Emirates salary and schedule, realistically

[uplock]

Housing and Rental Costs are Expensive

A320PLT Your information regarding housing rental prices is outdated and incorrect. It does NOT come close to what rent is being charged . Check out the link here Gulf News Paper in depth cost of living links for more information where Dubai residents complain about a 36% hike in basic commodities and other day to day issues.

A search on todays paper Arabian Rancheshere
shows prices for a 3 bedroom Villa 160K(43,600 US $yr or 3,630 US $ month) to 195K( 53,130 US $ yr 4,427 US $ Month)

A 4 bedroom Villa(similar to EK supplied) 300K to 320K.(87190 US $ Annual thats 7,265 US $ a month.Prices do not include Utilities (water and electricity or Tax that must be paid to Dubai Municipality )

Other information is outdated , local Newspapers on line will give you a more accurate.

[A320PLT]

Well based on that and what many many others have said it is getting very hard for me to justify leaving a major US carrier for this. I was also wondering why so many would turn down the job if it were really that great.

You made an extremely important point concerning the health and welfare of your child and that would be a deal breaker.

Thanks all.

[BigGeordie]

Have a look at http://www.grapeshisha.com and especially the cost of living spreadsheet for a reality check on what stuff really costs out here.

I would suggest that when/if you come for the interview you take a couple of extra days holiday at the end just to have a good look around the grocery shops, electrical shops and even car dealers to get a better idea of what stuff costs. Then remember that whatever it costs today it will probably cost 20% more next year and your salary will have gone up by about half that. Repeat that for the 5 years until you get a command and decide if you can afford to live here or not.

You can save some money on an F/Os salary if you are careful but you probably won't save anything for the first couple of years because of the start up costs (shipping stuff from home, buying a car, electrical stuff (if you are coming from the USA you will need to replace everything you own with a plug on it), a few bits of furniture and so on).

[disconnected]

Taking a job in the UAE without having done your homework on cost of living, realistic takehome pay and previous year's trends would be pure folly.

New joiners look carefully before leaping. It could be an expensive mistake.

[thehulk]

I have been reading these posts with interest. Thanks to all respondees on the conditions, especially as it relates to the $ figures. If I am offered the job and decide to take it, I was thinking of shipping my SUV (sport utility vehicle) from the States over to Dubai. This would help alleviate what seems like the very high prices of vehicles in Dubai. It is already paid off. Can anyone say what my importation duties, taxes, charges would be ? Has anyone shipped a car or truck from the US over to Dubai ?
Or can anyone say if my SUV will run ok there, ( maybe your vehicles have bigger cooling systems, or bigger air conditioning systems to cope with the temp's in the summer months ) Or do you think it would be wiser to sell my SUV here first and just buy a new or good used one there ? What are the prices like ? I know EK gives a interest free loan, but is that enough
to cover a vehicle ? Also, mine already has the kids car seats installed, which is reason enough to ship it from home.
Thanks allot guys for responding !

[disconnected]

If whether or not to ship an SUV is a major issue in your list of priorities on coming to the UAE then you have certainly misunderstood the situation.

My friend, you need to gather a lot more information on Dubai, that is clear.

For the record, I wouldn't bother shipping a vehicle to Dubai unless it had some unique quality you required.

[BYMONEK]

Perhaps something else worth a mention. If you do manage to save in your initial 3-4 years, where will those savings go? Unless you're currently in dollars, sending money 'home' each month has been crippling as poor exchange rates and transfer costs eat into what little money that's left. Alternatively, you could save it here. HSBC were paying 6% 3 months ago before they reduced it to 4% overnight. From the 15th of this month it dropped again to 2.75%. They havn't changed the interest rate for mortgages so those with property will still be paying 7.5% or more. That gives you some idea of how things work around here. And with inflation over 10% (excluding housing), you wonder what's the point of saving anyway!

I'm not normally negative on this forum but I strongly recommend you think long and hard before coming to EK or the Gulf for that matter. I've recently advised a friend against coming here because I know he is better off staying with his current Airline.

Sadly, I would not have given that same advice 2 years ago.

BYMONEK

[GuessWhat]

Amen, or whatever its called.....

[bogeydope]

Hulk,

If I were you I would ship the car from the States! New cars here are about the same price as there but used cars are much more expensive!!

You pay 5% on the value of the car so get a printout of KBB value and bring that along. Any shipper can advise you on the shipping cost, even with this cost you will be better off with your car from home......

[thehulk]

Bogeydope,

Thanks alot for the info. I did notice on the used car websites there in Dubai that the vehicles did seem very expensive ! Do the authorities there require you to modify your shipped vehicle in any way ? Thanks again !

[Internationalpilot]

It is so funny to see this people's bigger concern is how to ship their car...
Makes me laugh....
Just stay away from this place..you will not like it!! Want to bet?
Moving to Dubai with three kids? How will you survive on a F/O salary?
If you have a job, if you are not desperate...stay where you are..!!
Ohhh... may be you wanna play with the big toy?
Grow up!