# Ajman go or not to go that is my question



## zoopyone (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi looking for some on the ground information from Ajman in the UAE. I have been invited to the final interview stage which is between me and one other for a waste collections manager position for a UAE contractor working on a municipal contract. They will be flying me out there next Sat for Sun interview and a return flight Mon.

The offer has been changing all the time from quite a high package to something that to me seems ok but a lot less than the original one. Is it normal to apply this kind deal making on job offers as at each stage the package is reduced. Anyway the current deal on the table is $20,000 per month, 25% bonus, $10,000 one off relocation, a company car, 1 flight home a year, health insurance, medical and 25 days holiday. The original package was $44,000 per month, 25% bonus, housing support, company car, monthly flights home, family health insurance, family medical and 30 days holiday. Are company cars fully funded by the company i.e. fuel, insurance etc?

I will be going out alone in the first stage of 6 months to a year, but after this would want to relocate my family. This is the difficult part, my partner and I are not currently married although plan to be soon. We have two children a boy at secondary school and a 3 month old baby girl. Between us we do have older children that will most likely stay in the UK but need to visit us. One is married, another is at work and has a boyfriend, another is starting university and the final one is starting college this summer. 

Although the package on offer seems good to me, the tax free income will be eaten away for school fees. I have looked into the cost of living and shopping etc and things seem a little more expensive than here by 15% to 18%. The rental charges seem very high in comparison. A four bed house at $110,000 per year seems to be average.

I have no problem living overseas but the main idea behind it is to gain a better standard of living and to retain some savings for when we do return home as I believe it is impossible to stay working in UAE after 55 years old.

If nothing else I am hoping that if I do get this job it would be easier to get another job in UAE as I will already be in the country is this a true statement? Is it easier to move jobs and companies? I am very well qualified and experienced in fact overly so for the position on offer. I ideally would be looking for promotion to operation director at some point in the very near future in waste, recycling and or the environment are there real opportunities out there.

I am open to all information on working and living in Ajman, people say Ajman is quiet and small but let me assure you at 43 my wild night on the town are well and truly over and I like the quiet life with my family. We want to be safe, happy and able to enjoy life. So any info relevant to living and working in Ajman. Schools, social life, cost of living rents, and good deals to negotiate in UAE are welcome.

Many thanks


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

zoopyone said:


> The offer has been changing all the time from quite a high package to something that to me seems ok but a lot less than the original one. Is it normal to apply this kind deal making on job offers as at each stage the package is reduced.


Yes, bargain hard back, they are testing your resolve. Do not worry about offending anyone, also be prepared to accept it just wasn't meant to be if it doesn't happen. If you do get your original offer (or as near to it so you are 100% happy) make sure you get *everything* stated in your contract, do not accept offers of goodwill or "we'll sort all that out when you get here"



zoopyone said:


> If nothing else I am hoping that if I do get this job it would be easier to get another job in UAE as I will already be in the country is this a true statement? Is it easier to move jobs and companies?


No, not only is the job market here a lot tougher than other territories there is all kinds of bureaucratic red tape and labour laws that prevent you from changing jobs easily. In some situations if you leave an employer in Dubai you can be banned from working in the region for up to 6 months. 



zoopyone said:


> I am very well qualified and experienced in fact overly so for the position on offer. I ideally would be looking for promotion to operation director at some point in the very near future in waste, recycling and or the environment are there real opportunities out there.


Being over qualified will go against you in any position here, price is everything and scant regard is given as to whether the person can actually do the job or not. Evident by the appalling levels of customer service here. Also beyond bits of lip service here and there there is very little regard for recycling or the environment so you'll find yourself in a very niche area.


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## zoopyone (Jun 5, 2011)

Thank you Mr Rossi, your kind notes have been taken on board and will be acted on. 

