Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

Hi,
I am 29 with about 7 yrs of experience getting an offer from a european bank for 240,000 AED plus bonuses. There is very little info on industrywise salary medians or ranges for dubai...can anybody comment if that is worthwile. I am currently in Singapore working at S$84,000 plus bonus.

What field in particular are you working in? You mention 7 years experience in banking? Which european bank and what position do you currently hold in Sg?

Is the 280k aed base salary - ie housing, transport, cost of living etc on top?

Very vague and open ended question here.

agree with XRW-147...more specifics would be better...anyways on another note...if thats the total you are getting paid including housing...just remember housing in dubai is at least 50%-60% more expensive than singapore...the standard of housing is about the same...grt condos/semi D's is singapore too...but having lived in singapore , rent was always affordable/public transport plenty and food dirt cheap...so factor in buying/renting a car in dubai...food slightly more expensive...rent definately the "killer"...but no taxes...

thanks a lot...ya my info was a bit incomplete as i see.. 240K AED is the base salary, plus there is some allowance 60K that makes it 25K a month al inclusive - thats all inclusive (no transport, housing, etc apart form this), and i have about 3 years of banking / financial services experience...I had moved out to health care, so my current role in SG is not so relevant, but the one I am getting in Dubai is in corporate banking
In Singapore, 7000 a month is very much around the median for my group......ok my concern was more around the salaries. I am also an indian by origin so that might also impact the salary right?

Again I have to ask which Euro bank is this? I'm 'in touch' with the corporate banking sector here and your package doesn't quite add up to what the market offers.

Also have to flag the median corporate banking salaries in Sg - market perception is around the SGD$5k/month mark. Finance managers with professional qualifications and around 10 years experience are commanding around the SGD$7k/month.

I think as Constantine has put it you should not only focus on base salary but rather on your package as a whole. Housing is (a lot) more expensive here and public transport infrastructure is primative compared to Sg.

That said, good luck with the move.

ABN AMRO....so as I gather it should be more right..? but are there any numbers anywhere that tell the salary ranges in dubai. I know its quite a young market that ways, but any idea?

Lucky for you they are our corporate partner. What position are you being offered there and I can find out what their budget for the position is.

Having said that, they're a Dutch bank so don't hold your breath.

...your package doesn't quite add up to what the market offers.

Hi Rathoras/XRW-147,

I'm new to the forum and I'm not sure if I got the functions right but do bear with me if this post comes out funny (am clueless as to what "code, list, BBCode, etc." do).

That statement, does it mean way too much or too little? An annual package of about AED300,000 (all inclusive) sounds plentiful even with the exorbitant rentals, but I really don't know better as I'm not in Dubai... yet.

Would really appreciate your inputs as I'll be working in the Middle East soon as an Investment/Financial Analyst. What I've been told is that I may be posted to Dubai and if I am, my package will be adjusted (for obvious reasons, chiefly the high cost of living there). What worries me is how much of a adjustment I should ask for. I guess this matter falls somewhat within the same realm as Rathoras'. A ball park figure would help alot. If you're wondering, I have about 6 years of investment / wholesale banking experience.

I don't know if this source is credible or otherwise but a job advertisement that I came across on the web for a credit analyst in Dubai, was going for USD6,500 a month. That's almost as much as the AED300,000 all-in package.

Thanks mates!

Let me clarify my statement. I was neither implying whether the offer was too low or too high. A person's salary is somewhat driven by market forces, however, consideration must be given to qualification, experience, personal background, organization size, structure and culture... list goes on.

Its very hard to give sound opinion as to what a person deserves to be paid or whether a particular offer is adequate or 'good'. We all come from different backgrounds and as such have different expectations to what equates to a good offer.

What you really need to ask yourself is whether you are happy with the offer and will that motivate you to do your job at 100%.

Getting back to your question AED300k all up is alright. My comment was more aimed at the breakdown of the offer mentioned. Knowing the market here, and in particular the bank in question, the offer does not resemble what would otherwise be considered as 'the norm'.

hi all,
Just relocated to dubai a week ago and i joined this forum trying to figure if my offer is good or not.
I know i'm in a different field and with different qualifications. BUT, from what i saw, heard, read, and experiencing. 300 K annually is pretty much for a family to live more than decent in dubai.

