# Dubai or six figure salary in London?



## Timeport (Apr 2, 2016)

Ok, this is another post about an important aspect of taking a new job, the salary. 

However, I am not asking to be advised if I can survive on that money, because I think I should be ok with that income for a family of 4. But what I am asking fellow readers is to vote whether they would take the Dubai job or stay in the London job. Place yourselves in my shoes and let me know which one you choose and why. so, here are the facts

London:
Annual basic salary: £100k
Annual car allowance: £8.5k
Pensions contributions: 9%
Travel expenses: paid
Mobile: provided
Family medical: yes
Bonus: not written or guaranteed, but understood to be up to 20%


Dubai:
Monthly basic salary: AED 50k
monthly housing allowance: AED 17.5k
Monthly transport allowance: AED 4k
Schools fees: paid up to AED 45k per year per child
Family flight home: yes
Family medical: yes
Relocation one-off: AED 40k

I am voting for Dubai for many reasons, but interested what people think, in relative terms.

The role is a director level in a construction business, with a serious prospect for progression further to the top job.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

That is a question that only you can answer as we all came here for our own reasons..... however looking at what you have put and if it was a job I liked and it was doing what I did in the UK then I would have come for the money etc


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
Dubai - because I am the adventurous type.
Just don't expect to save much - because there are too many distractions to tempt you and your family away from your money!
Also - be prepared that the job either does not live up to the expectations or that it does not last as long as you originally planned - things change rapidly here!
Construction is a bit of a tough market right now.
There is plenty of building going on - but pipeline of new projects going forward seems to be drying up.
Cheers
Steve


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

_'Anywhere but London'_, is my standard response.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

London, you have security and the schooling is better.

Schooling at 45k is half the amount you need, and cost of living makes Mayfair look cheap.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

You will have more disposable income in Dubai and the cost of living is either comparable or cheaper than central London depending on your lifestyle. You will get more for your housing, for example. Restaurants are generally cheaper. Alcohol is more expensive. Cars are cheaper. Clothes more expensive or comparable. 

School fees are on the low side. They will cover most but not all of the primary years but you will dip for another 5-10K annually. For secondary the fees are up to 80K on average at the better British schools and as much as 100K at one or two schools. But you can afford that on your package.

Construction is a volatile industry. Very! Good times today, bad times tomorrow. If you enjoy the roller coaster then go for it. The UK job is probably more secure for the long run and, this is also important, will likely be more sophisticated and challenging, allowing you to build on experience on large, complicated projects. UAE projects are not (for the most part) complicated. Hire a bunch of TCNs and build it with minimal regards for planning or construction regulations.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> 
> There is plenty of building going on - but pipeline of new projects going forward seems to be drying up.
> Cheers
> Steve


I have to echo the views on the construction industry, people are becoming a bit skittish right now about the lack of projects actually beginning today and for the future.


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## solospy (Jan 22, 2015)

The Rascal said:


> cost of living makes Mayfair look cheap.


Absolute bollocks. It seems like you havent been to London for ages. I lived in London for 15 years and moved here last year. I am having a ball here as compared to London where most of my salary went out of the door quickly. London is in top 10 expensive cities to live in recent survey and dubai is no where to be seen. Just saying

Coming back to your question Timeport i would definately pick Dubai as i have found that standard of living is much better here as compared to London.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

The Rascal said:


> London, you have security and the schooling is better.


Not sure I would agree with either of those.

Crimes of all types are higher in London.

Schooling depends upon your nationality - if you are a Brit, you will get it for free, but others I guess will haver to pay. And you'll get no choice about where junior goes in practice and you wont be able to change schools at all.

Then there's the London traffic, which is FAR worse than Dubai, the motorways which are tiny and congested, the shoddy roads, the dirt and pollution, rain and generally miserable population.

Oh, and taxes, for which you get little.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Daily Mail London isn't much fun, but normal London for exactly the reasons Tally Ho mentioned would take preference. 

