Menu
Expat.com

Moving to abu dhabi

Post new topic

renren70

Hi all,
My family and I are in the thralls of a possibility of moving to Abu dhabi this year. Probably as early as June. It is a relocation via my husband's company however we are querying th package. For us it seems reasonable- eventohugh we have 2 children BUT as we know very little about Abu Dhabi, it's hard to say.

Firstly the package:(AED)
yearly pay:  202 000  (tax free but what does this mean)
Allowances on top of that:(AED)
1. school- hopefully british based education
2. yearly housing of 150 000
3. monthly car allowance- 7 000
4. yearly travel for all back to Uk
5. transfer of belongings (return).

My main concern is the pay and whether this is sufficient for a mdoest living in the UAE. By that I mean basic needs (food, petrol, outing, possibly children's clubs and holidays abroad)

Also I hope to work (well at least part-time or for myself if I can pull this off) as I am a veterinary surgeon with almost 20 years expereience. Anyone nneding a vet to visit them at home?:)

Anyway, I will appreciate honest feedback especially including quality of life of which I respect would be better in terms of sunshine and kids over fog and mud and depressing winters.

Looking forward to  replies.

Byee!!!

Nyssa Shay

The annual pay comes out to be about 35,500 GPB if that helps. I am American and am unfamiliar with the cost of living where you are but this would be around 50,000 USD and the cost of living in Abu Dhabi is similar to a big city in the US (New York, Chicago). Comparing to the US I would say it is a bit low for your family size if you are expecting to have extra cash, but it is doable if you budget correctly.

I can also address the housoing allowance as we had the same budget. You will not find anything but a one to two bedroom apartment for 150,000 aed. Average three bedroom accomodations run approximately 190,000-200,000aed depending on the area. We asked my husbands employer to use our goods and services allowance towards the rent rather than paying out of pocket as this amount is due up front every year. Maybe there is something like this that you can do.The rest of the offer sounds good!

I can also tell you that the area is wonderful, a bit foggy this time of year (winter) but still warm, more sun than not. It is very laid back and no hussle bussle which I like. Everyone speaks English so there is not much of a language barrier. No veiling required, and in fact women are very well respected here. There are other small details that may be helpful when you first arrive (such as how to get laundry done, what hotel to stay in while getting settled etc...) but that information can be saved for later :)

And I don't have pets but I would love to have you visit them at home if I did!

mjrv

The package offered is pretty good, you can have a good life.  As for your vet qualifications, you may need approvals from the Ministry of Health, so bring all your credentials (originals) if you want to continue your practice.  You will have more than enough sunshine to remember for the rest of your life :-)
Many international expats are having a very good personal and professional life here.  Welcome.

mjrv

On your question of 'Tax free' - in UAE there are no personal income taxes.  Of course there are other hidden fees that one pays (e.g. 5% housing tax on rentals which we pay in Dubai;  Vehicle registration and insurance renewal each year -if your company pays this you have no expense).  You would have to abide by the Tax laws of your home country when you work outside it.

abdulmhd

a really good offer!

Articles to help you in your expat project in Abu Dhabi

All of Abu Dhabi's guide articles