# Job Opportunity in Abu Dhabi, your thoughts on the package?



## Khanz (6 mo ago)

Hi guys, I am currently living in London, England and have received an opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi for Etihad Airways and would move in December 2022. I would like get your thoughts on the package offered and get reccomendations on where to live as I’ve never been to Abu Dhabi! 

Package:

22,000 AED monthly which includes: Housing allowance of 6,600 AED + Travel expense of 1320 AED
Medical insurance provided
Staff Travel discount (ID90 and ID50) for friends and family
Would you say this a decent salary package to live on for a single male? 

Also, I was looking for areas to rent. I would like to live in a nice area with an expat community with decent views and supermarkets/malls/city life/ nearby. I am looking for a furnished studio between 30,000 - 65,000 AED monthly, I was looking at Reem Island (around City of Lights, Hydra towers, Shams as they seem more afforadable within my budget?).

The office I will work at is based just outside of Khalifa City A and I would only be commuting by taxi, how long roughly would this commute take from Reem island? Please let me know if there are other areas I should explore within my budget, I’m open to suggestions!

Thank you!


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## iAnirudhG (6 mo ago)

Hi Khanz,

That's a great package. You'll be more than fine with that in Abu Dhabi.

As for housing, I wouldn't recommend City if Lights/Hydra Towers because their studios are too tight. Other places in Shams or Marina Square might be a good fit. Reem Island has great water views and parks/promenades are just a few walks away.

I'd recommend Marina Square more than Shams given that it's a couple blocks closer to the city if you need to walk someplace.

But you need to know that the entirety of Reem Island is largely residential so a lot of people find it isolated (yet safe) at nights, if that's not your vibe, then Raha Beach would be perfect. It's right across Etihad's HQ, a lot of new buildings have been popping up and there are a lot of cafes and restaurants around the place. The taxi to and from Reem daily will burn quite a hole in your pocket, so Raha Beach or even Masdar City would be a better option. 

The ride from Reem to Khalifa City is under 25 minutes, Abu Dhabi is not a city that's very congested so you'll barely find any traffic.

Good Luck


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## UKMS (Jan 9, 2017)

Khanz said:


> Hi guys, I am currently living in London, England and have received an opportunity to work in Abu Dhabi for Etihad Airways and would move in December 2022. I would like get your thoughts on the package offered and get reccomendations on where to live as I’ve never been to Abu Dhabi!
> 
> Package:
> 
> ...


It’s not a bad offer but before anyone can say good/bad it depends what the position is for and what grade ?

Where will you be based ? at HQ. ?
Personally I wouldn’t look in the city I would stick to locations closer to the airport. Lots of new places close to Etihad plaza or around Al Raha and general vicinity you will get a nice place within your allowance. Travel by taxi from the city will eat a fair chunk of money by taxi x 2 each day


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## Khanz (6 mo ago)

iAnirudhG said:


> Hi Khanz,
> 
> That's a great package. You'll be more than fine with that in Abu Dhabi.
> 
> ...


Hi iAnirudhG,

Thanks for your reply! I agree with your suggestion on housing, after doing more research and calculating taxi costs it would definitely not be worth living that far out, at least not until I were to get a car. I still want to be able to save! 

I think somewhere near Khalifa City would be ideal. I was looking at Al Raha area but a furnished studio flat seems to cost a considerable amount around 70k+ AED. Masdar City (Leonardo Residences apartments) definitely looks more affordable, around 45k-50k AED for furnished studio and looks nice as well, so maybe this might be a good shout. I’ll definitely have to set up some viewings when I come to Abu Dhabi. 

Have you gone through the renting process? If so, what are the upfront costs or any other costs you have come across that I should be aware of, just so I can be prepared! 

Thanks again for your help


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## Khanz (6 mo ago)

UKMS said:


> It’s not a bad offer but before anyone can say good/bad it depends what the position is for and what grade ?
> 
> Where will you be based ? at HQ. ?
> Personally I wouldn’t look in the city I would stick to locations closer to the airport. Lots of new places close to Etihad plaza or around Al Raha and general vicinity you will get a nice place within your allowance. Travel by taxi from the city will eat a fair chunk of money by taxi x 2 each day


Hi UKMS,

Thanks for your reply  So the position is for an operations analyst, I’m not entirely sure what the actual grade is, I was just told it’s an analyst grade and I actually had to negotiate to 22k AED which I was told is the higher end of the pay grade I’m in. From the interview it sounded like there was scope for job progression.

I would be based at HQ and I completely agree with your point, I think it would be best to stick closer to HQ so around Khalifa city. Al Raha looks beautiful but also out of my budget  I was looking at Masdar city and this looks more affordable from what I can see. I would ideally like a furnished studio in an apartment with amenities like gym, pool etc. 

Do you have any tips for dealing with property agents? Are prices negotiable? 

Thanks again!


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## UKMS (Jan 9, 2017)

Khanz said:


> Hi UKMS,
> 
> Thanks for your reply  So the position is for an operations analyst, I’m not entirely sure what the actual grade is, I was just told it’s an analyst grade and I actually had to negotiate to 22k AED which I was told is the higher end of the pay grade I’m in. From the interview it sounded like there was scope for job progression.
> 
> ...