I thrown in the parks, galleries, pubs, clubs, festivals, football, concerts and proximity to mainland Europe too.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Mr Rossi said:


> Daily Mail London isn't much fun, but normal London for exactly the reasons Tally Ho mentioned would take preference.
> 
> I thrown in the parks, galleries, pubs, clubs, festivals, football, concerts and *proximity to mainland Europe too.*


Yes, I'd consider something there :heh:


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## jemmlove12 (Mar 20, 2012)

*London*

I have never lived in London but I am a recruiter living in Dubai at the moment and our construction team is focusing on London right now because it's booming.. 

Dubai is quiet, worryingly quiet.. 

My partner is in construction and we are considering our options right now.


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## solospy (Jan 22, 2015)

twowheelsgood said:


> Not sure I would agree with either of those.
> 
> Crimes of all types are higher in London.
> 
> ...


Spot on twowheelsgood. Its a nightmare getting your child in to a state school and privtate schools charge a fortune and as far as security is concerned let me tell you that you cant go out on your own at night specially on the weekends anymore due to anti social behaviour which is on the rise due to increase in binge drinking.

Dubai for me all the way. Loving it here


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

These two offers are not even comparable. London, with its taxes and high cost of living, is a money pit. Dubai is not cheap, and it is easy to spend a lot of money, but still cheaper than London. If you are a Brit, you always have the option of going back to London.


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## Timeport (Apr 2, 2016)

Thanks all for your replies. It seems it's a controversial subject!

Let me say, that if everything is equal (mainly I mean income) then London wins of course. But things are not equal, hence the question. The Dubai job offers more income, but the question I am asking here: is the uplift enough to trigger you to leave London (assuming it was you) - and assume you are a Brit, not looking a new passport.

Some people will see the uplift as reasonable and good, some others want more to leave. What % you aspire to get on your gross income to leave the UK?

Let me say living in London is great; there is transparency, law, system, care for children, job security, and career progression. Yes museums and stuff are there, but I really don't do them unless I become a tourist guide for any overseas guests I get. Basically you don't go to them everyday. Ask the people who live in London if they have a photo next Big Ben.

However things are expensive in London especially if you want to get the same quality of life. Take housing for example, I presuming you guys here know that a 2 bedroom flat 700 sq ft on the fringe of central London is £1m? Obviously you can live outside or in the Home counties where houses cheaper and pay the railway £350 - £400 per month to get to London. But all coming out from your AFTER-TAX income. So, 'family home' you think you will get? a nice corridor.

Take childcare; it's expensive, but that should decrease as your kids grow up. My 2 years old used to cost more than sending a grown up to Oxford Uni. 

You pay 20% VAT on everything. 

Labour costs is expensive. You get a home boiler technician charging you £200 per hour because he can. I just changed £10 sensor in my car but paid £250 for installation and taxes. 

Also, I disagree with comparing Dubai to Mayfair. Actually London (rest-of) is not comparable to Mayfair! 

Yes, there are dodgy areas as mentioned above, but you can choose the nice areas to live.

Do I need to mention the tax?? With my income in UK, I am classed to be from the top 1% in the country, but I can assure you that I don't feel I am rich. This needs its separate post.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

There's no question that on your current package offer you can live well in Dubai, and better than in London on your other London offer although it doesn't hurt to negotiate a bit more. You will have more disposable income and in terms of housing and cars, buy more with the money. London property is silly, as we both agree, and makes no sense relative to the reality on the ground (although as someone who bought a flat in London in 2000 I am not complaining! Well, not too much). 

The challenge is job security. Others on here have pointed out that the construction sector is shaky at the moment. Still, your prospective company seems secure enough to want to recruit you. I would ask the company about their upcoming workload, why they are looking to recruit you and what you would be doing (what projects?). Even though construction is iffy at the moment, there are still high profile projects that Dubai will push through regardless of the economy, such as anything related to Expo2020 as they seem determined to outdo all the previous expos and it's a huge vanity project for Dubai (completing ignoring, of course, that the rest of the world couldn't care less). If your prospective company has several large multi-year infrastructure projects then you are probably safe enough for the time being. 

