Your Thoughts On This Package

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Your thoughts on this package Aug 17, 2006
Hi Guys

I would appreciate your thoughts on the package I have been offered.

I am a male project manager from the UK and will be looking to move to Dubai in the next 3 months.

All figures are per year.

Salary: 150K AED
Commission : 70K AED
Car allowance : 25K AED
Housing allowance : 93K AED
Medical : 7200K AED
Plus flights home.

I am hoping to get accomadation in the Greens or Marina area. I have no children and will just be with my female partner.

Could I have your thoughts on this package please.
Thanks for your time.
:D

XPClone
Dubai forums Addict
Posts: 324

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Aug 18, 2006
Salary: 150K AED
Commission : 70K AED
Car allowance : 25K AED
Housing allowance : 93K AED
Medical : 7200K AED
Plus flights home.


12.5k per month for pm seems a little low; i suppose it does depend on the type of pm work and your level of entry and previous work experience.

my comments on the commission aspect would be:
is this guaranteed?
what is it determined on,
when is it paid (every quarter/ six months/ per annum),
if you leave before the end of the contract would you be eligible for a pro-rata commission or not?

Make sure it is included in the written contract and not just a verbal agreement – use the search facility and have a look for info on different types of labour contract – I think I mention in one of them, everyone I ever know who has worked on a “bonus” or commission basis has ended up with the short end of the stick

Car allowance, seems okay, don’t expect to be able to afford a porche with it though. Find out who pays for the petrol, maintenance, servicing, yearly insurance and registration – this can add another 5 – 8k on top of the average running expenses for a car

Housing of 93k p.a. for the greens/ marina is a little low (about 120 – 130k p.a. and upward), you would have to subsidise the balance from your pocket, unless you want to share, also in some instances you may be required to pay the annual maintenance/ service levy on top of the rental – this is an issue you have to haggle out with your landlord. Water, electricity you could get away with about 300 – 400 pm with moderate usage in an apartment. You would have to pay various deposits for services – electricity 1000aed, telephone 250 odd.

Rentals are normally paid in 3 or 4 instalments per annum with a 3 month deposit also required (up front of course).

The other alternative is to find cheaper accommodation within your allowance, but this is sometimes offset by the travel time/ petrol and migraines that you can expect to develop driving to and from work

Medical, 7200k p.a. this “sounds” like a private medical insurance – which is good, but check that it is, get them to specify the policy and underwriter, and ask for the profile of the policy they are issuing you with to be sure.

Some companies will simply say: medical card, hospital plan, medical cover etc… and put a value to it. In most cases this is the government medical plan (government medical card) which is mandatory for all, and is not really considered a benefit as all expats have got to have it. Depending on what you may have to use it for and which government hospital you end up in …… sometimes they are good, sometimes not ….

Flights home. Sounds simple enough, but ask them to elaborate and specify when, where and how much; this will not cover your partner, which brings me to the next comment ….


Use the search engine, as a lot of info has been posted about unmarried couples in Dubai, aside from the “moral” aspects that the law is based on there is some more practical information regarding sponsoring, working etc … as well as the additional expenses that you would have to expect supporting a partner (vehicle is just one).

If you have any other questions post them here or pm me.


cheers
dbxsoul
Honored Member
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Posts: 1626
Location: Dubai

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Aug 19, 2006
dbxsoul wrote:
Salary: 150K AED
Commission : 70K AED
Car allowance : 25K AED
Housing allowance : 93K AED
Medical : 7200K AED
Plus flights home.


12.5k per month for pm seems a little low; i suppose it does depend on the type of pm work and your level of entry and previous work experience.

my comments on the commission aspect would be:
is this guaranteed?
what is it determined on,
when is it paid (every quarter/ six months/ per annum),

Great write up DXB.

Just a point to elaborate on, the Medical Plan, does it state any Hospitals by name as being acceptable? i.e. American Hospital etc.
if you leave before the end of the contract would you be eligible for a pro-rata commission or not?