Kindest Regards


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## ReggieDXB007 (Mar 10, 2011)

I reinforce what Mr. Rossi said. As an expert in your field you will quickly build up a reputation and it could be that other opportunities will present themselves, but it will depend on your current employer's goodwill and co-operation whether you can leave or not, unless you move outside their sphere of influence (another emirate for example). I believe that the recent law change would allow someone like you to change jobs after two years and possibly even sooner if moving into a free zone company, however if your employer is a government entity or an influential person, they can make life difficult for you regardless. I had two friends, one was like you a very well qualified and thus highly visible and nobody wanted the risk of offending his employer, the other worked (or rather didn't work) for a govt entity which threatened them with a 2-year ban if they resigned to work for someone else in the UAE.

Make sure whether the holidays are working days or calendar days as often they mean the latter. Are your salary figures in US$ or AED? If the former then the package is still very good, if the latter, not so good, especially as you have quite rightly identified the cost of school fees will eat away at it.

Annual flight home is the norm, but it is not unusual to offer this for your wife as well. Equally, the medical insurance should cover the family as well. Bear in mind however that you may need to top it up (assuming they allow this) as for example, mine only covers the region so I had to extend it to full international cover.

In terms of company cars it varies tremendously. Some companies will just buy the car and then the employee takes care of everything, others are more organised and others will lease. It is a mixed bag and the concept of fleet management is still relatively new, so you need to check with them.

I believe the cutoff age is 60, for working out here but it doesn't actually stop - you just need to get the visa renewed annually after that and therefore it is in the lap of the gods. In any case, you still have a long way to go young man

I know people that have lived in Ajman for a very long time and are very happy there, but you do need to consider the availabilitiy of essential amenities such as suitable schools (I have no idea). The last time I went through there (admittedly in the crazy times of 2007) the traffic was just apalling. I don't know if this has improved or not.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I am down in ajman quite a bit and traffic is a bit a mess in some areas, but those are the business/shopping areas that one can avoid and one can do the same as in dubai, just go to the 'western' type shopping big mall where the roads are larger, newer, and not as congested.

My friend sends their children to a westernized private school and is happy with it. They have a home in dubai as well that they could live in during the week if it was not so. Ajman schools Is a good resource. Looks like you have two options  School fees are going to be much lower in ajman, as well as just general costs, then in dubai. Ask for a 10k allowance per child is my suggestion. 

Accommodations in ajman are much lower than dubai. You can get a 3 bedroom apartment in a new building for 40k. Villas are going to be a bit more but they are not so much more. Look here Dubai Property – Sell Buy Rent Properties in UAE Dubai Real Estate & Homes I would suggest to strongly ask for a 50k accommodation allowance to be added back if you accept the 20k salary. 

Ajman is normally family orientated so they should at least provide these basic things. Something tells me that the other candidate is willing to take less and this is the reason that the money on the table is shrinking.


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## gunner (Dec 20, 2010)

If its really dollar you are talking about. Your initial offer was almost 2 millions dhs a year 

I don't know what would you have done in Ajman with that kinda money.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Wow, I don't know you and the rest, but If I were presented every time a lower package, I would stop negotiating with the company. Or they thought you would actually stop and were surprised that you continued? 

Never seen anything like this honestly. They start high and then down the road they offer you less ? sounds like the beginning of a very funny joke.

Now that you know an idea of the the costs , stick to what you think is right and be reasonable.

Good luck


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## Junaer (Jan 7, 2011)

Ill add my 2 cents.

Water in Ajman is horrible. I was there once and i cringed at even washing my face with it.

Oh and traffic is a little less tamed compared to other emirates. It also has higher pollution level and also is quite populated compared to other parts.


Plus side, well i can say the rents are really low. The cost of living is low. Shopping is fun cause you'll find good offers there which you will not elsewhere but i remember only going to the city centre there which i believe is best mall in Ajman.7

But you can always travel to Dubai anytime you want. You can even do it everyday as i live 270 Kms from Dubai and go to it twice a week (yes i pay alot of speed fines but then again you lose some, win some).

Good luck!


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