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Hi Guys Great read.

It is complicated to ask so many questions....so I will tell you what is happening.

I have been offered a package to Dubai. One that is for 120K Australian dollars a year. No accomadation and no school for kids (I have 2 both primary years). Is this enough? to live on. They will fligh me out and the family will follow.

No medical (is this really good). I mean what should I expect from this company as a minimum, standard. Like travel allowance, food and annual bonus's???? These are the missing parts in the puzzle.

What scares me is that they want me to relocate but only want to offer the salary alone.

Rent seems like 90000-100000DHRS......Schools seem like 45 000 for two kids. These are two important factors. What can anyone offer in the same shoes. Please share your experiences so atleast I am prepared.

cu

No medical (is this really good). I mean what should I expect from this company as a minimum, standard.

I believe it is part of the employment law that employees should provide medical insurance.

To be honest I would not give up your life in Australia to come to Dubai for that much. Dubai is not that great a place to make a sacrifice to this degree.

For instance you will need all of the years accommodation rent up front in one cheque.

Please - tell them to go shoot.

Sorry I have to come in again.

Mate - really don't accept this. With two kids and a wife to support you will really struggle paying for accommodation, schooling, transport, food, bills.

It may not be to bad a salary for a single guy - but you will be leaving yourself and your family financially to the wire on that amount.

What is your trade if you don't mind me asking?

You will not struggle at all. It's just matter of how you want to live. If you want the high life, then it's too low. But you won't go hungry or have to take the bus to work.

no way, its not enough. You will struggle with the accomodation, and schooling and you also want to live. Dubai seems to be getting much more expensive and alot less lucrative!!!!

cu

M! wrote:me again its a rip off not more......... even for a single person not acceptable

Get off your high horse man. I make less. You think I live in a room with 10 guys? Cosmicbaby has to decide what kind of life she wants to lead before accepting.

M! wrote:me again its a rip off not more......... even for a single person not acceptable

Given that 120k aus is 360,000 dirhams which is 30k a month... which is more than 95% of the population here earns... I think you might be wrong.

Just to define my role I am an architect.

The most I can earn here in AUS is about 85-90K a year after tax this is around 60K. That is around 180000DHRS.

I really want to know what is the basis or the minimum I should ask for in my contract. I know i will ask for medical, but this allowance for school and car what should i ask for????? Any one here with a similar role position?????

If i am to work within oud metha road, where is the best possible location form me???? and price figures.

Guys is it better i leave the family in Aus and go for 3 months before i decide????this might be better.

cosmic

cosmicbaby wrote:Just to define my role I am an architect.

The most I can earn here in AUS is about 85-90K a year after tax this is around 60K. That is around 180000DHRS.

I really want to know what is the basis or the minimum I should ask for in my contract. I know i will ask for medical, but this allowance for school and car what should i ask for????? Any one here with a similar role position?????

If i am to work within oud metha road, where is the best possible location form me???? and price figures.

Guys is it better i leave the family in Aus and go for 3 months before i decide????this might be better.

cosmic

Contrary to what some of the loons have said here, it is a decent offer, and perhaps on par with a senior architect with no middle east experience.

The idea of coming out for 3 months and sussing it out is a good one, perhaps also it might be an idea to do a good old fashioned budget in Excel spreadsheet. That way you'll know where you really stand.

The idea that 30,000 AED per month is not enough must come from someone who smokes a lot of crack... it should be plenty so long as you don't go wasting it, like buying 3 digit number plates etc.

Ian is right that 30K is good salary overall and "the going rate".

Everyone's situation is different of course and it depends on what you want to do.

Just do the math: Rent, School, Car(s), Food, Trip(s) home, entertainment, clothing, furniture, etc. If at the end of doing the numbers you are even or very close to AUS then I would say stay home. Will your wife work? That will help.

Your biggest problem will be finding a place to live (for the right price that is). But in any event, you should budget at least 100K (which would be 28% of you salary). Cars are easy 24K/year no problem. School (no idea). Other things are personal. There are some good posts and sticky's in this forum. Peruse them...

If I were you I would not come if there is no medical insurance provided by the company. By that I mean private insuarance not the "health card". Without medical insurance even a Million Dirham salary can turn into a debt!

At the end of the day Dubai is an "experience" and if you don't already have money to make money or are very senior or advanced in your career, you may live "comfortably" in Dubai but not become "rich" (there are exception of course).

On another note, I've met people on less than 20K (crap less than 10K) who are prossefionals and have no complaints. I've also met people on 80K/month who complain all the time...

To each its own... and since this forum is made up of people with so many different experiences, expectations, etc. when you finish reading all the opinions you'll pretty much be back to square one (deciding for yourself and your family).

Best of luck

Simple maths
360000dhs annual salary
-100000 rent
-45000 school
-24000 car repayments
= 191,000 left over = AUS$63,000
Which is more than you're getting in Australia
and all other expenses food, amenities etc you have to pay in Australia anyway.

If you are good at saving you should be able to put away $20,000+ a year. Are you able to do that in Australia with a family? + your wife may be able to work too.

All other points by Ian and concord are still relevant to this especially medical and I would negotiate relocation.

Funny how we all just assumed this Architect is a guy. So if you spouse can work then it will better.