Make sure it is included in the written contract and not just a verbal agreement – use the search facility and have a look for info on different types of labour contract – I think I mention in one of them, everyone I ever know who has worked on a “bonus” or commission basis has ended up with the short end of the stick

Car allowance, seems okay, don’t expect to be able to afford a porche with it though. Find out who pays for the petrol, maintenance, servicing, yearly insurance and registration – this can add another 5 – 8k on top of the average running expenses for a car

Housing of 93k p.a. for the greens/ marina is a little low (about 120 – 130k p.a. and upward), you would have to subsidise the balance from your pocket, unless you want to share, also in some instances you may be required to pay the annual maintenance/ service levy on top of the rental – this is an issue you have to haggle out with your landlord. Water, electricity you could get away with about 300 – 400 pm with moderate usage in an apartment. You would have to pay various deposits for services – electricity 1000aed, telephone 250 odd.

Rentals are normally paid in 3 or 4 instalments per annum with a 3 month deposit also required (up front of course).

The other alternative is to find cheaper accommodation within your allowance, but this is sometimes offset by the travel time/ petrol and migraines that you can expect to develop driving to and from work

Medical, 7200k p.a. this “sounds” like a private medical insurance – which is good, but check that it is, get them to specify the policy and underwriter, and ask for the profile of the policy they are issuing you with to be sure.

Some companies will simply say: medical card, hospital plan, medical cover etc… and put a value to it. In most cases this is the government medical plan (government medical card) which is mandatory for all, and is not really considered a benefit as all expats have got to have it. Depending on what you may have to use it for and which government hospital you end up in …… sometimes they are good, sometimes not ….

Flights home. Sounds simple enough, but ask them to elaborate and specify when, where and how much; this will not cover your partner, which brings me to the next comment ….


Use the search engine, as a lot of info has been posted about unmarried couples in Dubai, aside from the “moral” aspects that the law is based on there is some more practical information regarding sponsoring, working etc … as well as the additional expenses that you would have to expect supporting a partner (vehicle is just one).

If you have any other questions post them here or pm me.


cheers
sage & onion
Dubai Shadow Wolf
User avatar
Posts: 16338
Location: Dubai and beyond

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Aug 19, 2006
Just a point to elaborate on, the Medical Plan, does it state any Hospitals by name as being acceptable? i.e. American Hospital etc.


good point. with the government medical card your company nominates the hospital or clinic which the employee will be affiliated to, of course all companies clamber to get the best "free" medical treatment they can for their staff - subsequently, the company will make application for their staff, but the department of health will have the final say. of course if it is an accident on an extreme emergency they will put you into the nearest facility (but not always!!!!).

private medical aids in the uae have a differnet slant on things, in most cases the policy is underwritten by either an american company or a british company (such as lloyds). if it is not an emergency, you contact thier main office and are given a reference number to use on all medical corrospondence by the appointed hospital. again if it is not an emergency they will ask you to get a quotation for the procedure/ operation/ consultation (whatever) from a few local facilities. basically boils down to economics. they will have a list of pre-approved "vendors" in the area that they refer clients to whom ever conform to their standards and paperwork procedures.

a friend of mine actually haggled with the medical aid over brain a brain surgery procedure, when he supplied them with the various quotations they found it was cheaper to perform the surgery in his home country (than in dubai), including flying the whole family back there and accomodating them in a hotel for two weeks (and car hire thrown in!). needless to say the underwriter took the cheapest option, and the whole family returned home (in a support function) for the operation.

in the case of an emergency the closest facility is used and the patient would then be transfered to a specialised facility if his treatment warrents it.
dbxsoul
Honored Member
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Posts: 1626
Location: Dubai

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Aug 21, 2006
Thanks for the reply.

I'm slightly confused on your comments on housing. I have searched this forum and looked in the Gulf News classifieds and it states around 90K for a 1 bed apartment? The prices you mention are for 2 bedroom places surely?
XPClone
Dubai forums Addict
Posts: 324

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Aug 21, 2006
yes, i meant for a 2/br place. some of the batchelor "pads" are extremely small.

when i moved here 5 years back you could get a 2 b/r for about 30 - 34k and a 1 br/ for about 20k p.a. - goes to show how the rentals have got a little out of hand
dbxsoul
Honored Member
User avatar
Posts: 1626
Location: Dubai

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