Job Discussion Forums

mishmumkin · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929

THat's good news, Murad. I must say that I don't think you'll get a higher wage w/o the teaching qualification from an English-speaking country (or more specifically, from a university based in an English-speaking country). You can certainly afford a reasonably priced car on that salary and a decent social life provided that you're not paying bills back home. In 2003-2004 I lived in Dubai on 1000 less dirhams/month than that. I leased a car for 1400 dirhams/month, and took at least one decent holiday annually. Cost of living has increased, though.

mouradishere · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 7

mishmumkin · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929

I leased it for about 10 months at a time, and I did not purchase it. Leasing is not normal, but I was in a contract that I did not intend to stay in. Messing around w/ car loans and then leaving a contract get sticky. Some employers notify the bank as soon as you resign in order to ensure that the bank collects their funds immediately. I've had friends who were changing jobs face the threat of an immediate repayment of the car loan in full once the bank had been notified by the employer that they were leaving.

I started by leasing a new car from United Car Rentals, but eventually I found cheaper deals by going through the locally owned rental companies. The cars tended to be "less new" w/ a good few more miles on them. They also rented for cheaper. If you were to google large car chains like Hertz or Budget I think you can expect a much higher monthly rate than 1400 dirhams.

I don't think buying a car is all that complicated, but you'll need to have all your residency sorted out first, and most employers take at least 4 weeks after your arrival to get this done. Buying from dealerships typically means that they'll take care of the registration, insurance, etc. Buying from an indedepent owner requires a little more legwork on your part.

2nd hand cars are very reasonably priced. Like w/ anything used, be careful, get the car checked by a mechanic, etc. I would be careful at this point w/ 2nd hand cars. Last year's cyclone in Oman likely means that there are some flood damaged cars floating around the region. For a good idea of what cars run try www.gulfnews.com. They've got their own auto section online.