ATC IssuesA place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.
I am a little lost reading the other Dubai UAE threads because of the personal battles going on there, so hoping to start this one with just some facts and observations.
Was looking at moving to Dubai last year, but got a little spooked with the whole GFC and how it was affecting Dubai - lots of sensational stories about people leaving at short notice etc etc.
Now looking at it again with a view that things must be starting to settle down financially, and rents seems to have become a bit more realistic. If we go, this will probably be a long term move, as here in Australia they no longer seem interested in re-hiring experienced people who have left.
So what is it like living there now compared to say 18 months ago? And what is it like working there in terms of prospects for the future and how your colleagues feel about it?
First, security. Serco will be here for the forseeable future, so a long-term move is certainly possible. There is some concern over staffing levels, though the expectation/hope is that it's a battle Serco has won or is winning.
Pay and conditions. While this year's increase is not what was initially talked about when rent inflation was going through the roof, the salary (including allowance which are not included in gratuity calculations) is a good one. The working schedule is the traditional UK one - 6 shifts in 10 days. Good for now, though individual rostering could hamper unit cohesion if it's brought in.
Living here. Rents went silly last year, and have now crashed back to reasonable levels. It's entirely reasonable for a professional expat to expect a 3 or 4 bedroom villa, and a 4 bedroom is now gettable within the allowance in a nice area. Cars are affordable here, especially compared with Oz and parts of Europe. Some groceries are a little pricey, and restaurants at the top end are scandalously expenive, but you can also eat out cheaply at Lebonese and Indian places (not licenced for alcohol!). Beer is expensive in the bars, but tax-free booze for home consumption is a one hour drive away.
Lifestyle. It's what you make it! Golfists seem to enjoy it here despite the high green fees. Some credit cards give you free membership of certain clubs though. Dune bashing is good fun and you can take it as seriously (or not) as you wish. Beach clubs are expensive though there are still beaches off the beaten track that are free. Check out Time Out Dubai - City Guide, Information, Events, Reviews & What's On in the City of Dubai for listings of outdoor activities, bars, restaurants, etc.
Climate. Stupid hot in summer, from late May until September or so. Very pleasant in the winter.
Culture. It's all too easy for some expats to forget they're in an Arab, Muslim country. At least in ATC there are enough locals that we tend not to forget! It's easier to enjoy life here if you try to learn a little about the Arabic culture, and recognize that they do make allowances for us foreigners. Ramadan can be somewhat restrictive for non-Muslims as we are expected to observe the fast in public, but Iftar is a great experience even at work.
And let's not forget work! Everyone sees things a little differently, but I for one find it the best mix of guys (and girls) to work with of anywhere I've been. The expat lifestyle pushes us together somewhat, and that's no bad thing. We work together and often play together.
When you say staffing levels battle, do you mean Serco want to reduce numbers or they can not attract enough numbers?
Presently there are no vacancies for 'line-crews',unless, either a new position/role is invented or introduced!(if you come from certain friendly Units)
or
unless you intend taking a Managerial role!
We have had a 2 resignations this year, with another 1 due soon....as Doggy...ermmmm sorry Scooby Don't posted, Management say we are just about the correct numbers......
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BTW : What is the status / progress of transitioning to Jebel Ali?
It depends which Rating you will hold. No more DUAL Rated ATCOs, so if you hold a TWR Rating, you will have to commute to & from OMDB. If you hold a Radar Rating, FOR NOW you will have to commute to & from OMDB.
Hopefully when things get moving, Radar Unit will eventually move down to Jebel Ali....the infrastructure is there, but I bet we are still far away from moving down, in the near future... Visited the site a couple of weeks ago, not much happening to be honest!
For those TWR Rated ATCOs intending to join for DWC - OMJA, everything is still unsure, & if you followed the latest posts on the other Dubai / UAE thread Dubai / UAE
it does not look so rosy. The present ATCOs in DWC / OMJA have been treated rather harshly, so unless you want to go through what they are going through right now, just drop your cv!
