the time and if you have a good sales record, you could probably find something. It may happen in a month or it may take six months but if you are persistent and have the qualifications to support you, I'd say you have a chance.

Re: UK couple looking to move to Dubai
 

Gotta disagree with most of the foregoing. O&G is a very specific industry--I'd have great difficulty trusting any company which was represented by a salesman who didn't have a technical background in what he was trying to sell. The industry is highly regulated, even here, and those in it talk the same language based on technical knowledge and experience.

And Dubai's not the hub of the O&G industry out here anyway--it's got very little. Next week's ADIPEC (held every 2 years) is, as before, being held in Abu Dhabi. Why? Coz AD has oil. (And if you have even the slightest desire to move into the industry, please don't say that you don't know what ADIPEC is...)

As for admin/PA for your wife--she may well be able to find a job, but she'd likely be competing with women of other nationalities who would accept a far lower salary than she's probably been used to and aspires to.

And this ain't a cheap place to live.

I wouldn't advise you to do what you're planning, but I wish you well.

Re: UK couple looking to move to Dubai
 

Errrr....

Most of the major OpCo's are based in AD - ADMA, ADCO, ZADCO, Total, Bunduq, etc and all of the major service companies have bases in Musaffah - Schlum, Baker, Halliburton, Weatherford

Calling on my customers who are based in Dubai takes a day each month

Re: UK couple looking to move to Dubai
 

This is the wrong part of the world to be in if you're coming without a job . People come here to work , i wouldn't say it's a lifestyle choice , if you're posted in Dubai / Abu Dhabi / Oman then you can live a nice life and take advantage of what's on offer.

You can try your luck but to be honest there's a lot of very experienced people that are already here actively looking for work but you never know , right place right time.

One thing you need to do is planning and research , without it you'll be up sh*t creek very quickly.

Re: UK couple looking to move to Dubai
 

Ditto Bahtatboys comments....

I am in O&G and, quite frankly, most of the sales side is not what you know, but who you know. I work for one of the service companies that Oyi mentioned and, as Bahtat says, unless you have a strong background in the product you are flogging, you will struggle...

Ahh, ADIPEC. Was a guest speaker there 2 years ago......

Re: UK couple looking to move to Dubai
 

Whats so great about Dubai Kevin?