# Another Brit moving to AD with a million questions!!!



## vikkidavies

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well?
My husband has today been offered a job with the company Adassi, 
He would like us, his family to move out there with him, I at the moment am having doubts!
He will be on 23,430pm rising to 25,426pm after 6 months when we shall be joining him, in the package we get 20,000 per child education assistance per year, we have two boys aged 3 and 7.
We also get housing allowance of 6,750pm, a health care package, bills allowance 3,000, and 7,000 relocation allowance.
Schooling at the moment is my biggest worry, I do not know where to start looking for information, I also worry about what I will do out there( I was due to start a nursing degree next week!!!)
Is his wage enough to live off I know schooling is expensive as is housing!
I'm a worry wart sorry
Any help or information will be most grateful
Many thanks
Vik


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## dizzyizzy

Hi Vik,

Have a look at the sticky "READ BEFORE YOU POST' - lots of costing info there.

Your doubts are well funded. Don't know what your husband does or what his level is so difficult to say if the compensation is fair or not. However the school allowances are low, try to push for 30K per child at least, and the housing is way low too, especially for Abu Dhabi...have a look in Property Real Estate for Sale and Rent. Jobs in the Middle East and North Africa , Free Classifieds in with Dubizzle.com so see how much rents are going for.


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## Nightshadow

Hrm, sounds a bit low to me for a family of four. Dubai is not cheap, but it really depends on your lifestyle back home.


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## stuartmatthewson

Definitely low, especially for Abu Dhabi


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## vikkidavies

Lifestyle here isn't extravagant, but I would like to live comfortably if we did move!
My husband flies UAV's for a living and has a flying background.
We spent the whole of last night looking into schooling and we worked out that a huge chunk of his wage would go on schooling, I stated it wouldn't be worth it, and he hasn't signed the contract yet!! 
He really wants the job though, (he's currently unemployed after his contract ended in afganistan!) 
Thanks for all your help and advice 
We will just have to keep looking into things


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## DubaiATC

Doesn't seem worth it, especially to sacrifice your nursing program.


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## vikkidavies

it's transpired that there are a few people from his old job in afgan working for the same company.
They say the company is brilliant as is the place and the job but they all agree the package they've offered him is really low, he is currently negotiating more money!!!
I just wish I knew what is happening because im meant to start uni next week!!!! 
Argh
He's looking at £70k a year now instead of £50k!!!


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## Jynxgirl

The schools post their fees directly on their websites. Search on google or wherever (I dont google, I yahoo). For anything over the beginning years, most school are 35 to 38k... and go up as the age goes up.


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## Sandgroper74

You also have to check at what age the school funding from the company will commence. For us it is at the age of 4, which means we have to pay our own nursery or school fees until April 2012 if we want our daughter to attend the same. Even schooling for a 3 year old can be 30,000 plus. Then a lot of schools have waitlists. If you want/need to work you have to factor in paying for a nanny or similar as school finishes earlier than work (my understanding).

IMHO the offer made to your husband is not worth sacrificing your studies and the opportunity to work in the ME as a nurse in the future.


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## vikkidavies

Thanks for all your help,
He flies out today and starts work tomorrow with a billion questions, so I'm not withdrawing from uni until we know it would work out, 100%!!


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## danielle77

Hi Vikki,
My husband started his job in Abu Dhabi last year and I was half way through my Occupational Therapy degree. I decided to stay in England and finish my degree. The kids stay here with me and we visit every few months. When we move to ABu Dhabi in September I might not get a job as I don't have 2 years experience but doing the degree means alot to me (I gave up once before and always regretted it-we moved countries then). Is there any chance of you staying to do it? 
Danielle


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## vikkidavies

At the moment I'm starting the degree, I too gave up when my eldest was born (I had done about 6 months of a nursing degree) and I always regretted it too.
Hes in work tomorrow and if they can't offer him more help with the education fees we can't move out there anyway!
I have suggested to him, he goes on his own but he only gets 7 weeks holiday a year and doesn't want to not see the kids!!
It's very stressful and thinking about it is making me ill!!
Argh
Haha won't know anymore until he gets there anyway now!!


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## danielle77

So hes over in Abu Dhabi and going into work tomorrow and is going to ask for more for school fees?

What will you do if they say no-stay here and him there?


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## vikkidavies

Yes I think so, he has to train for six months, so we won't see him unless I go out there with the kids.
But in the remaining six months he gets 7 weeks holiday so even if I stay here and do the degree there is a way around it if he's still there 3 years down the line I can join him then!!


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## vikkidavies

Danielle can I ask how do you cope with doing a full time course and looking after the children I have two and this is my biggest worry! I presume OT is similar uni and placement hours to nursing? 
I have a father in law nearby who's willing to help but that's it really!!!


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## danielle77

vikkidavies said:


> Danielle can I ask how do you cope with doing a full time course and looking after the children I have two and this is my biggest worry! I presume OT is similar uni and placement hours to nursing?
> I have a father in law nearby who's willing to help but that's it really!!!


I just do 
My husband (we got maried 15 days after he got the job in Abu Dhabi) was in the Raf when we first met, I owned my own home and when I got pregnant with our first decided to stay in my house as my parents were nearby-so I'm kind of used to it. I wanted to have my parents nearby when he went away so I always stayed here. 

When I first started at uni I was part time and worked full time and managed with a childminder, now I'm only at uni one day a week (supposed to be doing my dissertation the rest of the time). I have my last placement this summer-10 weeks, but OT's tend to do nicer hours than nurses-no lates or nights or earliers, generally 8-4pm or 9-5pm, which makes it easier. I have had times after my childminder stopped working were I relied on friends to pick up and drop off etc, I felt bad asking all the time.

Don't worry you will manage sometimes-even when you think you can't. And then you just count down till when you see each other again-37 days to go till we go back


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