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(Anyone willing to PM or email me the current OMDB package? I have one from Jan 2008, so obviously it is somewhat better now?)
As you have the Jan 2008 OMDB package, there's no big change, apart from the increase announced at the end of May 2009 - being 3% for line crews & 5% for SUPs & Office personnel.
For Jebel Ali ATCOs, who initially signed & thought they have a valid contract identical to OMDB, NOW it's a different story unfortunately....
Luckily school fees have also been topped up, but you never know how greedy these schools can be, year after year!
With the present GFC we certainly have a good package, patience is the key to everything...
Thanks one and all - I shall 'refresh' my CV, and see what they have to say.
Anyone hazard a guess as to when they believe the active recruitment will re-commence? Or when new controllers will absolutely be needed bearing in mind likely resignations etc?
BTW - anyone seen these guys out and about during their time in DXB?
I'm a tower and approach rated controller working in Kuwait.
I have monitored this forum for sometime and understand that hiring is temporarily at a standstill.
Would catching a flight over to meet management benefit me in acquiring future employment?
My wife is also a contoller, have you had a husband/wife working together before? Past experience usually decides how the facility feels, what's the consensus there?
a) Recruitment is at a standtill yes but you would be on a waiting list.
b) We have wife/husband controllers here already.
c) The crucial bit would be your nationality. Serco employs from certain countries including most western europe, North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If you are not from any of these it could be quite difficult. Coming round to see the management might be useful. Let me know if I could help
Hi guys, new to the forum with a load of questions , if anyone could help
- Could someone explain the "6 on 4 off "shiftwork pls
- Do they cover relocation expences?
- What about health insurance (correct me if i got it wrong) I mean doctors an so.
- Schools ( I have three kids, two of them on elementary)
- I understand I should be sending out a CV to Serco. Anyone got a proper address?
Any of you know if there's a greek guy ( with kids maybe ) among you to provide info on schools or what else is there?
6 on/4 off = 6 shifts, then 4 days off. In practice, it is two morning shifts, two evening shifts, two night shifts, then a "sleep" day (you leave work at 6am) and then three full days off.
Relocation expenses - not much, just the air freight of 100kg of belongings.
Health insurance - provided and covers 90% of doctors' bills plus (I believe) 100% for hospital treatment as an in-patient. Also provides cover when travelling except in North America.
Schools - education allowance is provided for two children.
Applications - do a search here!
Greeks - I don't know of any, but there are some of your near neighbours.
I presume the shifts are 8 hours correct? About the schools, I'm guessing private English spoken schools? What options are there? Any e-address I can check out details? And what percent of the tuition fees does the allowance cover?
I'm not sure what you mean by "other curriculums"?
It means educational systems followed by other countries i.e. an Australian curriculum will be different to a UK one or a French one etc etc. There are schools here that are based on a particular curriculum of a certain country e.g. Dubai American Academy or the Dubai British school.
Reading your post on the Abu Dhabi thread it appears that you don't have radar. I would guess that radar would be a requirement at Abu Dhabi, being a radar/tower unit.
Dubai may be a possibility when we start recruiting again, but your tower experience would have to be at a major international airport. If you're in Greece, Athens would probably be the only one that might qualify.
Thank you Red. Actually I'm not based in Athens but in Chania, more of a sesonal-charter destination. As of radar, I have been trained and certified but not for Tower or Approach, only as a PAR controller during my military years - still got nothing to loose by trying.
Does the education allowance come into your hands in cash or directly to the school?
Could you or any other kind person sum up the packages as of today? PM could do if you prefer.
Hangin' in.
Forgot a couple ones
Do both Serco and GCAA hire for Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
Which are the proper adresses to send a CV?
Currently working in New Orleans, USA, as a Radar/Tower controller. The FAA is shoving me out in the door in seven months when I reach age 56. Are there age restrictions in the UAE?
It's my understanding that to partake of the Devi'ls Drink, you have to buy alcohol at a hotel bar. Is there some other means of buying alcohol and drinking in the privacy of your own residence? If so, is it too expensive to be practical?
