# Considering UAE from Canada



## GoNucks (May 25, 2012)

Help!!! We r a family of 4 from Vancouver. Our children are 10 & 7. My husband's current salary b4 tax is $115k he is upper management in a shipping company. He was recently discussing opportunities inDubai with a colleague. They r interested in hiring him. He has been with his company for 11yrs. We are drawn to Dubai because of the possibility of getting an education fund saved up for the kids as well as a start to our retirement fund. I am a stay at home mom now but I am a medical secretary with a medical imaging clinic background. I would like to hear from families such as ours with honest answers regarding what $$ amount offer we can live on. We have asked for housing, medical & private school coverage. This is a huge leap of faith as all of you know but we are up for it. We appreciate the input & realize many answers will be vague as communities etc are varied. We would prefer a villa with poolas we hear HOA fees r crazy. Peace


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## Toon (Feb 28, 2012)

Morning, and welcome to the bored (sic).

AED40k/month plus housing/school/medical. 

That'll see you right.


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## Helios (Oct 22, 2008)

I would have thought that anything above $100k is considered as a more than comfortable salary in Canada, correct me if i'm wrong.


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

Welcome ... a Canucks fan I'm assuming ... boooo!! 

I love Van city, it's a beautiful city and great place to raise a family. Have you ever been to Dubai? If not, I would recommend that you take a quick trip with family to see what it's like here before making any final decisions. I personally don't know if I would raise my kids here but it's a very personal decision based on how I see this society compared to Canada. Depending on the number of years you are planning on staying here - based on your contract - you might really enjoy coming out here and experiencing a different culture. Dubai is a central hub and it's very easy to fly out to many destinations close by and have a chance to see the world - great for your kids as well. Nonetheless, it's a personal decision so a trip to Dubai prior to signing a contract is highly recommended.

As far as compensation is concerned, based on what your husband is currently making, I agree with one of the above posts. He should be asking for a based salary of AED 40k/month + car allowance + housing allowance + 1 return trip for family to Canada (business class) + Full medical. These should be a must but other perks should be considered eg: moving cost, vacation days, initial stay in hotel etc. This type of a package will allow you to live a fairly comfortable lifestyle in Dubai and allow you to save - of course, depending on your lifestyle.

Hope that helps - let me know if you have any other questions and I'll try my best to help.

Cheers and GL.


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## Canadian_Expat (May 21, 2012)

My husband and I are moving to Dubai from Vancouver (Canucks 2013!) in August, and I've done a lot of research on salaries -- what you can comfortably live on, what is equivalent to a Canadian salary, etc. Based on what you said, it seems to me you could live quite well on AED30K, especially considering it's tax-free and housing will be covered. 

Personally, I'm very excited about moving to Dubai (and away from Vancouver!) as I'm tired of living in an unfriendly, rainy, absurdly expensive city. Sure, there are some great things about Vancouver (it's beautiful!), but I think Dubai will offer a lifestyle that you just can't have here. 

Good luck with your decision!


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## GoNucks (May 25, 2012)

Thanks for all the info everyone!! Someone asked if 115k is not enough in Vancouver...uh no  it is incredibly expensive here as well as Calgary & Toronto. We feel like we r spinning our wheels. In Dubai we want to save money. Not live like kings. Take the kids to dinner & movie once a week etc.

Are there reasonable rental villas in close proximity to the British or American private school. We r hoping to make do with 1 vehicle & hoping we can walk to school or that busing is available. I guess we lay our trust in realtor in that regard.


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## Canadian_Expat (May 21, 2012)

GoNucks said:


> Thanks for all the info everyone!! Someone asked if 115k is not enough in Vancouver...uh no  it is incredibly expensive here as well as Calgary & Toronto. We feel like we r spinning our wheels. In Dubai we want to save money. Not live like kings. Take the kids to dinner & movie once a week etc.
> 
> Are there reasonable rental villas in close proximity to the British or American private school. We r hoping to make do with 1 vehicle & hoping we can walk to school or that busing is available. I guess we lay our trust in realtor in that regard.


GoNucks, you're totally right about Vancouver! Hubby and I have a combined (pre-tax) salary of about $140k and I'm still barely making a dent in my student loans that I've been trying to pay off for 6 years! And we hardly live like kings. This is definitely not the place to get ahead!


