# Need some help from you fine gentlemen and ladies



## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

Long story cut short, I thought it'd be pretty cool to work abroad for a bit and since I'm mid 20's with zero commitments I thought now is as good a time as any. To my surprise I landed 2 gigs one in Lagos and one in Dubai. Lagos is ruled out as the 'expats' there were mainly in their mid 30's and while it's a city with a really unique charm I didn't think I'd enjoy it.

So it looks like it's Dubai for now though I still have a couple of concerns. Like I said I'm single and 25 so i'm not eligible for any benefits from the company hiring me. They're paying me a flat fixed salary of 15,000 Dhs a month and i'm not sure how much leverage I have for negotiation as the salary reports I'm reading are literally all over the place. If anyone has any opinion there that'd be pretty helpful.

Finally according to the internet a quick living expense breakdown reads like this :

1) House rent for a decent 3 BR apartment split 3 way - 3500 Dhs
2) Food / Internet and Utility per month - 3500 Dhs
3) Personal expenses (heading out etc) - 3000 Dhs
4) Transportation (Monthly metro pass) - 270 Dhs

I can't think of anything else so I'm assuming the rest is savings but it seems a high %. What am I missing here?


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

Ha ha, the second part did get edited.

Btw has anyone checked out the Yas racing club in Abu Dhabi? I've heard great reviews but if anyone's actually been or can recommend some other places it would be great.


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

15,000 AED is a very respectable sum for a 25 year old. So long as prospects for career growth are good at the company you'll be working at, then you're good to go. 
Managing a budget all boils down to your spending habits, lifestyle etc. but in general the way you divide it up seems right. Except maybe the transportation cost-while a metro pass is very useful, you'll also be using taxis a lot, so you might need to allocate a couple of hundred. 
Are you planning on driving/owning a car? Most people end up getting one eventually. It costs anywhere between 3,000-7,000 to train for a license, and then there's the car itself (Dubai has a very competitive pre-owned car market, easy car financing etc.).


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

omar92 said:


> 15,000 AED is a very respectable sum for a 25 year old. So long as prospects for career growth are good at the company you'll be working at, then you're good to go.
> Managing a budget all boils down to your spending habits, lifestyle etc. but in general the way you divide it up seems right. Except maybe the transportation cost-while a metro pass is very useful, you'll also be using taxis a lot, so you might need to allocate a couple of hundred.
> Are you planning on driving/owning a car? Most people end up getting one eventually. It costs anywhere between 3,000-7,000 to train for a license, and then there's the car itself (Dubai has a very competitive pre-owned car market, easy car financing etc.).


Thanks Omar. 

Nope, as of now I don't intend to buy a car. Are there areas of the city that are not accessible by the metro rail?


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Zayfran said:


> Thanks Omar.
> 
> Nope, as of now I don't intend to buy a car. Are there areas of the city that are not accessible by the metro rail?


Hi,
The metro basically follows the line of Sheikh Zayed road and then towards Deira and the airport.
In the summer months - once you exit a metro station - you can comfortably walk a few hundred meters before you will start to look for air conditioned refuge!
If your walk from a metro station is longer than this - most people get a taxi - especially if they want to look smart once they get to their destination!
Many areas are therefore not served directly by the metro - these rely on bus and taxi connections.
Cheers
Steve


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## siddiqin1 (Jul 12, 2015)

zayfran - congrats on the job! where will you be working ?


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

By the way, what areas are you considering to live in or is that too early? 
Dubai Marina area has good Metro/Monorail links, and in fact, is one of the more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. Other areas, like Al Qusais, al Nahda, don't have very good public transportation options.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Stevesolar said:


> In the summer months - once you exit a metro station - you can comfortably walk a few hundred meters


Only if you've been here as long as you have 

New arrivals - 50 metres max


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

Stevesolar said:


> - you can comfortably walk a few hundred meters before you will start to look for air conditioned refuge!


Lol



siddiqin1 said:


> zayfran - congrats on the job! where will you be working ?