I think 100K for rent for a 4 person family is a little on the low side.
Depends where you want to live, I suppose

30K a month is decent cash. You can live here on that, but you'll have to really careful with what you spend it out. It would probably be better if your spouse also worked. Also take into account any debts you will still have to pay in Oz while you are here...e.g mortgage, loans etc - and the fact that you have to cope with the fluctuations in exchange rate (its really killing us at the moment!)

I think if your spouse works, it would be a great help. Also, can you tell us which company it is, big companies usually pay for health insurance and schooling.

Any other benefits that your salary? (bonus for example?)

But I must say I arrived in Dubai in April for a week and I was actually comfortable with the place.

I had 3 Interviews with Arenco, Cassia and Burt hill pritty good firms and I had no offers. It seems the packages you hear about do not exist at all any more.

I think to move to another country a relocation package is the key...this would need to include private health, schooling (assistance), and rental assistance. (atleast).

Which leads me to my next question what could I make in 2-3 years with Dubai experience??? This might be the key. That I would probibly be better of in Duabi for the next 3 years???.

What is more important in this case the money or the experience??

The company that has this offer is a large firm. I will consider the contract carefully and push for the right elements. 360 000 DHRS Is only a good offer if the rent is on a monthly bases...like the cash flow. Think about it if I am to move and pay 30K upfront before I have began I am out of pocket. Can this payment be made monthly I mean this needs to work for me to be comfortable. Does anyone have rent payed monthly for a unit or villa....please let me know of your experience in this area aswell.

cosmic

I totally agree with deedee. 100000 dhms a little low for rental. Coming from a family with 2 children, I would definently negotiate some rent aswell as relocation allowance. It can cost a bit to set a family up here and just as much to ship your things over! Schooling will cost and so I would also factor this in. Yes at the end of the day its tax free, cost of living is similar to oz however there are extra costs involved with children ie after school activities etc and you dont want them to hate being here if they cant afford to enjoy themselves! also you may also be needing 2 cars?? this is more expense. I really dont think you will save that much if you have to pay all these expenses out of your salary.

cu

cu

M! wrote:

^ian^ wrote:

M! wrote:me again its a rip off not more......... even for a single person not acceptable

Given that 120k aus is 360,000 dirhams which is 30k a month... which is more than 95% of the population here earns... I think you might be wrong.

I wont ever work for that money in Dobuy, its less i got at home (AFTER taxes and duties which was around 47% in total), so were is the benefit for me to waste my time in Dobuy?
Tell me

We sure as hell aren't talking about you in this thread.

cu

M! wrote:I wont ever work for that money in Dobuy, its less i got at home (AFTER taxes and duties which was around 47% in total), so were is the benefit for me to waste my time in Dobuy?
Tell me

So why are you here then?
PS: there's no such thing called "Dobuy".

cu

cosmicbaby, it's not a bad offer by local standards, but you'll definitely need your spouse to be earning as well.

The suggestion that you'll be paying around AED100K in rent is way off-beam. Assuming you want three bedrooms for a family your size, you'll be paying AED135-150K out in Mirdif or Warqaa, around AED170-180K in the Springs (or up to as much as 250K if you want to live in Jumeira or Umm Suqeim). Plus 5% agent's fee and 5% deposit, so call it a minimum of 150K and possibly a fair bit more more.

Then education for your kids, I'm not too clear on the costs of primary education, but I guess around 25K each, so a total of 50K.

Car - depends what you want to drive, but let's go with the suggestion above of repayments of around 25K a year for one car - and you may need two.

DEWA (utilities) - deposit of AED2K and then on average 1.2-1.5K a month for a villa (more in summer, less in winter). So say 15-20K a year.

Even going by the lowest end of the figures above, you're only left with AED9K (about AUD3K) a month for living expenses, which will be very tight for a family of four and certainly won't allow you to save. If your rent costs a bit more, or you need two cars, you could be really screwed without a second income.

Also don't forget that there are a lot of costs involved in setting up here - just household things like curtains, enough furniture to get by on until your crate arrives and so on. Are they offering you any kind of relocation costs? If I were you I would insist that they pay to ship your crate and angle for another AUD10K/AED30K or so for setting up costs.

Bear in mind when reading the comments above that people who've been here a while have the advantage of being locked into lower rents, which makes a huge difference to disposable income. Rents have increased phenomenally over the past couple of years - even just in the past few months.

By way of comparison, I just arrived a couple of months ago, I'm earning in the same general range as what you've been offered (including allowances etc), and my wife is working full-time as well. We have one nursery-aged child. There's no way that we could afford to get by on my salary alone, and we're certainly no better off than we were in the UK.

cu

At least I figure one thing out of this post: M! is an idiot.

cu

M! wrote:What is not actually new when you people ask who know me

I'm bringing your "sentence" to my 4th grade class tomorrow for translation. Check here for results.

jayzed wrote:Even going by the lowest end of the figures above, you're only left with AED9K (about AUD3K) a month for living expenses, which will be very tight for a family of four and certainly won't allow you to save. If your rent costs a bit more, or you need two cars, you could be really screwed without a second income.

Which is probably a heap more for living expenses than he has in Australia.