Job Discussion Forums

[bigmak]

I don't know anything about Oman but is 600 + 125 (accommodation) + 75 (transport) decent enough for Sur? I'm not looking to make millions (I don't suppose I'd be in oman if I were) - just to travel around a bit there and save maybe 300-400 OR per month (about 40-50% of salary).

No furniture allowance; don't know if the transportation allowance is actually meant for work (taxis? buses?) or if a minibus does the rounds.

I have: 8 years exp (2 MEast); BA + CELTA (no MA).

Can I expect to find a smallish flat for 100-125 OR; what are the chances of it being furnished (why do some posters say flats are 'rarely furnished' in Oman - do teachers lump sofas and ACs back to Canada, GB etc. when their contract finishes?!) What do utilities come in at? How much can a car be hired for?

Thanks for the help.

[veiledsentiments]

bigmak

There is a very good reason why posters keep saying that most flats in Oman are unfurnished... it is because they are. Most furnished flats cost more than your total salary. I only know of one set of small furnished studio flats in Madinet Qaboos - which doesn't help you at all, but your rental allowance would not even cover that rent. The better employers naturally provide either a furniture allowance or provide basic furniture. Mine came with my car in a container from Kuwait and when I left I sold it. (which was very easy... merely put a sign on the supermarket board and it was gone in a couple of days... also a good way to find cheap furniture).

I suspect that there may not be anyone on the board right now with much knowledge of Sur and its rental situation... for either flats or cars. Assuming that you don't head to Muscat and hit the expensive hotels and bars every weekend, you should easily be able to save 40-50% of your salary. (after the first few months of the costs of getting your flat furnished...)

VS

[bigmak]

Thanks, veiledsentiments

Incidentally, how much can a middling motor be picked up for in Oman (i.e. about 8-10 yrs old, maybe 120-140 KM on clock, if that qualifies as 'middling' in Oman)? What's the story with insurance? etc. Thanks again (this time in advance).

[zakiah25]

Once again, if you're after a second-hand car then take the advice of VS and look for ads by departing expatriates - getting a decent 8-10 year old car in the Gulf would be fairly rare given the climatic conditions and the way many of the locals treat and drive their cars! In the UAE, there are special rules relating to cars over 2 years old regarding re-registering (they require special mechanical checks) but I don't know about Oman.
When I was leaving Oman, I only had to spread the word that I was selling my car (only 12 months old) and I had lots of offers - the locals generally recognise that Western expats look after their cars and they are in demand.
Are you going to work for the Sur University College? I seem to remember a friend working there a few years ago and living in special accommodation provided at a local beach hotel which was furnished (but I think the hotel was also owned by the College owner).Maybe you could check this out and find out the current situation?
You might find the cost of cars cheaper in the Gulf than what you would expect to pay at home (taxes etc) - the cost of petrol is certainly a lot cheaper!Car Insurance - this was arranged by the car dealer for me but I'm sure that your students will be able to tell you about the "good " insurance companies if you buy second -hand.
I knew of some teachers who were leasing cars in Muscat (the capital city) but don't know about the situation in Sur. They were able to negotiate a monthly rate over a set term.
VS is right, normally apartments/flats don't come furnished - make sure you get something with decent air-conditioners!
good luck

[veiledsentiments]

bigmak

I never considered buying a used car myself. I always bought new as I know that used cars can be a problem... and I didn't want to deal with it. Zakiah is right that one should try to buy from departing expats, but the problem is that most of them leave in the spring, while new teachers arrive in the fall!! You might consider renting until you can locate a car that you can learn its history. The locals have a tendency to beat a car to death in about a year... oil changes tend to not happen... ever...

Try to bring along a no-claims letter from a car insurance company as it will cut your insurance premium in half.

VS

[kaw]

Hi
If it's SUC then it's likely you'll be provided with a furnished flat - no more hotel living as far as I'm aware.
As for cars - try and get in touch with people who are leaving as there may be something around - I know several people who did this. Alternatively a lot of people there did buy new cars - although I can't remember the monthly rate.
Saving money should be fairly easy - your biggest expense will be weekends in Muscat where hotels can be pretty pricey. Sur is a lovely place but really - there sn't a great deal to do. Perfect for relaxing though.

With 8 years experience I would have thought you'd be better off looking for somewhere else as the salary isn't great - and if it is SUC - lower than it was a few years ago.

pm me if you want any other info.

[Travelchick]

HI Bigmak

600 OR is a little low for a monthly salary. You should be able to get between 700 - 950 OR easily with your experience, plus furnished accomodations, health insurance and return airfare. Some companies give cars or travel allowance...usually 55-75 OR /mth

Nice 1 bedroom flats are between 100-160 OR per month depending on the location. You can find used furniture stores everywhere, which is where the expats dump their stuff....be wary of used sofas/mattresses though. A few people I know have had insect experiences with sofas.
A new mattress is about 50OR, not sure about sofa prices.

Electricity is totally dependent on how much you run you AC units. My winter bills were only 3-5 OR/mth but my summer bills were 30-40!!

Internet is about 15 OR/mth with a flat fee of 2OR plus about 250baisa per hour or just get the pay per use cards 40hrs for 10OR....high speed, if you can get it, is more than that...Muscat just got wireless in June

Mobile phones have just started to get some competition, Omantel no longer has the monopoly, so you can get a pretty good deal on a sim card/phone & activation.

I recommend getting pay as you go, and not monthly billing for any service as I had a huge problem with unknown numbers and hours showing up on my bills regularly, once I switched to pay as you go, it stopped happening. (both mobile phone & internet)

Water is an expensive utility....you'll pay between 8-10OR per month for household water (not drinkable), plus you'll need to get a water filter or buy good quality bottled water. If you're not in Muscat, I recommend you don't wash salads or raw veggies in tap water, as parasites & bacteria are commonly found in the water.

Stoves run on natural gas, and as a single person I only replace mine once a year and I cook daily. It's about 6-8OR to get a guy to come and put on a full cylinder.

As for vehicles...if you don't think you'll be doing anything but driving around on the roads (eg no dune bashing, etc) then I recommend you look into something new but cheap like a KIA...for about 2000 OR you can buy a brand new one, and sell it easily when you leave. Most teachers I know have been doing that or buying a Toyota which is easy to get rid of, as they are one of the most popular brands around here.

Omanis are sticklers for paper education....it seems it doesn't matter where your degree is from, as long as you have one....I had a friend who couldn't get hired because she didn't have her MA. She went online and did a distance learning course which took her all of 3 months, and was awarded an MA in Education - ESL and it only cost her $3600USD....the Omanis accepted it and she got the job....Someone else I know was offered only 635OR at Sultan Qaboos University, but as soon as he had his MA in hand the salary offered increased to about 775. Keep this in mind when they offer you a package...
it also helps to say you are expecting 'x' amount and see what they come back with....I recently worked a deal with another company but had to be quite firm with my salary expectations. They eventually offered me exactly 100OR less than my original asking price, which was right on the money for my expectations.

hope this helps you out