Aug 05, 2005
Hi Gunner, is this what you r looking for???
Costs to relocate to UAE
Housing
A three-bedroomed villa in Dubai costs from Dhs.60 000 to Dhs.70 000 in the Mirdif area and between Dhs.45 000 to Dhs.60 000 in Sharjah. Travelling from Sharjah to Dubai is similar to travelling between Centurion and Sandton at peak times. It is the area where most expats live and schools are readily available. Mirdif is close to the airport. Bur-Dubai and other areas closer to the centre of town have three-bedroom villas and apartments available at rates ranging from Dhs.90 000 upwards.
If your company offers a living allowance, consider asking for an annual allowance of between Dhs.80 000 to Dhs.90 000.
Rentals are payable annually in advance and I recommend you insist that the lease be entered into in your company's name, and that they pay all costs associated with it like commissions, taxes etc.
Also remember you will be running air-conditioners virtually all the time and this consumes a lot of power, especially central air-conditioning units. Opt for split air-conditioning units if at all possible as these use less power.
Schools
There are many schools to choose from in Dubai and the allowance of Dhs.1 500 per month per child should be sufficient. American and British schools are the preferred private schools used by expats. Most schools require the full term's fees to be paid in advance at the beginning of the term.
Cars
There are many new and used to choose from at reasonable prices. Remember that the annual insurance premium is payable in advance - roughly between three-and-a-half to four percent of the vehicle's value.
Relocation Costs
The employer usually covers the cost of your visas and airfares to Dubai. Make sure this covers you and your family as you can bank on spending anywhere between Dhs.1000 to Dhs.2000 per application if this is not clearly stated in your employment agreement. Consider storing your goods in SA (for possible return) and purchase new furniture here. It would cost around Dhs.15 000 to set up a home here (to start with).
Relocation allowance
I would therefore strongly recommend you push for a Dhs.30 000+ for settling in and relocation allowance depreciated over three years to put to use as follows:
Initial furniture, curtains etc required: Dhs. 15 000
Car deposit: Dhs.4000 to Dhs.6000 (10 percent if applicable, 100 percent financing is possible)
Car Insurance: Dhs.3000
Car registration costs: Dhs.500
Agent’s commission on letting of villa: Dhs.3000 to Dhs.3500 (five percent of rental)
DSTv / satellite TV installation and six months' subscription: Dhs.3 850
Drivers licence and liquor permit: Dhs.400 each plus Dhs.230 liquor permit
School uniforms: Dhs.500 each, if applicable
Annual health and recreation club membership (optional): Dhs.5000 to Dhs.10 000 depending on which hotel you choose.
They may give you a Dhs.15 000 settling in allowance and a Dhs.15 000 interest-free loan repayable over 12 to 18.
Remember that you would still have to pay for telephone connection fees (Dhs.250 for home and cellphones) and may need to pay a connection fee for your electricity account (this could be around Dhs.300).
Annual return airfares & leave
Annual return airfares and leave amount to some 25 to 30 days. Make sure it's clear whether these are working days or normal days, weekends included. Annual allowance for return economy airfares to SA for you and the family should be included as with airfares to SA when you leave (normally only comes into effect after two years of employment).
Visas
You will be relocating here on a visit visa which is valid for 30 days and can be extended for a further 30 days, and whilst you are here your residence visa and work permit will be processed. This can take up to four weeks.
Cars
You cannot buy a car until your work and residence visas are issued so you will need a rental car. This can be rather expensive.
Monthly expenses
Here is a list of what you can expect your average monthly costs (for a family of four) to be:
Groceries: Dhs.3000
Home telephone: Dhs.300 (depending on how often you phone SA)
Mobile phone: Dhs.100
Electricity and water: Dhs.300 to Dhs.400 in summer, and Dhs.100 to Dhs.200 in winter.
Petrol: Dhs.400 (about the equivalent of R2.00 per litre)
Entertainment: Dhs.1000
Bottled drinking water: Dhs.70
Satellite TV subs: Paid six monthly in advance
Car maintenance: Dhs.800 to Dhs.1000 each quarter
Car installment:
Newspaper subs: six month subscription works out to about Dhs.300
Clothing: Dhs.500 on average a month.
Laundry/ironing service: About 40 – 80 depending on frequency and volume).
A round of golf costs around Dhs.150 and annual club memberships are rather expensive (Dhs.12 000+). So, if you are a golfer, don't expect too many rounds of golf.
Domestic Help
Domestic help can be rather expensive especially if you want a full-time maid.
Cheers,
JSV