I would also be careful as to what kind of company it is. Is it a major multinational or a locally owned company? There's a difference between the two.

All in all, go for it if you feel the prospective company is secure enough. But my remaining advice is to be practical and realistic with your new income. Resist the temptation to live lavishly and to upgrade your lifestyle too much. For your first year, at least, find a bog standard 3-bedroom villa and resist the temptation for something fancier or in a fancier area (don't exceed your housing allowance, actually try to live within it and pocket the differential). Don't go crazy on brunches or shopping or lavish holidays. Try to save at least a solid 1/3 of your income, which I think is perfectly doable. Automatically transfer at least 20,000 a month back home into savings or investment and pretend that money doesn't exist. Avoid buying cars on credit and buy 2011-2012 Japanese models in cash if you can. If you stick to your guns you'll realize that you can live quite nicely without spending too much. Once you've been in Dubai for a year you'll have a good understanding of the economic fundamentals at your company and in the region in general and feel free to upgrade your lifestyle as you feel comfortable. It's much nicer and secure to do so knowing you already have a lot put away.


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## Standanista (Sep 26, 2014)

Just to add to TallyHo's comment about job security, you also have very little in the way of rights here. If you happen to fall out with the wrong person, for example, you can find yourself on the way to the airport very quickly, even if you've done the right thing all the way through. The same can apply trying to get funds owed to you, depending on who your employer is, if they decide to stop paying you. Once you scratch below the surface of the place it's very different to first appearances. That's not to say don't come - in your shoes I'd be heading over for a couple of years to bank some cash - but do come with both eyes open. Good luck.


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## roosterbooster20132013 (May 13, 2013)

*you can save*

for example my household income is 90K a month (aed). live in 2 bed apartment ..never cared for the villa billa etc. not keeping up with the jones.. but sure is tempting. driving a used japanese car. save 60% of our household monthly income. live pretty good. 
my goals are simple: stock up for childrens education (one done). walk away with substantial cash reserves before expo 2020.
god bless dubai


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## Durise (Mar 1, 2016)

I would have stayed in London. Because in London you'll get more facilities.


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## Louismkd (Dec 23, 2014)

I am saving £1,000 a month on a total salary of 16,820 (rising in a month as I just accepted a new job). I live in the Marina, with a full sea view sharing a 2bed with a colleague. I go out every Thursday, & Friday, as well as meals thoughout the week.

Although I have no dependents, as I am young, even with a family of 4 and on a monthly salary of 71500AED I would love to know what you were doing with your money if you weren't saving any. Your accommodation allowance alone is more than my monthly wage!


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Durise said:


> Because in London you'll get more facilities.


What 'facilities' are there in London that you can't get in Dubai ?

Genuinely interested in what you are thinking about as i can't think of anything.


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## atlanticist (Aug 9, 2014)

twowheelsgood said:


> What 'facilities' are there in London that you can't get in Dubai ?
> 
> Genuinely interested in what you are thinking about as i can't think of anything.


You're kidding, right ?

Some of the worlds best Michelin Star restaurants, Hyde Park, The National Gallery, British Museum, beautiful Palladian streets in Belgravia, Mayfair, Knightsbridge, the South Bank, Borough Market, St Pauls Cathedral, Covent Garden with it's world class opera......etc etc.

Further afield, Windsor Castle, the Cotswolds, Oxford.......

Sorry, I love Dubai, but it's fake (nice fake, I admit). London is an amazing city - it truly is, with so so much to offer.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Perhaps you should have said attractions rather than facilities then ?

And don't forget to mention that every one of those attractions is dirty, noisy and congested with tourists.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

atlanticist said:


> Sorry, I love Dubai, but it's fake (nice fake, I admit). London is an amazing city - it truly is, with so so much to offer.


Parts of it are,yes, but for those of us that have lived here for decades, we know our way around the older places that aren't so plastic. 

