Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Working in Dubai

Hi.

I am currently training to be a corporate lawyer, and hoping to go on to do a Phd or Masters in a business related subject (finance, or economics) in a post graduate course. I have researched salaries in Dubai for corporate lawyers, and my research just doesnt make sense, and is very differing. I am hoping for the first 5 years to learn arabic, to give myself more employment and salary options, and then on from there... and well, considering my internet search returns have come back with very different statistics, i thought it was time to ask those who have been there and worn the T-shirt so to speak. I have A levels in law, economics, and politics, and near finishing my law degree.. i am western qualified (in england), and would like to know 2 main things

1) how much salary could i command in the first 5 years? after passing my Phd postgraduate course and moving to dubai, after taking living costs (1 bed apartment in a fairly nice area), and a small car... how much would i have left?

2) after 5 years or so (hopefully will have learnt the language), what sort of salary could i receive in dubai? 5 years expierance and learning the language i assume would give me a major salary boost, but after living costs, how much would i have left over? again living in a 1 bedroom apartment in a nice area and a reasonable car? I have been told that western qualified lawyers who know arabic earn around 240,000 DHS a month, but this seems unrealistic and unbelievable at the amount of money were talking about compared to the cost of living.

Regards,

Daniel

so, what are the real statistics?

after 5 yrs and if you speak arabic and you're white western you'll earn 100K USD per month. run, dont walk to the UAE and get started.

100k USD a month? i had learnt that in Dubai salaries were big... but thats 1.2 million dollars a year? after 5 years experience working in Dubai plus learning arabic im likely to earn that much? i already know some arabic, and thought that salaries were around 100k a month in Dhs... around 300,000 USD a year i assumed.... but considering my age, and estimating ill be 25/26 by the time i finish my Phd/msc, by the time im 31 i would be earning in excess of 1.2 million USD per annum?? i assumed that was only for the ''elite'' harvard students at most... but if that is the case.. well, im flabbergasted to say the least.

Your not mistaken on the currency monthly are you? or is it actually 100,000 United states dollars a MONTH? that sounds somewhat crazy... and about 4.4 million AED a year... i think some of the top executives in the UK are paid such money...

sorry if this sounds somewhat excited and confused at the same time, the scales are quite off the table where salaries are concerned.

i guess sarcasm isn't something you learned in all your schooling. like i said run dont walk to dubai. you can swim thru your money like scrooge mcduck.

haha

nuzbim wrote:i guess sarcasm isn't something you learned in all your schooling. like i said run dont walk to dubai. you can swim thru your money like scrooge mcduck.

haha

well, forum sarcasm isnt the clearest of communication, granted written sarcasm is something that needs to be conveyed in such a way. As in clear statements that imply you are not serious.

This is a general enquiry.... into how much i could earn after 5 years working in Dubai.... can anyone give me some real statistics? i am hoping to learn arabic some more whilst studying for my Phd

Saintssupporter wrote:

nuzbim wrote:i guess sarcasm isn't something you learned in all your schooling. like i said run dont walk to dubai. you can swim thru your money like scrooge mcduck.

haha

well, forum sarcasm isnt the clearest of communication, granted written sarcasm is something that needs to be conveyed in such a way. As in clear statements that imply you are not serious.

This is a general enquiry.... into how much i could earn after 5 years working in Dubai.... can anyone give me some real statistics? i am hoping to learn arabic some more whilst studying for my Phd

would you be able to earn 60-70K USD per month in the UK or whateva western country you're from? there's a ton of arabic speaking lawyers here and they dont earn nearly 240K dirhams per month. why not stay in the western country and earn there, cause it wont get that high here. dont know if you've noticed but there's a world recession goin on and dubai has been hit hard.

Well, the obvious answer to your question about 70k USD a month would be no.

What were the salaries outside the recession? i mean... granted i had a feeling i would have to earn in the UK whilst the recovery is initiated, just wanted to get a grasp of how much i could earn for me and my potential family in the future by moving out to Dubai

And i had heard that salaries in the UAE were quite extravagant,

Saintssupporter wrote:Well, the obvious answer to your question about 70k USD a month would be no.

What were the salaries outside the recession? i mean... granted i had a feeling i would have to earn in the UK whilst the recovery is initiated, just wanted to get a grasp of how much i could earn for me and my potential family in the future by moving out to Dubai

And i had heard that salaries in the UAE were quite extravagant,

3-5 years ago maybe, but times have caught up and there's a ton of unemployed westerners here now. add 10-15% to what a fresher earns in the UK and those are salaries here. there's no more gravy train here, it's realistic now days.