Eagle Jet:
You ask a very difficult question. What does 120-144K a year get you in the UAE for housing? I read your post a couple days ago and had to think about how to answer this. Here are my feelings and that is all they are spiced with some facts.
There is so much information on the net – not pprune – but the net about housing costs in Dubai/UAE that I would be a poor source for that info. I can only tell you about what I know and have seen the last 5 years.
What do you want?
What do you need?
These are the questions you are asking me to answer and frankly I have no idea. Are you married? Do you have a family? School age kids? High School, grammar school? Are you used to small homes or large homes? Do you need servants or service? What types of environment do you like – beach or desert? And the list can go on ad infinitum!
Pilots bitch, other than fly an airplane that is what we do. We are pros at both. I can not comment on EK or EY pilot’s complaints and if you make your decision based upon that – well you are a bone head.
But your question was basically what can I get? I can not tell you, nor can anyone else on this planet. I can tell you what I have and what can be had (if you make your decisions based upon your requirements and not other people.)
I have a 560 sq meter (5,700 sq ft) villa - 5 bedrooms + office, 7 bathrooms, living room, dinning room (very large) and 2 kitchens etc. It has a separate servants building with 3 bedrooms (apx 10 sq meters each - large for the UAE), 2 bathrooms, storage room and the extra (2nd) kitchen – Arabic style. It is on a half acre lot with 3 car garage, huge enclosed driveway for 6 vehicles, grass, pool etc. 7 central zone air conditioners, 8 hot water heaters, 2 years old, a dirt area for my wife’s garden and enough lighting for a fairly good outside barbeque for 50+ folks during a wild night in February. Pretty nice place! To be honest the nicest place I ever lived in, during my lifetime.
Now pass that around in the UAE. I pay 105K a year plus 5K for the government. Do the math. I make 144 and pay 110 which gives me 34K to blow on the old lady and kids.
My data is fact and I will give more later. The point is simple. What do you want?
I live in a family area where my 16 year old daughter can walk to the store at 10PM with impunity. My 14 year old son can ride his bike where his mom only worries about him breaking his neck on the sand dune around the block. I am minutes from work during rush hour and the local/neighborhood store still delivers milk at 6AM to my door.
Where is that – well that I am not going to say but I know many of the guys in the company have been reading these posts and know very well who I am. They also know that what I say is fact without hyperbole.
So once again EJ what do you want? Oh you want to live in Jumeriah 2 on the beach – ok then 150 sq meters cost 250K a year. You want to live on the golf course in Arabian Ranches – 300K a year is for you at 150 sq meters. A condo in Jebal Ali – better fork out 200K a year for a 1 bedroom overlooking the sand. The Meadows, Springs, Murdif – well you have the zip code and with that goes the price. Oh I forgot it is going to take you 1 hour to get to work in the afternoon during the rush hour.
Guys ABY is in SHJ not DXB! You want to live in Diera or Jumeriah – well what do you want? Air Arabia does not care! That is not to say prices are not high in SHJ – they are, but what do you want? The Buhirah (sp). The cornice on the inland waterway - sure prices are high. It is up to you and it takes time. For those new to the sand pit it will take time. You don’t know the area and the biggest mistake most make is going where their friends/co-workers went before. The paper is full of info, not UPP or Emmar but real info – spend the time. Many locals want stuff without agents and make deals with a handshake and a nod. Yes it takes time to understand and find them but they are here. I have been here for 5 years and my rent has actually decreased the last 2 years.
Now guys I don’t want to make it sound like I live in the sticks – not true. We have a major grocery store less than 4 Km away, and a little Indian store .5 Km away. My boys go to the Australian school about 6 km away and my daughter goes to the Dubai Academy for Girls 14km (my wife’s GPS.) Major parks (Discovery Land) is around the corner and off road land is less that 1 km away (if you are into that as we are.)
You like the beach – well that is on the other side of town. I will say this. Bin there done that. We lived on beach road for 2 years and while nice – noisy, dangerous etc. rather drive and see it than live there now. You will hear about the Asian Subcontinent people living in the area – that is true. But you know what? I can care less whether it is a man from Pakistan or a man from Sidney that googles over the body of my 16 year old daughter and her friends – guys do that! So we buy family memberships in local clubs. We are members of Kimpenski’s and they have all the needs we want. The girls can wear their skimpy bikinis and lay on the beach all day long without pressure from perverts (pilots.) They can go bowling in the lanes while dad drinks a pint at the sports bar watching India beat Pakistan in football
The point is these places exist and westerns use them. You don’t need the NAME of a place to enjoy your time – but then again –WHAT DO YOU WANT!
Hope this give you an idea but if it doesn’t well, then it doesn’t help.
Burners and Out