Business central towers, supposed to be walking distance from Dubai internet city metro station.



omar92 said:


> By the way, what areas are you considering to live in or is that too early?


I'm actually considering the Marina. Someone close told me all the middle and upper class Indians and Arabs stay in Sharjah so if I decide to buy a car then maybe I'll consider it. The commute doesn't sound appealing though.

Any suggestions? Where do the cute Khaleeji girls hang? .

You guys got any meetups going on?


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## siddiqin1 (Jul 12, 2015)

thats good! if you don't mind, how did you get the job? I've been applying online for couple months now and didn't really hear anything back..what kind of job is it. thx


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

siddiqin1 said:


> thats good! if you don't mind, how did you get the job? I've been applying online for couple months now and didn't really hear anything back..what kind of job is it. thx


No problem mate.

I tried everything at first but after a while I realized LinkedIn and Job Portals weren't really going to cut it so I googled companies that loosely fit my profile and began cold calling. Getting past reception can be tricky sometimes but it gets easier after a while. I also roped in close family members to use their extensive circles and put the word out. I got my current gig from cold calling and one's still ongoing through a referral.

The job is in predictive analytics, what's your background?


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## siddiqin1 (Jul 12, 2015)

Haha that's a good way to get them to notice you, I should give that a shot! I'm in the IT field. Doing hardware repairs. I'm about to Google some local companies and call them and see what they say. Thx for the advice, enjoy Dubai !!


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

Zayfran said:


> Lol
> 
> 
> Business central towers, supposed to be walking distance from Dubai internet city metro station.
> ...


1. Many people live in Sharjah, but commute is terrible and the Dubai Metro doesn't go to Sharjah, only certain neighborhoods like Qusais/Nahda which I consider Sharjah-Lite. 

2. Dubai Marina is good for a single, car-less 20-something guy. Another good option might be Burjuman area in Bur Dubai. Once the time comes and you have a few options in front of you we can help you decide =)

3. The 'cute Khaleeji girls' hang out in The Dubai Mall, or JBR, and come out in full force on Thursday/Friday nights.


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

omar92 said:


> 1. Many people live in Sharjah, but commute is terrible and the Dubai Metro doesn't go to Sharjah, only certain neighborhoods like Qusais/Nahda which I consider Sharjah-Lite.
> 
> 2. Dubai Marina is good for a single, car-less 20-something guy. Another good option might be Burjuman area in Bur Dubai. Once the time comes and you have a few options in front of you we can help you decide =)
> 
> 3. The 'cute Khaleeji girls' hang out in The Dubai Mall, or JBR, and come out in full force on Thursday/Friday nights.



Helpful stuff. Marina looks like the common consensus so it looks like it will be the Marina. Just need to find some flatmates now.

When I get there I'm buying you a drink or a hookah brah.

Shukran!


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## omar92 (Oct 8, 2013)

Zayfran said:


> Helpful stuff. Marina looks like the common consensus so it looks like it will be the Marina. Just need to find some flatmates now.
> 
> When I get there I'm buying you a drink or a hookah brah.
> 
> Shukran!


 Gd luck!


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## Sootydaz (Dec 29, 2014)

You cannot buy a monthly metro pass without showing your Emirates ID card, but that's not that much of an issue I found that I spend less than a monthly amount anyway


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## Zayfran (Jul 19, 2015)

^

Thanks for the info.


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## DubaiResident (Oct 25, 2014)

If you are working in DIC, stick to the southern part of the city, aka new Dubai. Marina, JLT, Barsha. Travel to DIC is shorter and you'll mostly be going against the rush hour traffic both ways.
Discovery Gardens is also an option if you are looking for a more reasonable place in that part of the city.

If you are looking to attract 'cute Khaleeji girls', you'll definitely need a car, not a metro pass. You'll need a condo, not a shared apartment. In other words, if that's part of the plan that makes you want to move here, think again, before it hits the fan


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