My opinion is not based on the job nature nor the market salaries, but from my experience this salary would provide a very good 2 bdrm apartment in Green/gardens, or a villa in mirdiff or arabian ranches. Also a very good car sports or an all wheeler and he will be having easily 15 for the rest of the expances. i just mentioned the bulks.

Anyway, this is my humble opinion.

cheers mates.

I'm trying to pay back as ppl helped me when i was trying to decide on my job offer.

Sounds more than pretty good. A long time since we were in Sing but we were paying far more per annum for an apt than the house we have here!! Cars are cheaper, petrol is cheaper and food is cheaper than Sing by far! Do a search on COLA indices and you'll see that Dubai sits well below Sing. Alcohol is on par but on the whole better prices than Sing.

gab
i agree with the car /petrol scenario...but you've gotta be kidding me...singapore is dirt cheap for food...when i was in dubai...i generally found price of food/resturants...at least 15/20% more...as for rent...there is no comparision...i've got to be honest...i was living in a 1700 sq feet beautiful apprtment for about 1500 sing dollars...thats less than 1000 usd/per month...for that you'd probably get a studio apprtment in dubai...and lots of apprtments in singapore come furnished...singapore by far is the most affordable among the major working destinations...so be prepared to pay much more for rent in dubai!!...but no taxes ...wuuhuu!!

Agree with C, food and accomodation (renting) in Sg is much much more affordable than Dubai. If you're talking buying apartments then yes, the prices are on par (excluding HDB flats which are only avail to locals). Cars and petrol different story. Even with all the duty/tax reductions Singapore is still rediculously expensive for cars. You could buy 3 corollas in Dubai for the price of 1 in Sg, and the prices get worse from there.

As for tax, local pay rates in Sg is double what it is here, so after tax affect you're still better off in Sg.

If 300K is more than decent for a family, what's an equivalent for a single person?

Would 200K be asking for too much?

Well things must have changed since 2002-we were paying S$5000, unfurnished, per month for an apartment! (have a house here and works out to DH8000 per month) Rents must have really dropped. Food-eating hawker stall stuff granted, is cheaper but Aussie lamb chops starting at S$20 per kilo compared to DH28 here etc etc. But remember if you are comparing Hawker food you should be looking at a falafel roll, a kebab burger or the like from your local Eat and Drink for a mere DH3 or a massive serve of fried rice or a beef dish say for DH14. If you are talking five star I found places here on par with Mortons of Chicago in Sing and not ended up with anywhere near the equivalent of the S$500 bill for two....nice steak tho'.
The difference between having a family with kids I guess! If you are single or a couple eating out every night isn't a prob. If you are talking grocery shopping this place is cheaper than sing was and home for us too.

i love mortons...best martinis and steak sandwhiches in town!!!!!! do they have one in dubai??

Not as far as I know. There are some good restaurants here though and a huge range of dining experiences. I am quite happy getting a cheese arabic bread from Al Reef Bakery for DH4, then again places like Asha's and the Thai restaurant at Wafi are nice and the hotels seem to have some good buffets and specials which include a meal and all you can drink for what I think is pretty excellent value. Places like the Madinat Jumeirah have a nice atmosphere at night too. Really much better than Singapore in that respect 'cos you can go to a place with a great view or something different.

Hey thanks everyone for your inputs, actually I was more interested in something like a salary surevy. This is an example of something similar for singapore:
http://www.contactsingapore.org.sg/over ... ries.shtml
Any one knows any similar link for Dubai?

I have found this link...that others can use. It has very few entries from Dubai for anyone to make a comparison, like I had 3 others in my category...and is very time consuming (took 20 mins):
http://www.payscale.com/default.asp

Cheers!

I think someone said it before-race or more specifically country of origin is a determining factor in salary. I think you'll be hard pressed to find any salary ranges that will specifically point out that "if you come from blah, blah expect to be paid "X""-politically incorrect. The best advice anybody can really offer is to look at the cost of living, work out what type of lifestyle you expect to maintain or gain and see if it is financially viable. Mercer not only does COLA indices(there is always the McDonald's -yes, the fast food chain!- "index" that gives you a good idea of the COL ) but you can also work out using your current country and salary what would be an equivalent pay in another country-which is somewhat helpful. I think it is so broad and your experience and expertise will be alway a determining factor in salary.