And I'll raise your Cotswolds and Oxford, by saying Fujairah, RAK and Liwa.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

twowheelsgood said:


> Perhaps you should have said attractions rather than facilities then ?
> 
> And don't forget to mention that every one of those attractions is dirty, noisy and congested with tourists.


More realistically, how often will you visit as it has both repeat use value and it's affordable?


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

The Cotswolds and Oxford are spectacularly beautiful and offer a very high quality lifestyle. 

Fujairah and RAK are ugly towns with moderately pretty (sort of) mountains in the background. Liwa is nothing but sand.



Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Parts of it are,yes, but for those of us that have lived here for decades, we know our way around the older places that aren't so plastic.
> 
> And I'll raise your Cotswolds and Oxford, by saying Fujairah, RAK and Liwa.


Each to its own.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

twowheelsgood said:


> Perhaps you should have said attractions rather than facilities then ?


He didn't, it was a regular poster where it's fairly obvious English isn't their first language.

Anyway - "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life" Samuel Johnson


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> The Cotswolds and Oxford are spectacularly beautiful and offer a very high quality lifestyle.
> 
> Fujairah and RAK are ugly towns with moderately pretty (sort of) mountains in the background. Liwa is nothing but sand.
> 
> Each to its own.


Precisely, one set is for living and the other is for experiencing. Are you going to live in London and regularly visit both, or are you going to live there and sack off London? The latter presumably.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Hmm?

In the Cotswolds I go for long walks in the countryside and soak up the beauty of the land. I end the day in a snug pub with a good ale and meal. Ever had the pleasure of driving a 4x4 along muddy country lanes?

In the UAE the desert is lovely (in certain areas) and I end the day with overcooked grilled kebabs.

When I lived in London I took full advantage of the place and I will probably return to London permanently someday and continue to take full advantage of the place. If I chose I can also live in the Cotswolds and come into London on the weekends for plays and exhibitions and see friends. The latter seems like the best of both worlds. 



Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Precisely, one set is for living and the other is for experiencing. Are you going to live in London and regularly visit both, or are you going to live there and sack off London? The latter presumably.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> Hmm?
> 
> In the Cotswolds I go for long walks in the countryside and soak up the beauty of the land. I end the day in a snug pub with a good ale and meal. Ever had the pleasure of driving a 4x4 along muddy country lanes?


But is it something you'd do regularly enough coming from London? 

What I'm getting at is that we're comparing London. You start expanding the scope and next thing we're talking about Orkney being a few hours away.

I'd happily live outside of London and pop in at the weekends, but I'm not going to live there in a million years.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Time Out in London is the size of a phone book, Time Out in Dubai is an endless repeat of the same best brunches, best waterparks and take your visitors up the Burj.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> I'd happily live outside of London and pop in at the weekends, but I'm not going to live there in a million years.


To be fair, I've never lived there, so never had to put him with extortionate house prices or commuting from Zone Q on a daily basis. Just experienced the best of it on regular weekends. And it's a lot easier to compare having spent a considerable about of time the UAE too.


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## Dave-o (Aug 23, 2015)

OP: Make the decision on more than just the numbers as the lifestyles are very different. Why you felt the need to put your salary up in the first place is beyond me.

Also, it's not just you making the decision, will your wife and kids be happy too? I've known a couple of families come out and end up home within the year because the wife and kids just didn't get on with the lifestyle changes. It's not cheap to move countries and if you end up home in a year it can be an expensive lesson.

I've been here 1 year this month, moved from the UK countryside and to be honest I didn't like London after working there for 4 years. I like Dubai for a complete change of life, make the most of what the city has to offer and you can have a great time here but I can't see it lasting for more than 5 years. The first year has flown by there is so much to do, but the countryside here is either desert or rocks and gets a bit samey compared to the UK, it's also too hot to go outside 6 months of the year and to do anything outdoorsy you have to drive for an hour or you're at the city parks or beaches, which are 50% builder's sand and 50% cigarette butts with no natural features and a building site in the background. I miss the variety of countryside in the UK, weekends away on the mountain bikes with the boys, long walks straight out of the back door with the wife but I don't miss the rain, the long dark winter nights, tiny roads, tiny buzzbox cars, random wildcard smackhead types wandering round any UK town centre, the only place I've ever been mugged is London. I do miss the culture of live music, old pubs, art, food festivals - everything here is a fake plastic veneer and has all the integrity of Disneyland, music here tends to be cover bands or family stadium bands, comedy is nowhere near the standard of the UK and the Edinburgh fringe, music is nowhere near the festival scene of the UK. Restaurants are very good here and the variety of food to eat out beats the UK IMO.

