# Can both spouses avail their benefits while working in UAE?



## UsaToUae (Dec 17, 2009)

:clap2:

If both husband and wife are working in UAE then 

1) Do both get (or can avail) their respective Allownces in addition to Basic Salary OR do one has to forego their allownces?

....If one has to forego then is there a restriction on who, i.e. husband or wife? 

OR you have a choice as these allownces could be extremely different in terms of value for one spouse over the other based on their profession. Naturally, one would like to avail the better one...

Accept my regards in advance for sharing...

IB


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## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

If you were working for different companies, then you would both receive your full package entitlement (why wouldn't you). I would imagine that even if you both worked for the same company, you would receive your full package too.


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## Lenochka (Apr 19, 2008)

I am not so sure about that, Ogri. And don't think it is clear. I would assume that this is based on individual company/circumstance.

At least I know that the company I work for would not shell out a full package for my wife, would she then work for the same company. Benefits such as housing are calculated based on hierachy level, married or single, kids or no kids......

shelling out the housing for a married guy with kids and the same for his wife would be a real waste of money and easily runs into 150k and more which would be "wasted" from a company perspective....


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## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

Maybe, maybe not. Who knows here.

The full package entitlement may be different for each one of the couple, so, they both might still receive each full entitlement, just the entitlements may differ


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## mrbig (Sep 10, 2009)

yes, you are allowed both allowances.
That answers his question guys.


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## UsaToUae (Dec 17, 2009)

MRBIG....Are you in this situation if I may ask?

I need a confirmed answer from somebody who is currently in this situation. 
We are currently in the process of securing jobs in UAE. My wife is definitely going to get a better salary and allownces due to her profession, and I have heard that the laws discriminate against women. In other words, I heard that the female spouse would lose her alownces if male spouse is going to work and get the similar allownces regardless of if those are lesser than the female spouse.

This is just a hearsay and not confirmed...so please share your authentic info as this may be a make or break deal issue for some and definitely will be for us.

Thanks for your help


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## mrbig (Sep 10, 2009)

absolute nonsense
I am not in that position as I am retired but, I can confirm it. If you dont believe me ask the HR department who is putting your package together the same exact question you are asking here. They will tell you "sure why not?".

now are you going to be on a expat package or local package?
on expat package things like housing, utilities ect are paid by the company for you. But on local package they are tied in with you paycheck so you will need to pay them. So if you lease a villa or apartment you will have to get a loan through the bank to pay for the lease, or pay it out of your own pocket up front. Then you would recieve your allowances bi monthly or monthly.


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## UsaToUae (Dec 17, 2009)

We will be on expat package (I assume) as we will come from U.S.

So if I go by your take, then we both will be able to get our own housing allownce and be able to afford MORE or BIGGER house...that is nice...

You seem like a well informed person. Now what do you say about the idea that if one buys their house (villa) and then lease it to yourself and get paid? Is that possible or this is too dreamy to think about?

Thanks,


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## mrbig (Sep 10, 2009)

UsaToUae said:


> We will be on expat package (I assume) as we will come from U.S.
> 
> So if I go by your take, then we both will be able to get our own housing allownce and be able to afford MORE or BIGGER house...that is nice...
> 
> ...


hahah, yeah that would be cool if you could do that. But no chance. As I said on the expat package your company will pay your bills for you. So it would be kinda hard to have the company pay the rent bill to your name as the owner of the villa. 
And its not me with all the knowledge, its my wife giving me the answers for you. And believe me, she knows a bunch about what your asking. 

And yes you can combine the housing to get a bigger better house. But you will need to let the landlord know that it will be two diff companies giving rent checks. They will still get all thier money it will just be in two checks instead of one since its coming from two housing allowances. shouldnt be a problem but just let them know.


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## UsaToUae (Dec 17, 2009)

Thank you and your wife for sharing valuable info.

Any other advice that you think we should keep in mind while negotiating our packages? 

My wife has gotton an offer in Abu Dhabi and we are waiting on the salary package that will be given once we submit some documents first. I myself will start looking once her package is offered and agreed and decision is made to move.


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## mrbig (Sep 10, 2009)

do you have kids? car allowance, medical 100%, trips back home, all utils paid, stuff like that. If you have any questions feel free to pm me.


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## Lenochka (Apr 19, 2008)

MrBig..
sorry...some of the stuff you mention is not entirely through. I am on an expat package and have allowances. However, I pay all myself and housing, dewa, telephone/internet etc etc is all in MY name....

it really depends on the package and the terminology of whatever the contract/package is. 

sorry, but there are too many variables to generalize such subjects.


