Job Discussion Forums

dragonpiwo · Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin

According to social media a booze tax of 30% is being implemented mid-June, and that's for retail not the hotels. We also had a municipality tax increase which affects renters. The VAT introduced earlier this year has seen prices increase quite a lot and then you have inflation. Many salary packages are becoming less generous.

Writing's on the wall folks.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

This is nothing new; Abu Dhabi has always been pricey. Besides, cities like Seoul and Hong Kong as well as all of Singapore are more expensive than Abu D, and yet, they still attract TEFLers. Expats just need to be realistic about their spending habits, savings goals, employer-provided benefits, etc., regardless of which city/country they plan to teach in.

desertdawg · Joined: 14 Jun 2010 Posts: 206

Thanks dragonpiwo. Good to have a current, relevant post

dragonpiwo · Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin

I can update you a bit more. My friends at HCT have just been extended and are safe for a few more years. My friends at ATA (was ATI) are now being posted to ADNOC sites and outsourcing to bottom feeders is on the rise. There are Americans working in the desert now, for oil companies, on 12000 AED ALL IN. MOE jobs are paying around 21k a month all in. ADEC guys work out at around 26 if you factor in their housing allowance, tickets and rent allowance-the salary is actually not all that. Direct-hire jobs are now extremely rare in the OG field.

In the shops steaks that were 35 a year ago are now 50+, the bacon I buy was in the 30s and is now 50, my deodorant was 20 and is now 26, my smokes were 11 now they are 22 and so on and that's just the past year. I don't know how people with kids do it here. Oh my usual trips in taxis doubled too almost. It's becoming harder to save anything significant.

sheikhitnow · Joined: 29 Dec 2017 Posts: 32

Working in the desert for oil companies for AED 12,000?? My, my, I got in and out of this field just in time, retired in 2015, and it was only an excellent package because it was one of the last decent military ones in the KSA. I worry about friends who are still only 50-53 years old. Anyway for that miserable salary I'd suggest saving for 2-3 years and then migrating to Thailand or somewhere in East Asia that suits you. (Avoid Malaysia.) You might not save much but you'll enjoy life a lot more.

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 1:02 pm Post subject:

Three off-topic postings have just been deleted. Future such postings will see makers of same severely sanctioned. This can include permanent banning along with ISPs.