Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

I'll be short and sweet.
It's just me(30) and my wife(28 ). No Kids!!!

Here is what I've been offered. (in dirhams)

Basic: 18,000 per month
Housing: 4,500 per month
Transportation: 2,700 per month
Others(?): 12,700 per month
Air Ticket: 18,000 per year
End of Service Gratuity
Annual Leave: 27 days

I also get medical for me and the wife, 100% relocation from USA, and two weeks temporary residence.

The office is located near the Marina.



Thoughts......?

Thats $130,000.00 per year with no kids, and the posibility of the other person working.

Consider this: taxi drivers make, on average, $6,500 per year working 12 hours a day 7 days a week. Your salary would be 20 times more than that. Developers are still being generous...

anythoughts on if the housing allocation is "liveable"?

Not really. A decent 1 bed in marina will be at least 100000 per year or in the Greens at 90000. So your allowance won't cover it. But it seems like you have enough cash from other allowances to cover it.

What is this 'others?' allowance - i want that one! - Maybe to cover russian girls...

That's a good package. Will your wife be working too?

A 1Br at the Marina is not 100K, its more like 120-130K these days.

And yes, this 'others' allowance is interesting!

Friends of mine got one for 85K 2 months ago and when I was looking in November they were several for 85. Admittedly these are usually small with a SZR view.

I agree that the premium large 1 beds with a marina view will be much more.

your friends got a good deal. Im in a 3br with my hubby at the 'construction end' (far end) of the marina, well over 150k! But we do have lovely marina/ocean views and the place is big.

thanks for the input. are there any places that are not as "sterile" as say the greens / lakes/ sands...

i would like to find something with some character, older and stylish....

i live in los angeles now and drive almost and hour to get to work, so thats not a problem. like i said my office would be near the marina

The housing allowance won't be enough.
The air ticket won't be enough to cover both of you (return).
Transportation is more than enough for renting small sedan.
But what the heck... you got plenty of money from other posts (basic & others).
Just take it!

Something old, stylish... old villas in Jumeirah?

bytme2x wrote:thanks for the input. are there any places that are not as "sterile" as say the greens / lakes/ sands...

i would like to find something with some character, older and stylish....

Ah, the old "I want to move to new, shiny Dubai" trick where you don't want to live in "new, shiny Dubai". Dubai is new and shiny, even Jumeirah isn't that old (and that's even by American standards). You will not live as an Old Colonial in India with a mini-palace on the go for the cash you have, indeed, you'll be lucky to even afford the places think are so awful.

Accept Dubai for what it is, otherwise you'll be on a plane home within 3 months.

i was not lppking for old.

the whole reason i'm moving there is due to the progresssive ideas in design, construction, and planning.

while exploring for places to live, i never ran across and establlished housing. I was figuring it may be more "affordable" than the newer rises. It appears as though its all the same.

Any other words of advise i need to know...

I would hate to leave in three months...

bytme2x wrote:i was not lppking for old.

the whole reason i'm moving there is due to the progresssive ideas in design, construction, and planning.

while exploring for places to live, i never ran across and establlished housing. I was figuring it may be more "affordable" than the newer rises. It appears as though its all the same.

Any other words of advise i need to know...

I would hate to leave in three months...

what you are looking for only exist in Hollywood - wait, aint that where you live? Anyways, I meant real "Hollywood" - where most flicks are filmed in Canada (no unions, etc.).

The "old" things in Dubai are 30 years old and being demolished by the minute to make room for new crappy homes, roads, canals, etc.

good to know...

with that out of the way, any places i "should" look at.

now knowing that i'm limited to newer units, any pitfalls to look out for?

scams, poor management....

bytme2x wrote:good to know...

with that out of the way, any places i "should" look at.

now knowing that i'm limited to newer units, any pitfalls to look out for?

scams, poor management....

yes all of that.

If you are coming from LA then you seen it all and won't be surprised. Unless you moved there from IOWA 3 weeks ago then you are in trouble..

Don't bother with the pillow talk. Overall package, as Concord has pointed out, is fine and affords you a comfy lifestyle here.

Having been in the Marina for the past couple of years I can honestly say look for a place on the other side of SZR. For the price of a 2 bedroom apartment overlooking SZR, or if you're really lucky someone else's apartment you can get a 2 bedroom villa in the springs. With some luck it should take you 30-45 minutes to commute to and from work - not quite an hour but beggars can't be choosers

Also, unless you're planning on business class trips back to LA 18k is more than enough.

you mean th other side of SZR in the marina area or in general?

any more info on this "villa in the springs"?

Other side of SZR as in Springs & Meadows. Drive around the Marina then take a drive around there and you will know what I mean.

Give this guy a call and tell him you want to look at villas in the Springs - 050 768 9788.