Should I move to Dubai?

[Geebz]

Have good job here in India, cheap living, able to save.

Offered good job in DXB, EXPENSIVE living from what I'm told, probably won't save much.

I have lived in both places in the past, could care less about indoor skiing or whatever. Just want a stable job where I can save a few bucks.

India in aviation meltdown, but what country isn't. With oil hitting $40 who knows if $30 is next stop. Such a scenario could affect prospects with any job in ME, no?

Interested in your opinions.

Also, how much can I expect to find a 2 BHK apartment for in Dubai in TODAY's market? Salary at new job includes housing paymt, i.e. no villa provided (must find on my own). I hear horror stories of $4000/ mo. but I'm not sure how much of that is hype.

My take on Dubai is that it is a great place IF YOU HAVE MONEY, eg, to enjoy the place you have to spend some coin. Kind of like NYC. Great place to hang if you make $20,000 a month. Otherwise, you really have to watch your money. True?

TIA for any advice.

[kingpost]

You sound content with your lot in life, now is not the time to be jumping ship.

If I were you I would stay.

good luck

[grizzled]

Geebz,

Your own comments -- and those of Kingpost -- some it up pretty well.

If you moved because you didn't like where you were, or you would save more money, or you would be in a better place in terms of your lifestyle and life experience, then you would likely be better off (and happier) in Dubai. As it is, DXB will bring you none of the above.

Yes, prices on purchased housing are dropping, but, so far at least, rental prices are not following suit. I've been paying AED 200,000 for the past year for a nice 2bdrm in the Marina and my landlord is demanding 240,000 if I want to renew for another year (which I won't do).

You likely know the rest, so I'll simply remind you: Remember that when you move here you are committed to a year at a time, due to the fact that apartment rent must be paid a year in advance. You can sometimes get away with two cheques (6 months each) but that will cost you a premium. Importantly, in terms of ongoing expeses, the UAE is one of the places in the world where a car is not an option. Lastly, the phrase "no taxes" has become a bit of a joke. The extra charges and fees that you pay for services in the UAE now add up to a significant amount.

In sum, there once was a time when it was worth putting up with the mantra of "construct, consume, and abuse" but more and more people are simply leaving (if and when they can of course).

Feel free to PM for a chat on anything specific.

Grizz

[Beech19]

Dubai's a great place, I love it here.
Just be aware of the cost of living when negotiating your salary.
Rents are really high in Dubai at the moment, but hopefully will start stablize and perhaps even drop. 2 beds go for about $4,600/month and higher. You need a car, but there are good deals going all the time.
Most companies are aware of the increase of living costs in the last year.
You need at least $10k/month to get by!

Best of luck with your decision.

[Geebz]

$4600/ mo. for a 2 bedroom? Crikey! How does anybody get by over there?

While I am content in my job at the moment, the aviation sector here in a bit of a meltdown. Hence my interviewing elsewhere to see what my options were. The DXB gig is approx $12,000/ mo. not all that much when you have to pay $4-5000 a month for a basic apartment.