# Salary/Package



## Zrasool (Jan 12, 2016)

Hi Guys

Hope this message find you well.

i have been given an offer from a reputable company in Dubai to join their team. the package is AED60k per month. This includes housing and car allowance but excludes medical cover and flights back home. i have a wife and 2 kids aged 15 and 10. i would like to hear from other expats for their opinion on wether this is a fair salary in relation to living costs in Dubai.

moreover, is it possible to get an opinion on how the taxation works from South African expats in the UAE.

i believe rental and education could work out to about 50% of your salary.

comments please...thanking you in advance:juggle:


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

This is odd: _excludes medical cover_

We're required by law to provide medical coverage to all employees. This June 2016 is the final deadline for small firms to finish providing coverage to all employees and this extends to family members as well. 

COMPULSORY HEALTH INSURANCE TOUCHES DOWN IN DUBAI - Al Tamimi & Company

Annual flights back home are required by labour law too. 

Beyond that you have a very solid package offer. My rule of thumb is anything 50K and above is eminently doable for a family with two kids wanting a pleasant western lifestyle. There are still two things I'd point out:

1. Housing allowance: is it offered in a lump sum up front or paid monthly? Rents in Dubai, especially for villas, are mostly paid in 1-2 cheques for the year. 

2. No separate schooling allowance is noted, but your package is sufficient to cover school fees. The challenge is that you will then need to set aside money to may the term's fees upfront. 

Be prepared to spend a lot of money upfront when you make the move to Dubai.



Zrasool said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> Hope this message find you well.
> 
> ...


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## Zrasool (Jan 12, 2016)

Thank you sooo much for your input.

yes the company is offering medical insurance and flights home over and above the salary which is standard in terms with the government.

the company is offering an interest free loan to cover the rental which will be deducted monthly of the salary.

apologies for bombarding you with questions and i really appreciate you taking the time to reply. i have a few more questions :

- what is the cost of water, electricity, gas, internet, telephone?
- is it difficult to transfer money back home? are there any restrictions?
- do employers hold onn to your passports?
- how does car leasing/purchasing work in Dubai? 

once again thank thank thank you


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## GloballyRelaxed (Nov 5, 2014)

- what is the cost of water, electricity, gas, internet, telephone?

DEWA (water and Electricity) all depends on your personal usage and size of your living area pool etc etc etc your mileage will vary. As an example my one at in a 3 bed villa with just the wife is circa 1300 a month through winter and close to 2k per month in the summer.

Internet is best purchased as a package along with cable TV and home phone line, the DU package we have is a flat 772 AED per month.

Gas is purchased by the tank if you are in a villa for a family this will last about 4 months and cost 120-130, again mileage will vary on usage.

- is it difficult to transfer money back home? are there any restrictions?
Easy, and no restrictions placed at all.

- do employers hold onn to your passports?
No, this is against the law.

- how does car leasing/purchasing work in Dubai? 
There is a comprehensive topic on this and all the variants as a sticky on this forum, again its varied depending on circumstances and needs. Link here http://www.expatforum.com/expats/du...iving-dubai/82210-cars-driving-questions.html

Hope this helps.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

1. Cost of water/electricity/gas varies tremendously and depends on how much you use. I can't give you an average figure. Apartments have lower bills than villas. What is guaranteed is that your monthly dewa bill (dewa is the main utilities company and a single bill covers water/electricity/gas) will also include an annual 5% housing tax, divided by 12. 

I have a two bedroom apartment and my monthly dewa bill is around 600 AED including the housing tax, but this is a sole occupant who's out most of the day, doesn't watch much TV and my air conditioning is free as it's included in the rent. 

From what I've heard from others, a monthly bill for a family of four in a standard villa can range from 1,000/month in the winter (no A/C on) to as much as 5,000 in the summer with A/C on in the entire villa at full blast. But there's many variations within this range depending on usage and location. For reasons no one can determine, the dewa bills for the new "freehold" communities like Arabian Ranches and Victory Heights tend to be noticeably higher than for similarly sized villas in older neighbourhood near the coast (Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim).

2. Transferring money back home: no restrictions whatsoever from the UAE end. There are loads of South Africans in Dubai and I haven't heard of any problems. You are subject to fluctuations in the exchange rates.

3. It is illegal for employers to hold on to your passports. Some do but rare for western / higher earning expats. You have a large package so I doubt your employer will hold on to your passports. 

4. Car leasing in the UAE isn't going to be like car leasing in South Africa, presumably. Most people buy cars and have monthly payments, which is the most cost effective approach. Others rent on a monthly basis, like I do. A few do take out long term leases through the main rental companies but it's expensive. The leasing model is based on the leasing company buying a brand new car for you for a three year period and monthly payment is based on the full cost of the car divided by 36. The assumption is that there is no value left to the car at the end of the lease. 




Zrasool said:


> Thank you sooo much for your input.
> 
> yes the company is offering medical insurance and flights home over and above the salary which is standard in terms with the government.
> 
> ...


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## Bigjimbo (Oct 28, 2010)

"4. Car leasing in the UAE isn't going to be like car leasing in South Africa, presumably. Most people buy cars and have monthly payments, which is the most cost effective approach. Others rent on a monthly basis, like I do. A few do take out long term leases through the main rental companies but it's expensive. The leasing model is based on the leasing company buying a brand new car for you for a three year period and monthly payment is based on the full cost of the car divided by 36. The assumption is that there is no value left to the car at the end of the lease.[/QUOTE]"

Not quite....
This is my area nowadays as I work for one of the bigger leasing companies. Yes we do buy a brand new car but it is not the total amount divided by 36 (or however long the term is). We allow for the total running costs over the term including insurances etc but there is an end value to the vehicle that we don't charge for.

James


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## crt454 (Sep 3, 2012)

Zrasool said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> Hope this message find you well.
> 
> ...



If this is a "reputable company" then they should know that by law that medical and flight back home once a year is mandatory for you, Unless its a Micky mouse company.


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## Skip_ZA (Jan 28, 2015)

60k should be a good engough salary. Always look to multiply your SA salary with about 3-4 times to see what is a comparable one here.

As for flights back home, this is not mandatory. But Medical is, or at least just for you and your wife and kids would be for your own cost.

I work for a large Multi National Engineering firm and I dont have flights or medical for my family. But with my good package this is not difficult to cover.


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