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		| al bidarnd 
 
 
 Joined: 17 Sep 2007
 Posts: 53
 
 
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				|  Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:14 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| HCTers are told at the yearly conference by the top guys that the teachers are SO important to the future of the UAE and we are always "thanked" for our professionalism etc 
 This doesn't add up when they cut our annual raise by 2%, start making some of us pay for our housing (or move others to much smaller places) and make us jump through more and more hoops.
 
 Yes, the recruiting guys will have some free time at TESOL Arabia, although they'll be able to spend extra time telling people inflation isn't really probably 20% or more a year, and we won't really ask you to pay towards your villa a year after you join and we won't start eating into other benefits to find extra cash for the government workers...
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		| Arab Strap 
 
  
 Joined: 25 Feb 2004
 Posts: 246
 Location: under your bed
 
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				|  Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 5:33 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| Scot47 
 Gallons are still used in UAE.........
 
 Don't know whether they use Yankie or 'E'mperial though......
 
 I'm no maths teacher but I think that would come out to 2.4 or 2-9 AED a litre..............or about four times the price of KSA.
 
 AS
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		| bje 
 
 
 Joined: 19 Jun 2005
 Posts: 527
 
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:09 am    Post subject: |   |  
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	  | HCTers are told at the yearly conference by the top guys that the teachers are SO important to the future of the UAE and we are always "thanked" for our professionalism etc 
 This doesn't add up when they cut our annual raise by 2%, start making some of us pay for our housing (or move others to much smaller places) and make us jump through more and more hoops.
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 I've recently heard pretty much the same from ex-colleagues now at the HCT, Al Bidarnd.  It almost sounds as if they're deliberately trying to run the organisation into the ground so students are obliged to opt for private sector institutes.  Well, plenty of those are starting up...Given what you say, the HCT may as well not bother sending representatives to TESOL Arabia.  If, as seems to be the case, they intend using recruiters more, it will mean less-qualified and experienced candidates coming into the system.
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		| caliph 
 
 
 Joined: 05 Jun 2006
 Posts: 218
 Location: Iceland
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:51 am    Post subject: |   |  
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				| 11 dihrams a gallon (4 liters). |  | 
	
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		| Longton 
 
 
 Joined: 17 Jul 2006
 Posts: 148
 
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:22 am    Post subject: |   |  
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				| In Dubai I buy petrol for under Dh7 a gallon. |  | 
	
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		| housecat 
 
 
 Joined: 03 Jan 2007
 Posts: 104
 Location: usa
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:18 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| [quote="Longton"]In Dubai I buy petrol for under Dh7 a gallon.[/quote] 
 Here in Arkansas gas costs US$ 3 per gallon. Dh7 is about a buck 90 US$. I'm suprized it isn't cheaper than that in Dubai.
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		| al bidarnd 
 
 
 Joined: 17 Sep 2007
 Posts: 53
 
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:53 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| things used to be A WHOLE LOT cheaper 
 longton - read earlier in the thread - someone said gas will increase to 11 dirhams on Nov 29 - fill up while you can. 11 dirhams IS 3 bucks. It's not cheaper in Dubai because nothing is cheap in Dubai any more - they want everything at western luxury prices - including gas.
 
 Everything will go up in price here. For a lot of things it's already more expensive than a lot of cities in the US and Europe - there are NO budget hotels here - most things are western prices even though stores pay developing world wages to the phillipinos and indians who run the show.
 
 The UAE is no longer a cheap place and is fast becoming a real strain on your dollar, especially for HCTers with salary raises going down
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		| MrScaramanga 
 
 
 Joined: 12 Oct 2007
 Posts: 221
 
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:14 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| The gallon used in the UAE is not the US gallon; it is the imperial gallon,  which is slightly less than the US gallon. BTW the big wigs up at the ministry were talking about re-evaluating the UAE dirham, since the greenback has been going downhill...
 Then again, the same guys were also talking about thinking up alternative sources of energy to "relieve the burden on oil producing countries" (sic!)
 I am guessing their wallets are getting unbearably heavy...
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		| veiledsentiments 
 
  
 Joined: 20 Feb 2003
 Posts: 17644
 Location: USA
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:20 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| Life used to be cheaper in the UAE because of government subsidies which were put in to benefit the Emiratis... and we expats got to share the benefits.  My favorite was the standardized water bills which meant that I as a single person paid the same amount as an Emirati extended family of 35 in a massive walled villa with extensive irrigated gardens.  But, I couldn't really complain since the bill was still quite low for me, but it was ridiculously cheap for that large Emirati family.  Especially when one factors in that it is expensive de-salinated water. 
 The government has finally figured out that they can subsidize the locals in other ways and bring prices up to world standard for the expats and tourists... and they come out ahead.  The historically savvy Arab traders are learning modern economics.
   
 VS
 (love this one:  "I am guessing their wallets are getting unbearably heavy."
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		| Stephen Jones 
 
 
 Joined: 21 Feb 2003
 Posts: 4124
 
 
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				|  Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 9:08 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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The Imperial gallon 25% is more than the US gallon. The reason is simple. An American pint has 16 fluid ounces, an Imperial pint has 20. 
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	  | The gallon used in the UAE is not the US gallon; it is the imperial gallon, which is slightly less than the US gallon. |  |  | 
	
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		| Manny2 
 
 
 Joined: 16 Mar 2006
 Posts: 143
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 8:26 am    Post subject: |   |  
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				|  Big ad in today's Gulf news from UAE Ministry of Economy ' Warning Announcement'
 - Ministry of Economy warns Suppliers and Traders from exploiting the increase in Salaries of Federal Government Employees. List of hot- line numbers provided for consumers to complain of any ' cases of monopoly, exploitation and unjustified increase in prices'
   
 Think I'll call and complain of the increase in my rent.
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		| al bidarnd 
 
 
 Joined: 17 Sep 2007
 Posts: 53
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:34 am    Post subject: |   |  
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				| I guess the gas stations and landlords must be feeling left out too - they also want their 70% - poor guys |  | 
	
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		| bje 
 
 
 Joined: 19 Jun 2005
 Posts: 527
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:43 am    Post subject: |   |  
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	  | I guess the gas stations and landlords must be feeling left out too - they also want their 70% - poor guys |  
 Yeah, your 4% annual HCT increase coming up mid 2008 should cover a little of that...NOT!  Why do you guys stay there??!!
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		| caliph 
 
 
 Joined: 05 Jun 2006
 Posts: 218
 Location: Iceland
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:06 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| The "gallon" in the UAE is neither a US nor an Imperial gallon. 
 It's their own"made up" "gallon" of 4 liters.
 
 And the price rise is supposed to be 75 fils a "gallon"
 
 From Encarta: Gallon, unit of liquid measure, equal to 3.785 liters, and subdivided into four quarts or eight pints. The imperial gallon used in the United Kingdom and Canada is equivalent to 4.546 liters.
 
 � 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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		| al bidarnd 
 
 
 Joined: 17 Sep 2007
 Posts: 53
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:39 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| a 75 fils increase is a 10.7% increase in gas prices - onwards and upwards!! 
 time to start walking to work?
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