LIVING WORKING IN ABU DHABI
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: UAE
Age: 18
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sandpit
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LACCATCO, you can go thru that thread and be none the wiser for it 
, lots of personalities over ere...same as most ACC's
I've have only been here for a short while and so far it has been interesting to say the least...I'll break it down into Work, Pay, Housing, Schools, and Lifestyle
Work: coming form oz the work here is much more rewarding. you will know you've been at work and as my colleagues said after last nights chaotic holding you will be controlling in your dreams. The traffic is mental and lots of it there is no flow management through out the region, the procedures are driven by the dysfunctional politics of the region...ie they are fugged!
Having said that it is the hardest thing I have done professionally and I enjoy a challenge. Roster wise it is 6on (MM[7hr shifts]AA[8hr shifts]NN[9hr shifts]) 3off over 10days and every third cycle you do 6on 1off over 8days. I've had a good run with the roster but some of the guys do find the short break hard if they've been hammered by traffic over their 6 days.
Pay: package for an area ATCO 396,000AED, after housing, health and paying for one kid in high school I take home 23,500AED per month. I spend about 1500AED a week on living expenses ; food, phone, internet, taxis, booze and going out.
Housing: the Serco accomodation ranges from average to awful. Us guys with dependants do better than the single guys accomodation.
Schools: if you've got kids in high school get organised before you get here, I had a bit of a run around but got there in the end. Abu Dhabi is a growing city and the demand for expat education is begining to outstrip supply, although it is nowhere near as bad as Dubai so I'm told. Just a word of warning a 13 year Asian girl from my daughter's school was recently abducted an held for ransom by her father's ex business partners. She was returned unharmed a week later.
Lifestyle: so far I love it. Some things will get on your goat like the discrimination and the horrendous drivers on the road, again not as bad as Dubai. I go out regularly to pubs, restraunts and clubs and they are pretty good and reasonably priced. I joined 'The (British) Club' and use the gym, pool, beaches and bars regularly. My daughter has made some good friends,(one even got kidnapped!). As far as personal safety goes it is safer here than back home in oz but its not as safe as I was initially led to believe, you just have to use a bit of 'common dog'. Don't get into a dispute with locals cause you'll never win, becareful when you go out drinking especially getting home late.
Like I said its early days for me, I miss home..you know trees, hills and the footy etc....but I haven't missed a night of sleep since I've been here (apart from night shifts and all night drinking sessions with your training ATCO
!)
, lots of personalities over ere...same as most ACC'sI've have only been here for a short while and so far it has been interesting to say the least...I'll break it down into Work, Pay, Housing, Schools, and Lifestyle
Work: coming form oz the work here is much more rewarding. you will know you've been at work and as my colleagues said after last nights chaotic holding you will be controlling in your dreams. The traffic is mental and lots of it there is no flow management through out the region, the procedures are driven by the dysfunctional politics of the region...ie they are fugged!
Having said that it is the hardest thing I have done professionally and I enjoy a challenge. Roster wise it is 6on (MM[7hr shifts]AA[8hr shifts]NN[9hr shifts]) 3off over 10days and every third cycle you do 6on 1off over 8days. I've had a good run with the roster but some of the guys do find the short break hard if they've been hammered by traffic over their 6 days.
Pay: package for an area ATCO 396,000AED, after housing, health and paying for one kid in high school I take home 23,500AED per month. I spend about 1500AED a week on living expenses ; food, phone, internet, taxis, booze and going out.
Housing: the Serco accomodation ranges from average to awful. Us guys with dependants do better than the single guys accomodation.
Schools: if you've got kids in high school get organised before you get here, I had a bit of a run around but got there in the end. Abu Dhabi is a growing city and the demand for expat education is begining to outstrip supply, although it is nowhere near as bad as Dubai so I'm told. Just a word of warning a 13 year Asian girl from my daughter's school was recently abducted an held for ransom by her father's ex business partners. She was returned unharmed a week later.
Lifestyle: so far I love it. Some things will get on your goat like the discrimination and the horrendous drivers on the road, again not as bad as Dubai. I go out regularly to pubs, restraunts and clubs and they are pretty good and reasonably priced. I joined 'The (British) Club' and use the gym, pool, beaches and bars regularly. My daughter has made some good friends,(one even got kidnapped!). As far as personal safety goes it is safer here than back home in oz but its not as safe as I was initially led to believe, you just have to use a bit of 'common dog'. Don't get into a dispute with locals cause you'll never win, becareful when you go out drinking especially getting home late.
Like I said its early days for me, I miss home..you know trees, hills and the footy etc....but I haven't missed a night of sleep since I've been here (apart from night shifts and all night drinking sessions with your training ATCO
!)
Last edited by Funk; 8th Mar 2006 at 09:30.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: High up on the mountain
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I agree with Funk. Don't bother with the other threads as there are too many disgruntled ex employees providing "facts". I don't miss the footy though!
Hey Funk the palm trees are better than the ones back home.
Salary is good and you can do plenty with it especially if you are single. Why not let GCAA pay for a trip over and see for yourself?
Cat out
Hey Funk the palm trees are better than the ones back home.
Salary is good and you can do plenty with it especially if you are single. Why not let GCAA pay for a trip over and see for yourself?
Cat out
Join Date: Aug 2000
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Cat
Geez mate, if I had known GCAA would pay to come and check the place out first, I would have claimed back my 6 dhs in cab fares getting from my luxurious downtown Najda street accomodation to pick up my contract! 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sandpit
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Housing is sort of subsidised (55K to 65K AED/p.a.) if you use company accomodation which is deducted from your salary package. Its is expected that those rents will go up as each building goes up for renewal of leases. Outside the company accomodation rents range from 90K to 150K AED/p.a.
Health insurance is provided by the company thru a bulk purchase it is in the order of 5K to 10K AED p.a.
Pint of Stella at the club is 12AED and at the Crowne Plaza its 18AED!
Health insurance is provided by the company thru a bulk purchase it is in the order of 5K to 10K AED p.a.
Pint of Stella at the club is 12AED and at the Crowne Plaza its 18AED!