Although I live in Dubai I have a fair amount of experience seeking property in this location as my daughter works for Etihad, lives in Raha and I’ve always done the leg work for her when moving. Rental rates are generally negotiable. Looking for a furnished place you really limit your options, it’s obviously personal choice but do consider somewhere unfurnished, far more choice and you can furnish a studio or 1 bed at reasonable cost either buying new or used. Once you arrive you will be in a good position to look around, there are tons of new buildings being built in this area but most will be unfurnished though.
Depending on where you rent you will need to pay a deposit, cheques for however many payments you negotiate, utility deposit and agency commission if you go through an agent. Also don’t overlook your UK tax liabilities as you are moving mid year.


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## Khanz (6 mo ago)

UKMS said:


> Although I live in Dubai I have a fair amount of experience seeking property in this location as my daughter works for Etihad, lives in Raha and I’ve always done the leg work for her when moving. Rental rates are generally negotiable. Looking for a furnished place you really limit your options, it’s obviously personal choice but do consider somewhere unfurnished, far more choice and you can furnish a studio or 1 bed at reasonable cost either buying new or used. Once you arrive you will be in a good position to look around, there are tons of new buildings being built in this area but most will be unfurnished though.
> Depending on where you rent you will need to pay a deposit, cheques for however many payments you negotiate, utility deposit and agency commission if you go through an agent. Also don’t overlook your UK tax liabilities as you are moving mid year.


Ah very nice! Typical dad, always doing the leg work for his daughter haha. If you don’t mind me asking, how is she finding it working for Etihad?

I did notice unfurnished is significantly cheaper, but it’s all the expenses to buy all the necessary things which may be a bit difficult at the moment, but I will definitely look up on how much used appliances are to furnish. Maybe I’ll look into unfurnished later down the line.

I wanted to clarify the cheques actually, from my understanding this is basically the instalments you write up before and they cash in when due? I heard of a few instances where this bounces back. 
Also how would the UK tax affect me abroad? I thought any foreign employment income made while being a non-resident in UK is excluded from tax? If you don’t mind explaining how that works that would be great! Sorry this is all new to me as I’ve never lived abroad  I know there is a lot to do before I leave like informing HMRC, Student Lons etc.!

Thank you!


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## UKMS (Jan 9, 2017)

Khanz said:


> Ah very nice! Typical dad, always doing the leg work for his daughter haha. If you don’t mind me asking, how is she finding it working for Etihad?
> 
> I did notice unfurnished is significantly cheaper, but it’s all the expenses to buy all the necessary things which may be a bit difficult at the moment, but I will definitely look up on how much used appliances are to furnish. Maybe I’ll look into unfurnished later down the line.
> 
> ...


she’s been with Etihad 10 years and very happy, both in UK and AD. 
Typically with the cheques yes that’s how it works but there are some new initiatives to modernise the payment system for rents and this may well change before you arrive.
Tax situation can be complex especially in the first year as you are not automatically tax free the moment you leave the UK. I’ll post some links later.


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## psychopomp1 (Aug 5, 2021)

1. 22k is a decent enough salary for a single person, especially if you're young and don't have tonnes of experience.

2. For working in Khalifa City, i'd seriously consider living on Yas Island as its much closer and fairly cheap (versus living closer to city). Otherwise you'd be spending a small fortune on taxi fares commuting daily

3. If you can get a good deal on a fully/semi-furnished property then go for it. Trust me, buying new furniture is NOT cheap in UAE even from the likes of Ikea.


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## UKMS (Jan 9, 2017)

Here is the residence checker from HMRC Tax on foreign income

You can project forward and check for the 22-23 tax year. So you should be able to count your days and check your own situation. 

Because you are moving fairly late in the tax year you MAY find that you need to pay tax in this year depending on the exact circumstances. As I mentioned above it’s not as simple as being tax free the minute you step on the plane. As always it’s worth getting professional advice on tax.


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## Saqer80 (6 mo ago)

Hello,

May I suggest that you look into Water's Edge its one of the latest projects in Yas Island what I like about this area is the community feel, price wise its around 50K and its a stone throw away from the Etihad HQ some apartments also come with white goods installed so you just literally need to buy a bit of furniture. If you are looking for an other place with a slightly lower budget and a nice community feel Al Reef Downtown is also a good are with studio apartments that start from 35K the community is a bit more mature however just as comfortable .There should be something in Masdar as well around the time you arrive. The good thing about Abu Dhabi is that there are always new real estate projects coming up in most areas so make sure you have a good realtor who are up-to-date and offer you good options.
Always look out for hidden costs when looking for an apartment, you need to factor in the ADDC (water and electric) security deposit which is 1000 AED and chilled water security deposit in most of the apartments off the main island the air-condition bills come separate than your water and electricity. The bill it self is quite minimal however you need to factor in security deposit for it which is around 3000AED. Tawteeq is also a new phrase that you will learn, this is the registration of the tenancy contract with the local authorities this will be done generally from your landlord however different buildings have different rules you might need to register for the tawteeq your self and payment might be up to 750AED.

For furniture facebook groups are quite helpful when buying second and furniture there are plenty of groups selling barley used furniture next to nothing generally these groups go according to the area for example Al Zeina market place.

I hope this information is helpful and best of luck 🍀


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