Job offer in Dubai - enough?

Hi Leva,

Welcome to Dubai. It all depends on how you want to live.
Expenses can pile up quickly while in Dubai, and if you are into frequent dining, clubbing, getting the latest in tech and stuff, travelling back home(because you have to account that), paying for taxis and other stuff, then things will be tight for you. You can still live without sending much in Dubai, but there are also things you would love to try and see here because they are great. So be mindful of what you want. I live in Marina, which is very nice, but for instance a good flat is at least for 80k a year(unfurnished).

Feel free to message me if you want to know more, I'll be happy to support.

Good luck!

Yes, the offer which you got is enough.

Hi Leva

The first priority is that the company has a solid reputation and that you will get your salary on time every time. Sounds like you have a "local" contract. Missing are the accommodation support (you mentioned), annual flights home, medical insurance, moving in expenses and any benefits for your spouses (to be) like medical insurance and visa.

The job market is highly competitive with hundreds and sometimes thousands of applicants for one job. The water, electricity, dining and petrol attract tax. VAT is less than many countries.

On accommodation, rent is normally charged 12 months in advanced and payable immediately or in a series of post-dated cheques. The penalties for dishonoured cheques are severe.... extreme. Hence the need to have a reliable income stream from your employers. Some employers offer an interest free loan.  As LeKruz said consider the cost of furnishing.

Once you work out your income vs expenses then you'll be able to determine if it is for you. On the face of it, it looks ok but I am not sure if ok for the Marina. Your approach of a studio flat is a good thinking.

Good luck and and I wish you both a pleasant time in Dubai!

Hi all, thank you for your comments!

Just to make it clear - our lifestyle is not posh at all, we're calm people and tend not to overspend if we don't feel secure about out finances. No fancy parties needed and I love to cook, so apart from eating lunch at work (maybe) I don't see eating out as a necessity at least until I don't feel like I can allow it to myself.

My office is in Marina, that's why I am targeting the surrounding area for living. The company is 100% reliable and international (I am working with them even now in my other job in another country, so I know I am not accepting some blind offer). They also offered interest-free loan to cover the rental of the accommodation in the begging. Fair point about the inability to break the accommodation contract in Dubai; where I live now the market is full of people looking to rent a place and shortage of flats, so it is easy to pass the contract to someone else with a very minor penalty.

Flights home for me is ~400eur roundtrip (so 1600 AED) as I am used to going home mostly once a year (I have lived abroad for the last 6 years, in 2 different countries - expat life is nothing new to me).

I do not fully understand the furnishing issue - the ads on multiple rental webpages offer  studio flats that are fully furnished and it does not seem bad at all; maybe we have different standards in Europe (meaning lower) when it comes to using used (but clean) furniture, as nobody wants to buy them for yourself when you don't know how fast you may decide to move to another city/country - I have the same approach, but maybe I do not understand something about Dubai in this sense

Thanks again, and any extra comments would be very welcome!

honestly, even you get 50k salary per year. that will enough. but that depends on you. if you want highfy life. more then highfi. then 200000000 aed even not enough