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## mrbig (Sep 10, 2009)

Lenochka said:


> MrBig..
> sorry...some of the stuff you mention is not entirely through. I am on an expat package and have allowances. However, I pay all myself and housing, dewa, telephone/internet etc etc is all in MY name....
> 
> it really depends on the package and the terminology of whatever the contract/package is.
> ...


It all depends on how you negotiate your package on what things are paid for by company and what things you pay for. Also depends on what pay grade you are at in your company to what things they offer to pay for. 

all our utilities, phone, internet ect are in our name but, the bill is sent straight to the company and they pay the bill.
the villa is in thier name, and they pay the bill.
The only bill we have is cable, my cell, my vehicle.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Which all goes to show that there are no set rules for expats in the UAE. 

-


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## cautious_mover (Dec 9, 2009)

Elphaba said:


> Which all goes to show that there are no set rules for expats in the UAE.
> 
> -


Of course there are no set rules !!! Each company is different. Normally theres an uplift on home salary dependant on location ie Nigeria is usually the highest.

It all depends on your job/contract/company etc etc....

However try this site http://www.xpatulator.com not free but good info.


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## vincetruong (May 10, 2009)

UsaToUae said:


> Thank you and your wife for sharing valuable info.
> 
> Any other advice that you think we should keep in mind while negotiating our packages?
> 
> My wife has gotton an offer in Abu Dhabi and we are waiting on the salary package that will be given once we submit some documents first. I myself will start looking once her package is offered and agreed and decision is made to move.


From a tax perspective (and not a lifestyle one), there's a limit to how much you can each exclude for housing. Will either of your respective incomes fall below the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion? If so, there's some wiggle room to not "waste" a package on housing (since the exclusion is capped) and instead apply it to base salary, assuming you want to be tax efficient.


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## UKJ (Nov 12, 2009)

My company are relocating me to Dubai, so my wife is currently looking for a teaching job. She's been told by one school that married women are ONLY offered local contracts, rather than expat contracts, so she won't be eligable for accomodation allowance, flights etc, that she would if she was either single, or a man. This seems very sexist and wouldn't be allowed in the UK. Is this the norm in the UAE, and hence something you have to accept if moving there, or is this unfair?


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## mrbig (Sep 10, 2009)

UKJ said:


> My company are relocating me to Dubai, so my wife is currently looking for a teaching job. She's been told by one school that married women are ONLY offered local contracts, rather than expat contracts, so she won't be eligable for accomodation allowance, flights etc, that she would if she was either single, or a man. This seems very sexist and wouldn't be allowed in the UK. Is this the norm in the UAE, and hence something you have to accept if moving there, or is this unfair?


lol that information is verrrrrrrrrry wrong.


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## UKJ (Nov 12, 2009)

mrbig said:


> lol that information is verrrrrrrrrry wrong.


What information? Could you elaborate please?


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

UKJ said:


> My company are relocating me to Dubai, so my wife is currently looking for a teaching job. She's been told by one school that married women are ONLY offered local contracts, rather than expat contracts, so she won't be eligable for accomodation allowance, flights etc, that she would if she was either single, or a man. This seems very sexist and wouldn't be allowed in the UK. Is this the norm in the UAE, and hence something you have to accept if moving there, or is this unfair?


As Mr Big said, this is not correct.

Some employers, for lower level jobs generly, prefer to employ married women who are sponsored by their husband as there are less costs for the company as they only have to arrange a labour card and not a residency visa. This is not a blanket situation though.

Many married women as on their own visas and in very good positions. It may be that the school in question operates in this way, although this doesn't send a good message to the pupils regarding equality.

-


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## UKJ (Nov 12, 2009)

Elphaba said:


> As Mr Big said, this is not correct.
> 
> Some employers, for lower level jobs generly, prefer to employ married women who are sponsored by their husband as there are less costs for the company as they only have to arrange a labour card and not a residency visa. This is not a blanket situation though.
> 
> ...


Great, thanks very much for the information, I wasn't really sure what the other poster meant! I think it's definately worth having a conversation with the employer about this. Are there any benefits to us both being on seperate visas, is that the best avenue to go down?


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

UKJ said:


> Great, thanks very much for the information, I wasn't really sure what the other poster meant! I think it's definately worth having a conversation with the employer about this. Are there any benefits to us both being on seperate visas, is that the best avenue to go down?


The main benefit to your wife is that she doesn't need to get letters of permission from you any time she wants to do anything such as obtain or renew a driving licence, open a bank account, or even to work.

-


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## mrbig (Sep 10, 2009)

Now if you and your wife are allready in Dubai living then 99.9% of the time the company is going to put her on a local package if she gets a job.

UKJ, what I ment earlier is that everything that person told you was incorrect.


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