Both UK and Dubai have pros and cons, only you and your family can decide. I both love and hate the UK and Dubai but my reasons for doing so might not be the same as yours.

Good luck with the decision!


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Mr Rossi said:


> Time Out in London is the size of a phone book, Time Out in Dubai is an endless repeat of the same best brunches, best waterparks and take your visitors up the Burj.


No disagreement at all. Most of the crowd that read Time Out here are generally can't be arsed doing anything that isn't going to get their picture in said mag, which seems to practically be a companion piece to Hello!

For my part hate massive, congested cities, and I can only tolerate them for a week at a time. Even when visiting family in the New York tri-state area, I'll stick with those in Jersey over those in NYC itself (the outer boroughs, admittedly aren't so bad). I find Dubai no problem as it's strung out and I purposely live in a quiet suburban area, that's still an easy commute into the busier parts.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Mr Rossi said:


> Time Out in London is the size of a phone book which is an endless repeat of the same plays which last for four years, the same museums which change their exhibits bicentennially and the concerts which you can never get a ticket for without being ripped off



Fixed that for you. And I wont get mugged, pick-pocketed or pay a fortune to get there. And afterwards you can have a drink without having to put up with an entire city of drunkards, so you can take your kids out late without having to explain why that man over there is throwing up.


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## Dave-o (Aug 23, 2015)

twowheelsgood said:


> ...having to put up with an entire city of drunkards, so you can take your kids out late without having to explain why that man over there is throwing up.


Wifeface has just been back on a week's worth of meetings in Manchester and one of her comments coming home was "I forgot just how much spew there is in doorways in British city centres"

I don't miss the knobhead city centre generic wine bar and club culture. I do miss the country pub with a roaring fire culture. Trouble is, Dubai has lots of generic dance music bars/clubs and no country pubs with character, but it is what it is.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Dave-o said:


> Wifeface has just been back on a week's worth of meetings in Manchester and one of her comments coming home was "I forgot just how much spew there is in doorways in British city centres"
> 
> I don't miss the knobhead city centre generic wine bar and club culture. I do miss the country pub with a roaring fire culture. Trouble is, Dubai has lots of generic dance music bars/clubs and no country pubs with character, but it is what it is.


The closest you'll get is the Jebel Ali Club :heh:


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

twowheelsgood said:


> the same museums which change their exhibits bicentennially.


Yes, that bl**dy Michelangelo. Not done anything good in years.


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## Roxtec Blue (Jan 14, 2013)

Mr Rossi said:


> Yes, that bl**dy Michelangelo. Not done anything good in years.


Bit like Phil Collins. Should have stuck to the drums and left Gabriel to the singing. Damn have I got my artists and painters and angels mixed up............Anon:confused2:


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Forget the art galleries and restaurants, I don't think there can be a larger concentration of people who are rotten, evil, petty, vindictive, malicious, snide, selfish, stupid and dangerously idiotic elsewhere.

You only have to look at the cons, scams and employment threads that are prevalent on this board. Even if you avoid that, prepare to to spend every single day, cheating death on roads to sit in a job micro-managing, chasing and fighting political battles with the above for a minimum of 11 hours a day.

If that alone is worth doing the money, got for it.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Yes. As I did before I moved to Dubai. Went to the countryside regularly on weekends. It helps that my parents live in the country.



Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> But is it something you'd do regularly enough coming from London?
> 
> What I'm getting at is that we're comparing London. You start expanding the scope and next thing we're talking about Orkney being a few hours away.
> 
> I'd happily live outside of London and pop in at the weekends, but I'm not going to live there in a million years.


