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Hello good people!

I'd like you to review offer I've been given and to tell me do you think it is
worth to go for it or not.

What I've been offered is:

- Salary: $4300 per month (tax free)
- Yearly flight to home country
- Relocation expense
- 22 days holiday
- yearly bonus (usually one months pay)
- medical insurance (50% rebate on all
medical bills)

To give you a little bit overview about my current situation. I'm married first of all, no kids yet. We'd be satisfied with 1 bedroom in a nice area. We would like to live in a close distance from my workplace which would be in Emirates Towers. I'll be negotiating a housing allowance while my
next talk to my potential employer. My wife is a lawyer (polish law) and we
are affraid it can be hard to find a job for her in Dubai. That's why there is a possibility I'll be the only person who would earn money for both of us.

I'll be thankful for your opinions.
Any advices?

Thank you,
Tomasz

US Dollars or Fleuros?

I have to ask because it makes a big difference to the answer.

Also what field of work are you in?

Your wife might have a good chance of finding work depending on how skilled she is.

It's US dollars.
And the position is an Art Director at international ad agency. BTL field.

So, what do You say?

Hi reberg,

First of all good luck.

Every situation is different. Your salary of $4,300 per month translates to 15,600 dirhams per month or $56,000 per year. Strictly as a salary that is not a terrible salary and a lot of people live on less. However it depends of your life style and purpose for coming to work in Dubai (to save, because there is no work in your country, for the sunshine, for the additional work experience, to meet different people, etc. etc.)

The bigger problem is the housing allowance. It is outrageous how expensive it is to live in Dubai. If you want to live near the Emirates Towers whee you will be working you probably need 100,000+ for a one bedroom apt. (others in this forum will know best). You may find a less expensive option somewhere else but "less expensive" does not mean half that price! And then you will be living far from emirates towers for example Internation City (which I hear is less expensive, again others on the forum will know). Based on your salary I doubt you will be getting 100,000 for a housing allowance.

I don't mean to scare you with the rental situation but it is a fact that it is very expensive. If you were traveling alone it might be easier because you could share the rent expense with the flat or villa mates. Something that is less of an option if your wife will travel with you. Perhaps the intial sacrify is for just you to come here while you figure out things better (expenses, jobs for her etc). This is particularly so if she is going to give up a job in Poland and come to Dubai without a job.

Also note that you need to drive everwhere. There is no real public transportation system.

I sugges you look at the "Sticky" posts on this forum and on the "accomodation" forum for great advice and answers to a lot of your questions (there are also other threads which you can access by the aid of the "search" feauture - upper right hand corner or by simply reading many of them)

Don't be fooled by the employer telling you that whatever allowance they give you will be "sufficient" because they know that once you land here you will be pretty much stuck.

The "insurance" doesn't sound like insurance to me or it could be very expensive for you. The "bonus" unless in writing and with a specific amount attached to it for a specific result, etc. then it is not a bonus. This is different thant the "gratuity" which is required by law (for every year of service) - it is not an employer "bonus" but compliance with the law.

On the other hand, Dubia is sunny everyday, most people are nice, and it sure is different than Warsaw (but not in a bad way).

In conclusion the salary is livable provided you negotiate a good accomodation package and FIND a place for that amount. Note that rents increase a lot from year to year.

Best of luck.

P.S. someone else just posted this site: http://www.howdoidubai.com/ as a helpful site for living in dubai check it out.

Good advice from Concord.

short point of order, the 22 days leave they are offering is less than what is stipluated under the law:

24 days in the first year of employment (accruded only after the first 6 months of service), thereafter 30 days per annum (after the first year of service).

i would also clarify the "months salary bonus" is this in effect paid leave??? to which you are actually entitled, or a 13th cheque, also get them to specify when (in which month) this will be paid.

and what if I get a let's say 70000 Dhs housing allowance?
Would it give us good living together with 4300 USD monthly sallary?

A 70,000 Dhs for accomodation alone is not that bad. You can rent a 1-2 B/R flat, but I doubt it would be enough for a villa.

In Dhs your salary would be around AED 15,000 ,hmmm and you say your wife might not be able to work...

To be honest, if your from EU or US I think it wouldnt be enough but then again ,..... it really depends on a lot of things.....

We would like to go to Dubai for a year and then come back to Poland. We are not looking to save money, but rather to get an experience of living in Dubai and I want to gain new work experience. We just want to live in a nice area and it can be roomy 1 bedroom, not far from Emirates Towers (don't have to be on the same street). As I looked through GulfNews there are some flats to rent at 65-70k, but I don't know is it real. Have you seen such apartments? How many sq. m can it be at this price?

reberg wrote:We would like to go to Dubai for a year and then come back to Poland. We are not looking to save money, but rather to get an experience of living in Dubai and I want to gain new work experience. We just want to live in a nice area and it can be roomy 1 bedroom, not far from Emirates Towers (don't have to be on the same street). As I looked through GulfNews there are some flats to rent at 65-70k, but I don't know is it real. Have you seen such apartments? How many sq. m can it be at this price?

Hi - I work across from the Emirates Towers and have looked into apartments in the area. There are a few on the same street, but none under 100k. The closest apartment buildings would be in Bur Dubai or (few) in Satwa which would be a 10-20 minute drive away where you would get a 1-BR for 70-80k. The places I've seen were between 40-60 sqm.

Anything below that price is not nicer than anything in Warsaw and wouldn't necessarily add much to your "Dubai experience".

dbxsoul wrote:short point of order, the 22 days leave they are offering is less than what is stipluated under the law:

24 days in the first year of employment (accruded only after the first 6 months of service), thereafter 30 days per annum (after the first year of service).

i would also clarify the "months salary bonus" is this in effect paid leave??? to which you are actually entitled, or a 13th cheque, also get them to specify when (in which month) this will be paid.

dbxsoul just a quick question: 24 working days ? or just 24 days ?

MaaaD wrote:

dbxsoul wrote:short point of order, the 22 days leave they are offering is less than what is stipluated under the law:

24 days in the first year of employment (accruded only after the first 6 months of service), thereafter 30 days per annum (after the first year of service).

i would also clarify the "months salary bonus" is this in effect paid leave??? to which you are actually entitled, or a 13th cheque, also get them to specify when (in which month) this will be paid.

dbxsoul just a quick question: 24 working days ? or just 24 days ?

all leave entitlements in the uae are inclusive of weekends and public holidays. if you normally are off on a friday, and are on vacation, the friday is counted as part of your leave entitlement

dbxsoul wrote:all leave entitlements in the uae are inclusive of weekends and public holidays. if you normally are off on a friday, and are on vacation, the friday is counted as part of your leave entitlement

In that case if a person is getting 22 working days is not bad.

reberg wrote:and what if I get a let's say 70000 Dhs housing allowance?
Would it give us good living together with 4300 USD monthly sallary?

Depending on availability a decent 2 bedroom apartment on SZR will cost you 80-100k/year. So try to negotiate your allowance to cover at least 90k - taking annual rates into consideration.

Whether $4,300 will give you good lifestyle it has been mentioned many times before and Concord has covered it best (again) - all depends on what you are used to and what your goal is - to save, live it up, life experience, etc. Generally and personally speaking, I don't see why you can't live comfortable off that.

Might pay for you to check what transport allowances are available for you as well - be handy to have a car here.