Up to $91,400 for 2009, plus you still get your standard deductions.
To claim the foreign earned income exclusion, the foreign housing exclusion, or the foreign housing deduction, you must have foreign earned income, your tax home must be in a foreign country, and you must be one of the following:
A U.S. citizen who is a bona fide resident of a foreign country or countries for an uninterrupted period that includes an entire tax year .
A U.S. resident alien who is a citizen or national of a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty in effect and who is a bona fide resident of a foreign country or countries for an uninterrupted period that includes an entire tax year, or .
A U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien who is physically present in a foreign country or countries for at least 330 full days during any period of 12 consecutive months.
Oh, and if you do join Etihad please join the American Chamber of Commerce in Abu Dhabi or Dubai ( Dubai is the cheaper option for individual memberships ). They help to lobby for increases to the foreign earned income exclusion. It periodically comes under attack from Congress and will most certainly again given the current fiscal crisis.
Typhoonpilot