Some of the comments on here are interesting. Claiming the museums don't change their exhibitions? Silly nonsense. London has possibly the most dynamic museum scene in the world and as a member of a bunch of them I always get notifications of upcoming exhibitions. Multiple of them. At all the major and smaller museums. 

Worrying about stumbling over vomit and being mugged. Ok. I bought a flat in Clerkenwell. This was back before the King's Cross gentrification had taken off. It was always a bit dogdy walking from KC to my flat, I won't deny that, but nothing ever happened and these days it's gentrification heaven. The idea that Londoners are surrounded by vomiting partyers all over the place or chavtastic criminals hiding behind every corner is outright ridiculous. 

You don't like London, fine, you're not a city person, move along and find something else to moan and whinge about. Each to its own.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> The idea that Londoners are surrounded by vomiting partyers all over the place or chavtastic criminals hiding behind every corner is outright ridiculous.


Meh, I'm more concerned about London being full of Londoners. :noidea:


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Mr Rossi said:


> Forget the art galleries and restaurants, I don't think there can be a larger concentration of people who are rotten, evil, petty, vindictive, malicious, snide, selfish, stupid and dangerously idiotic elsewhere.
> 
> You only have to look at the cons, scams and employment threads that are prevalent on this board. Even if you avoid that, prepare to to spend every single day, cheating death on roads to sit in a job micro-managing, chasing and fighting political battles with the above for a minimum of 11 hours a day.
> 
> If that alone is worth doing the money, got for it.


I thought you meant London until you mentioned the roads.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Meh, I'm more concerned about London being full of Londoners. :noidea:


Don't worry - you won't find many of them!
I struggle to hear English being spoken - every time I visit London!


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> Claiming the museums don't change their exhibitions? Silly nonsense. London has possibly the most dynamic museum scene in the world and as a member of a bunch of them I always get notifications of upcoming exhibitions. Multiple of them. At all the major and smaller museums.


I guess that 90% of the museum content doesn't change one bit, year after year. Yes, you get special events within the museum buildings but the vast majority doesn't alter. And those events you have to pay to go in and they are packed out.

Each to their own but trying to pretend London is in any way a paradise is ludicrous. It is hugely congested, it is ridiculously expensive, it is heavily polluted and it is crime ridden. Go look up the statistics.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I don't think you understand the purpose of museums.

Should the National Gallery or the British museum change 90% of their contents? The permanent collections are on display for a good reason - those are the masterpieces. I never tire of paying a quick visit to these museums whenever I am in London. It helps that my old flat is only 20 minutes' walk from the British Museum  

The rotating exhibitions are certainly at an additional cost above the free entry, but it's understandable given the state of funding. Some of the exhibitions are boring and not for everyone, but others are absolutely spectacular and draw in thousands. I knew people who flew to London from the US just to see a specific exhibition, and that's how good they can be. Same with plays and performances.

You state "Go look up the statistics"

What does that mean? What statistics? As we know the infamous quote is lies, damned lies and statistics. I lived in London for years. Is it a dirty city? Yes. Polluted? Yes (although nowhere nearly as bad as in the past). Crowded? In central London, yes. Congested? Yes. But many of us liked it. Do crime happen? Yes. Are people mugged? Yes. Is it a dangerous, violent city? No. 

It's fine not to like London. Many don't. But there's no need to sneer at it and make unfounded assumptions and statements about its offerings. It's a huge, complex city and painting it with a broad brush is grossly misleading and unfair, just as bad as those who paint all of Dubai in the same broad brush. 



twowheelsgood said:


> I guess that 90% of the museum content doesn't change one bit, year after year. Yes, you get special events within the museum buildings but the vast majority doesn't alter. And those events you have to pay to go in and they are packed out.
> 
> Each to their own but trying to pretend London is in any way a paradise is ludicrous. It is hugely congested, it is ridiculously expensive, it is heavily polluted and it is crime ridden. Go look up the statistics.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Museums only display about 20% of what they possess. 

