# Teacher's accommodation in Dubai



## orbit123

Hi everyone, I have a couple of interviews lined up at GEMS Royal and Kings' Dubai. Just wondered if anyone had any interview advice or info as to what the schools are like to work at? I'd also like to know what the accommodation is like. Does 'single apartment' mean a single sized bedroom/bed?


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## BringBackBuck8

I work for a school here and had the same concern over 1 bedroomed apartments before coming. The majority of my colleagues are in The Greens or Business Bay. I'm in JLT; I'm afraid I haven't seen the apartments in Business Bay but according to everyone in the school their buildings are lovely and the quality superb as they are brand new but there's lots of building still goign on around them. The Greens are nice; lower rise, well established greeenery everywhere.

My apartment is larger than my colleagues. Large lounge/dining area, separate kitchen (which i understand is unusual) guest toilet, laundry room with washer and dryer, large bedroom with en suite. I was pleasantly surprised by the size.


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## onlooker

hi can u plz tell me what salary one expects from a british curriculum based school in Uae ? i am a masters degree holder, TEFL certified and have 15 years of teaching experience in a british curriculum based school in pakistan. i am a single parent with a daughter studyng in grade 5, how much should i earn in order to make my two ends meet?


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## Chocoya

I would be looking for a salary package of:
Family accommodation
Annual return airfares for family
Health insurance for family
Free tuition for children
All visa and emirates ID costs
And around 15,000-20,000/- per month 

Any less and I doubt you could manage. You will usually have to furnish your apt (including white goods and stove), purchase all your sheets, towels, cook ware, plates, curtains, etc., extra curricular activities for kids here are extremely costly - eg: piano, ballet, swimming, horse riding, art etc

You should budget monthly for:
Electricity and water: 1,000
Food: 3,000-4,000
Fuel: 400-500 (if you don't go anywhere far on weekends)
Car: lease approx 2,500 or else else similar repayment on average car if you take a car loan and not purchase outright
Per Extra curricular activity: 500/-
Private tutor: 1,500/- (I am yet to find a school here're with which I am happy)
Entertainment: ???
Full time maid: 2,000/- for salary plus initial costs of visa, health insurance, annual airfares for her (if you go out or if your duty hours are longer than her school hours, you will need someone available for your daughter - part time sitting etc is usually illegal - maybe there are agencies but they will be enpsensive)

Living in Dubai can be rather expensive and the cost of living is increasing continuously. I am not a teacher so don't know the average salary, this is just what I would feel would make life comfortable for you as a single parent.

Good luck!


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## onlooker

thanx a millions chocoya .. how can i ever thank u for such a great help. i am a new user here,posted threads regarding the same issue many times but no one answered :/ 

gues i am new here, no friends etc thats y ppl dnt comment :/

i do not belong to a well off family here in pakistan too so wil not even think of living a luxurious life in uae too. most probably id apply in the rest of other emirates of uae than dubai as i had been to the country before n i knw dubai is an expensive plc and a single parent cant afford a life there. i will probably drop in my cvs in sharjah, ajman, fujairah al ain etc . 

i again thank u a lot for such a great help.

God bless u.


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## Chocoya

onlooker said:


> thanx a millions chocoya .. how can i ever thank u for such a great help. i am a new user here,posted threads regarding the same issue many times but no one answered :/
> 
> gues i am new here, no friends etc thats y ppl dnt comment :/
> 
> i do not belong to a well off family here in pakistan too so wil not even think of living a luxurious life in uae too. most probably id apply in the rest of other emirates of uae than dubai as i had been to the country before n i knw dubai is an expensive plc and a single parent cant afford a life there. i will probably drop in my cvs in sharjah, ajman, fujairah al ain etc .
> 
> i again thank u a lot for such a great help.
> 
> God bless u.


I am married to a Pakistani (eldest son and head of the home) and we have the constant problem that everything thinks Dubai=loads of money. We support our home and family there completely. They just don't understand that we work so hard, run a business here and just cannot send money whenever they demand it. It is a tough life here and your family will never understand unless they visit and see your daily grind, the cost of living etc.

Good luck with it all. I am happy to help if you ask.


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## saraswat

Just FYI, please do not use text-speak (ppl/plz etc) when posting on the forum. It is against the rules and makes posts hard to interpret for other members. Thanks.


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## onlooker

saraswat said:


> Just FYI, please do not use text-speak (ppl/plz etc) when posting on the forum. It is against the rules and makes posts hard to interpret for other members. Thanks.


sorry i am a new user so didnt know the rules well. ill be careful next time


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## onlooker

Chocoya said:


> I am married to a Pakistani (eldest son and head of the home) and we have the constant problem that everything thinks Dubai=loads of money. We support our home and family there completely. They just don't understand that we work so hard, run a business here and just cannot send money whenever they demand it. It is a tough life here and your family will never understand unless they visit and see your daily grind, the cost of living etc.
> 
> Good luck with it all. I am happy to help if you ask.


oh i can really understand your problem. people think that life abroad is much easier and there are machines which keep on producing money whenever anyone wants. 
but i know thats not true at all. we sell our blood to earn that amount.

being the eldest and the sole earning member of the family is really a tough job in itself. sometimes parents dont realise because they havent seen the tough life there. 

i wish u best of luk for your family too ..  its nice talking to you.


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## BEST87

Anybody know the accommodation area where GEMS Wellington Academy, AL Khail place their teachers?


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## Alannyjohn

orbit123 said:


> Hi everyone, I have a couple of interviews lined up at GEMS Royal and Kings' Dubai. Just wondered if anyone had any interview advice or info as to what the schools are like to work at? I'd also like to know what the accommodation is like. Does 'single apartment' mean a single sized bedroom/bed?


Well Single room means a room with a bathroom provided by the school I guess because in Dubai Studio is a room with a small kitchen and a bathroom, 1 bedroom is a bedroom with a hall and a kitchen and a bathroom.
Usually schools provides accommodation for their teachers, it is a villa with several rooms and common kitchen and bathroom, so make it clear with them.
I know that Kngs school and Gems are opening many schools in Dubai in September, so good luck.
Regards.:fingerscrossed:


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## BBmover

Single apartment normally means a 1 bedroom apartment.


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## Chocoya

Single accommodation is accommodation suitable for a single person - no husband/wife and no dependents. It usually consists of 1 bedroom, a bathroom, living room, and kitchen. It can also include a studio apartment. 

Accommodation in the UAE is very highly priced and more and more salary packages are excluding accommodation but rather including a higher month salary to subsidise accommodation. You are lucky if your salary package includes accommodation these days, especially in the major cities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.


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## littlemissheartsDXB

Hi BEST87 - I believe some of them are in Tecom last time I spoke to someone from there that is! Also to Orbit123 and BEST87 my advice would be to confirm that you are definitely going to be working in the school you are applying to. I'm sure someone once said (so may be untrue) GEMs schools sometimes move the staff around if other positions in other GEMs schools have not been filled, So maybe best to confirm this at interview etc.


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## BringBackBuck8

I work for GEMS; my colleagues and myself are all either in Barsha, Greens, JLT or Business Bay. All nice buildings. Singles in one bedroom apartments, so separate bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms.

However will be interested to see where newbies in September will be put as rents have rocketed and rumour is the company aren't putting up what they are willing to pay in line with that rise. Means that apartments in areas mentioned above would beout of their price range so new teachers may find themselves in less salubrious neighbourhoods.


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