I understand that you may bring your spouse. Are there any restrictions on women in terms of attire, driving a vehicle, or beating their husbands in public?
We have no children. But what about bringing little four-legged Fido (25 lbs.)? If not, I guess we'll have to eat him.
Also, I see from some of the previous posts that they're not hiring right now. Is that right?
Most if not all of the units in the UAE require recognised international experience. Of course rules are bent all the time, but it would almost certainly be only at one of the quieter (lower paying units) now. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi look for people from the majors only. Why? well given what the pay and benefits are on offer they can afford to chose the best.
kbakerbill,
The retirement age in the UAE is 58, so it would be unlikely that you would be selected given such a short time left. Sorry.
Generally, it would be unlikely for anyone to be hired beyond 53 for Dubai. The current "ideal profile" would be for someone younger anyway, in the hope/expectation that they would stick around for a while. However, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah may all be willing to hear from the old and bold.
And for the rest of kbakerbill's questions...
Booze - when they say hotel bars, that simply means that all bars are officially part of a hotel (apart from the Irish Village, owned by Dubai Duty Free) but often you don't even have to go through a hotel lobby to get there.
In Dubai (and I think Abu Dhabi), you can get an alcohol licence which allows you to buy from liquor stores. In Sharjah, alcohol is banned completely. In the other Emirates (apart from Fujairah - I simply don't know what the rules are there), there are tax-free liquor stores and no need for a licence. Despite various warnings to the contrary, it IS legal to buy booze in Ras Al Khaimah or Umm Al Quwain and, if you have a valid alcohol licence, transport it through Sharjah to take it home to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Booze prices - a 24-pack of bottled beer is about 130 UAE Dirhams in the tax-free stores, and about 200 Dirhams in Dubai. Divide by 3.6725 for US$. Single malt Scotch can be had for around 200 a bottle. Indian whiskey starts at about 10 Dirhams.
Wives - up to four are allowed. Okay, that's just for Muslims. The malls have a dress code; basically keep the knees and shoulders covered. Public displays of affection, other than in certain bars, are frowned upon but holding hands is unlikely to get you into trouble. Woman can drive, work and buy booze, but a lot of things require a husband's written permission. If you don't give such permission, expect a beating!
Dogs - they're unclean in Islam, thanks to butt-sniffing and ***t-eating. If a dog's tongue or nose touches a Muslim, it nullifies his ablutions and he must do them again before praying. There is a huge Indian population in the UAE, for whom dogs may not be unclean but are often seen as scary.
It is possible to make dog-ownership work here, but it isn't as easy as in the West. It's illegal to have a dog off-leash in public though some communities have areas where you can get away with it. The heat is a major issue for dogs, so summer walks must be short and either very early or very late in the day. They must be imported as manifest cargo. Google Dubai Kennel and Cattery to find out how it's done.
Other issues - the biggest supermarkets are French yet have appalling bread! Pork products are available in a separate section of the smaller (non-French) supermarkets. Certain products are hard to come by, such as vanilla extract and wine vinegar - they have alcohol in them.
Imported magazines are expensive, around US$10 for a magazine with a $3 cover price. The censors can sometimes take an over-zealous approach to their job, so an advertisement featuring a statue in Rome will have the statue's buttocks blacked out. Some of the book stores are pretty good though slightly expensive.
Comparison shopping for TVs and appliances can be frustrating, when you discover that every store is really just acting as an agent for the importer so the same TV will be the same price everywhere and will be delivered by the importer.
Driving can take some getting used - imagine if Mexico had good roads! Mirrors are seldom used, and certain people will, if they miss their exit, simply cut across three lanes of traffic to make it at the last second.
Summer heat is oppressive, and outdoor activities tend to stop dead for four months or so. On the plus side, a round of golf is cheaper in the summer.
MacDonalds are here, but don't expect to see a bacon and egg McMuffin anytime soon!
) among you to provide info on schools or what else is there?
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