To suggest I don't know what the purpose is is both childish and petulant. 

They simply don't rotate and you know it which is why places like the Royal Armouries in Leeds was created - it's entirely filled with stuff the British museum couldn't and wouldn't display. 

Anyway we are getting off the point entirely. Let's just say you like looking at UJ museums and think things change often. I think you need to look more closely because it doesn't change and it's you who isn't actually paying attention


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I am not sure what you are saying.

I pointed out that museums generally don't change their permanent exhibits. Read my previous post. That's why they are permanent exhibits. Those are the masterpieces. People want to see them. I'm not interested in all art but the masterpieces I recognise and accept. Especially at the British museum and National gallery, there's always something new in the same galleries that I hadn't noticed before. 

They do have smaller rotating exhibitions bringing out other portions of their collections normally in storage. And they have the big exhibitions that bring in artwork from other museums and private collections. Those can be spectacular. And they ensure that museums are always interesting and offer something new despite having the bulk of their permanent exhibitions always on display. 

As a FYI the London museums are almost always packed with visitors. People obviously aren't complaining too much. 



twowheelsgood said:


> Museums only display about 20% of what they possess.
> 
> To suggest I don't know what the purpose is is both childish and petulant.
> 
> ...


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

:deadhorse:

:noidea:


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

twowheelsgood said:


> I guess that 90% of the museum content doesn't change one bit, year after year. Yes, you get special events within the museum buildings but the vast majority doesn't alter. And those events you have to pay to go in and they are packed out.
> 
> Each to their own but trying to pretend London is in any way a paradise is ludicrous. It is hugely congested, it is ridiculously expensive, it is heavily polluted and it is crime ridden. Go look up the statistics.


You're nothing but a London hater, it's still the best city on earth, if you can't find what you want there it doesn't exist.

I lived near Lancaster Gate a while back, 2 minutes walk to the green open spaces of Hyde Park, great local pubs, eclectic shops, Notting Hill just up the road, and, then there was the free concerts in the park too.

It was a wonderful time.


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## solospy (Jan 22, 2015)

The Rascal said:


> it's still the best city on earth.


If thats the case what the hell are you doing here ???


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## Balla Boy (Jan 3, 2015)

Declaring my prejudice, I love London and lived there for 15 years. In comparison, I wouldn't actually consider Dubai to be a city at all. It's a large town at best, though one with superb amenities that offers an excellent lifestyle for families if you're earning the right amount of money. 

What brought us here was the fact that a six figure salary doesn't actually go very far in London. A three bedroom house in a half decent part of zone 3 is going to cost you half a million pounds plus, so even with a healthy deposit and current low interest rates you're looking at the bones of £36,000 a year in post tax income to put a roof over the head of a family. 

If you have two working parents (you'd be doing very well to survive as a single income household), you're either paying extortionate nursery fees (we were paying £1,400 a month) or when they're older you're having to use wraparound child care to cover the end of the day (and possibly the beginning). 

Lord alone knows what people do with 6 weeks summer holiday if Grandparents aren't on the doorstep. 

Here, we don't live an extravagant lifestyle at all (small villa, no maid, drive a Kia) but my wife can afford to work much reduced hours on a reduced salary to spend more time with my son, which is a luxury that we couldn't afford in London. 

As cities, in my view, there's no comparison at all. Dubai is an interesting fusion of a holiday resort and a Surrey commuter town. 

But no one is hitting Rules for lunch regularly on £100,000 a year.


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## Balla Boy (Jan 3, 2015)

Oh, and to go back to the top:

Dubai:
Monthly basic salary: AED 50k
monthly housing allowance: AED 17.5k
Monthly transport allowance: AED 4k
Schools fees: paid up to AED 45k per year per child
Family flight home: yes
Family medical: yes
Relocation one-off: AED 40k


4k will put two cars on the road on HP. 210,000 will pay most of your rental cost for a 4 bed villa. You'll pay some out of pocket on rent and school fees, but overall that sort of package is going to leave you with significantly more cash in your pocket than in London.


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