# husband offered job in sham ......ladies please help



## blakey (Jan 12, 2010)

Ladies, my husband has been offered a job in Sham, we have tried the expat lifestyle before but in Dubai, I have no idea what to expect in Egypt. I appreciate this area is mainly tourist driven, is there British schooling (daughter 6), do they have spaces or major waiting lists, do people have live in maids there........need to think longer term when I return to work, what is the expat community like........

We also don't know if the package offered is reasonable, do people tend to get the big expat package out there, at present they have asked him his expectations. He would be working as a Construction Manager (no 2 on site) for big hotel project.

Please any help you can provide would be appreciated and ladies just to make you feel better as I look out my window just now there is 3ft of snow and it's -1.!
thank ux


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## Sam (Aug 27, 2009)

blakey said:


> Ladies, my husband has been offered a job in Sham, we have tried the expat lifestyle before but in Dubai, I have no idea what to expect in Egypt. I appreciate this area is mainly tourist driven, is there British schooling (daughter 6), do they have spaces or major waiting lists, do people have live in maids there........need to think longer term when I return to work, what is the expat community like........
> 
> We also don't know if the package offered is reasonable, do people tend to get the big expat package out there, at present they have asked him his expectations. He would be working as a Construction Manager (no 2 on site) for big hotel project.
> 
> ...


Dear Blakey,

Welcome to the forum.

I am based in Sharm and have been for over three years, so any questions fire away.

There are a few schools in Sharm, and I do not believe there is any waiting lists. There is also a home school system in Hay El Nour that has adopted the American Curriculum for home-schooling, but I think the children are a little older. At present, for six year olds, I believe the best schools would be either the British School in Domina Coral Bay or the International School in Naama Bay. There is also St. Josephs in Hadaba, or the French school if you would be interested in your daughter learning French.

As far as the expat lifestyle goes, yes it is mainly a tourist area but there are hundreds of expats here too. There is a Sharm Women Club who meet every Month (although I personally find them a but cliquey) otherwise it's very easy to just meet people around (or on here ).

I am not sure about expat packages, but of course if the offer is reasonable is down to personal opinion, which could only be decided by you alone. You would have to consider the salary, whether accommodation is provided etc. As far as maids go, yes there are some people here who have live-in maids so it is possible.

And about the snow - it's cloudy here in Sharm today, but temps still feel in the 30's so I can't complain 

Sam


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## Beatle (Aug 14, 2009)

blakey said:


> Ladies, my husband has been offered a job in Sham, we have tried the expat lifestyle before but in Dubai, I have no idea what to expect in Egypt. I appreciate this area is mainly tourist driven, is there British schooling (daughter 6), do they have spaces or major waiting lists, do people have live in maids there........need to think longer term when I return to work, what is the expat community like........
> 
> We also don't know if the package offered is reasonable, do people tend to get the big expat package out there, at present they have asked him his expectations. He would be working as a Construction Manager (no 2 on site) for big hotel project.
> 
> ...


We lived in the Emirates as expats and I still visit friends out there. I have only visited Sharm but have lived in Cairo for short periods. In terms of comparing the two, I would say the lifestyle in the Emirates is more "glitzy" but I much prefer being in Egypt as it just seems more "real" as a country. Having said that, people I know have a nice lifestyle in Sharm and the cost of living is not as high as the Emirates although I don't know how expat salary packages compare. I don't know when you were based out in the Emirates but we were first based out there in the late 70s when there was a lot of building work and development plans - Sharm very much reminds me of those days.


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## whippet (Jan 16, 2011)

Blakey,

Did you move to Sharm? I am in Dubai and moving out in April as my husband has a placement there. So how does it compare....any tips?


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