BigGeordie...

You really have a lot of time.

Lived in BAH for four years and nightstopped DXB a lot. I know a DXB Arab gentleman who ticks most of the 'A's - Nothing done by halves and, as for the SZR, that would be in his Ferrari in which, I understand, he terrorises his family.

I'm all A. Where's my contract?

Yes, I'm ready to move Dubai next month for 24 days and looking for a best studio apartment/apartment for rent.

You must mean move out? Absolutely.....poor wages, ridiculously expensive, no rights, no way to save any money, forced pay cuts, its all a charade.

Yep, why would any professional Pilot want to apply for a position in the Middle East with any of these UAE airlines ever again, after seeing how they have treated expats in recent months, you would have to be crazy. Greedy, secretive, racists who make up the rules as they go along. Then chuck you & your family out like old garbage.

Do your homework!!! ME is a disaster! It has and will destroy lives.

Don’t even think about it.

At the push of a key they will send emails that will destroy lives. They will do so without as much as an explanation, management will throw you away like a piece of trash. You then have a specified period of time to get out of the country or you are illegal. They don’t care if you were a good employee, how good you are at your job, or how long you were there or your seniority, they just simply don’t care. When you have served your purpose or you have extended sickness or injury, you are thrown away. You have NO protection.

They happily will destroy your life and your families, without a word of remorse or explanation. Don’t ....just don’t

Sadly, the desperation levels amongst many now-unemployed pilots is such that they will take any job, even in the Middle East, as long as they can break even. The only way to live and work out there is to spend almost nothing and repatriate your earnings. Just like the poor men who slave away in construction jobs in those states. That is what it has now come to. And expect T & C's to be much lower than those previously offered. Perhaps as low as 50%. Very tough times.

"Confirmed" by who?

Well, it is a rumour network!

The Middle East, as a prosperous place to work in, is finished forever.
As has been said several times already, you are absolutely worthless as a human being. They will promise you anything, and the moment you move there, you are their property.

First thing you will learn, is that the salary that seemed so great (compared to your home country's average) is not going to get you very far, because prices are horrific, and increase year by year. School fees, rents, taxes (YES, they DO have taxes), medication, food... everything is up by 2 to 5 % a year, but your salary won't be.

The next thing you find out, is that you will always come second to a local. Have a local LandCruiser bump into your parked car: your fault! His word against yours: you lose. He reports you to the cops: you're screwed.

Then, after a year or so, you'll notice that your contract has suddenly changed. You may get notice, you may not, you certainly aren't required to consent - because: THERE IS NO CONTRACT. You have a worthless piece of paper in your hand. If your employer wants to modify something, he will do so, and you can either accept it or get the :mad: out.

You will spend a fortune inside shopping malls, buying useless overpriced trash, simply out of boredom, because there is nothing else really to do. The UAE has shopping malls, restaurants, and more shopping malls - that's it. So to keep your wife happy and your kids away from the TV, you will hang around in Starbucks or inside Fun City, pretending to enjoy yourself.

As a pilot, specially if you don't have kids, you will travel home anytime you have three OFFs in a row - and feel miserable and tired at the thought of having to come back. Because face it: this place is horrible.

But if you're young, or desperate for a job, you probably won't believe this and not listen to good advice, so... you are welcome. Entertain us with your problems, in a few months time.

Ha ha where have you been for the last year?

Aviation is horrible everywhere right now. For U.K. licensed pilots can’t even get a job in EU land anymore. EU is destroyed from the pandemic and the leaders don’t have a clue. Too proud to ask advice. I know you are bashing UAE for lots of reasons but they handled COVID so much better than EU land.
I know half a dozen pilots personal who reckon that’s it for them, 1 has let his TR lapse already. No more flying.

I haven’t had a job in a year, U.K. based and get no government help at all, married with 2 kids and yes 1 child goes to nursery which costs us £1500 a month for 3 days a week. Council tax is going up by another 6.8% so in the last 4 years it’s up 30%!!! Another tax rise coming. Pilots already in the highest tax bracket here and many on the £100-£120k bracket which you pay effectively 60% tax. Petrol prices at record levels and more tax coming for car users.

Its going to get worse everywhere. Europe and USA have been destroyed by this pandemic and once this is over climate change activists will be next to hit the industry.

I remain optimistic I will get a job but on what terms who knows.

Hang in there it will turn around soon...I hope.
Also unemployed. 👍

You are on the money. But, don't forget that when they let you go, they will make you apply for your job again and MAYBE they will take you back on a contract that new joiners get. Those who aren't made redundant sail on as if nothing happened.

:D so true

Brilliant! Hits the nail squarely on the head! :)

If you can stand the heat, it is nice place to be. It's an expat city.

no crap? Didn’t know that