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

GoNucks said:


> Thanks for all the info everyone!! Someone asked if 115k is not enough in Vancouver...uh no  it is incredibly expensive here as well as Calgary & Toronto. We feel like we r spinning our wheels. In Dubai we want to save money. Not live like kings. Take the kids to dinner & movie once a week etc.
> 
> Are there reasonable rental villas in close proximity to the British or American private school. We r hoping to make do with 1 vehicle & hoping we can walk to school or that busing is available. I guess we lay our trust in realtor in that regard.


I can't really answer the school question and I'm sure someone will come by and help you with which areas will be closer to schools. 

Of course, depending on area, the rent of villas will be different but from a very high level, usually you'd be looking at 150k+/year for a decent villa in a good area. You will need to keep this figure in mind when negotiating the housing allowance with the employer.

I think if you are looking at living a modest lifestyle and don't have any debts to manage back home, 30k/month salary would be good but when in senior management level positions, I have always seen most ppl tack on 10-20% on top of their current salary to justify moving your family to the Middle East. Yes, it's tax free but that's at least what I have seen - I myself asked for 15% increase on top of my existing salary plus I get yearly increments and bonus. 

Most *good* companies understand the value of having an experienced expat in this part of the world and are willing to pay the price for it. Negotiate hard and get the most you can. Keep in mind, there are many things we don't consider when leaving Canada eg: as a non-resident, you are not paying into your EI so after a few years if you move back to Canada and do not have a job, you can't collect those services - you need to be compensated for that.

Hope all goes well and we'll see you guys here soon.

PS: GO FLAMES GO!! :canada:


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## terdubai (Feb 15, 2012)

There are villas across the street from the American School of Dubai that lots of families use because of the car situation. There are school busses too but they are very expensive. Good luck! Definitely get all school fees covered!


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

One same piece of advice, I wouldn't bank on walking anywhere in Dubai as it usually involves crossing four lanes of unsympathetic traffic and when the temps are in the high 40's it's just no fun!


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## nikkisizer (Aug 20, 2011)

Canadian_Expat said:


> Based on what you said, it seems to me you could live quite well on AED30K, especially considering it's tax-free and housing will be covered.


AED30k for a family is not much in Dubai regardless of housing/school benefits etc. I agree with Toon that you'll be ok with AED40k+ as a minimum


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## Vento (Dec 30, 2011)

Short answer: it all depends on your lifestyle

Family with a toddler here

Appartment 9k
Car 3000
Nursery 2500 apx
Household estimated 6k
Aircon, tv, internet 1700
Fines/fees n stuff 1000

Maid 2800+

Dining out ???
Fun for the kids and family ???
Other ???

It all depends, but i would sau that 30k should be enough, 40k would be ok, but it all depends


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## INFAMOUS (Apr 19, 2011)

Considering you are coming from Vancouver 30k + would be fine... The only way I would say it's not is if you have a huge amount of existing debt you are needing to cover/pay off.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Not only in Vancouver or Calgary. I would say that a family with two kids that 115K is not enough to save for retirement. I would say that you need at least 150K household income to have a more comfortable life and build your RRSP (pension) with two kids. 

All in all, Canada is an expensive place to live. Each province has its own reality. Quebec is supposed to be the most affordable place to live in terms of costs, but wages are adjusted to reflect Quebec's cost structure.



GoNucks said:


> Thanks for all the info everyone!! Someone asked if 115k is not enough in Vancouver...uh no  it is incredibly expensive here as well as Calgary & Toronto. We feel like we r spinning our wheels. In Dubai we want to save money. Not live like kings. Take the kids to dinner & movie once a week etc.
> 
> Are there reasonable rental villas in close proximity to the British or American private school. We r hoping to make do with 1 vehicle & hoping we can walk to school or that busing is available. I guess we lay our trust in realtor in that regard.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

I do not want to put you off but I read the other threads and I will give you the dark side just a bit.

I think that making 140K is good although I understand that you have a student loan hanging there plus that you live in the most expensive city in Canada.

Have you thought about moving within Canada ? the tax structure is different as you know. And rent too.

Also, you mentioned your husband has been working for the same company for 11 years if I am not mistaken. Does he have a pension with the company ? What are the consequences if he leaves ?

Bear in mind that they do not have pensions here (as far as I know) they offer "end of service" which is one monthly salary per year worked. And there are rules for that.

Moreover, things are not that stable here.

I honestly think you should consult a financial adviser first and if everything boils down to move to Dubai try to get 35K AED at least.

I just forgot to add: Bear in mind that if you have mortgage, you will not be able to renew it because your income is not in Canada anymore. So you might need to sell. Some offshore banks will offer finance but there will ask you for collateral (you will need to have another fully paid house). 

Cheers


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