Accountant seeking work in Dubai

Turkish1

Hi guys,

Just looking for some input on a possible move to Dubai and how to go about researching it more. Sick of Ireland and the way the country is run to be honest. The (rough around the edges plan) is to move out to Dubai early in 2015 for 2-3 years. Whether I would move back to Ireland after that or onto somewhere else is open to debate.

Can anyone recommend a website for looking for jobs? I have tried google "jobs in dubai" etc and it throws up the below results but the websites don't seem the most professional and easy to navigate. for example:
http://www.jobsindubai.com/
http://www.dubaijobs.net/
http://www.gulftalent.com/home/dubai-jobs-1.html

Accomodation: I understand that I should be interviewing through skype/phone etc and accomodation will not be necessary until far into the process but is the following the best place to search (even to get to grips with prices etc)
http://www.dubizzle.com/

I am a qualified accountant, with approx 7 years finanical services experience (2years PQE). What sort of wages/holidays/expenses are to be expected?

Thanks in advance for any information/advice that you may have.

EDIT: Additional info, wife is a nurse. Does anyone have any thoughts on how hard it is to work as a nurse in Dubai, I am open to correction but I believe there are no additional exams to be taken in order to work.

Again any info about job site/wages in this field is also greatly appreciated.

Long Gone

To be honest accountancy is the wrong profession to have if you want to get a job in Dubai - Most expat jobs are in construction/engineering/technology. Your best hope would be to get a job in Europe with one of the usual suspects ( KPMG, PWC etc) who would be prepared to give you a posting in Dubai. One snag - You need to have worked for them for a minimum of a year before they can sponsor your UAE work permit application. Chances of getting direct local employment in Dubai as an accountant ? - Extremely slim.

FURET

While accountancy in the UAE tends to be dominated by Indians and Filipinos, there are jobs for westerners in this field -- but they are usually very high-level / senior roles. Your best bet would be to connect with some Dubai-based recruiters on LinkedIn and target accountancy roles in law firms and multinationals. Depending on your circumstances, you should not relocate for less than an all-inclusive package (that is, basic salary, housing allowance, education allowance, annual tickets for you and your wife, transport allowance) of 28,000 AED per month - obviously the higher the better.

Accommodation isn't something to worry about. Ordinarily, you would do your interviews over skype etc., and then when you fly to Dubai, your company will put you up for 2-4 weeks in a hotel to give you time to search for a place. You'll hear a lot of westerners tell you to live in plush areas like the Marina, JLT, or DIFC - but if you do that, you'll pay almost double in rent what you would pay if you opted for a place in Silicon Oasis or Mirdif.

For example, if your housing allowance was 100,000 AED per month and you rented a 1-bedroom apartment in the Marina, the apartment would consume all of that 100k. But if you chose to live somewhere like Silicon Oasis, you could get 2-bedroom apartment for 60-70k and pocket the difference.


Also note that the set up costs in the first year are pretty high. You'll probably need to buy furniture and appliances and a car. So you might not save much in the first year. But after that, it's quite easy to save as long as you know how to control and restrain yourself.

Also, do yourself a favor and stay as far away from "financial advisors" as possible when you're there.

RE nurses, again, tends to be dominated by Asians. There are heaps of hospitals in Dubai, however. Google "Dubai Healthcare City" and "Saudi German Hospital" for examples and possible employment leads.

bbari

I agree with FURET, there are jobs for senior roles. I heard there are going to be a lot of jobs due to Expo 2020.

Try the big ones like michael page, robert half and then a few not so big but good ones mackenzie Jones, charter house, manpower.

Don't rely on websites, call and speak to the consultants and sell yourself in a 30 sec pitch.

if you look at the accommodation in Sharjah, its a lot cheaper than in Dubai. Few ppl I know are living in Sharjah and commute to work everyday.

mrcheez

Turkish1 wrote: »

Hi guys,

Just looking for some input on a possible move to Dubai and how to go about researching it more. Sick of Ireland and the way the country is run to be honest. The (rough around the edges plan) is to move out to Dubai early in 2015 for 2-3 years. Whether I would move back to Ireland after that or onto somewhere else is open to debate.

Have you had an extended visit to Dubai before?

I'd suggest doing that rather than dropping everything and up-rooting. Especially see what it's like during the summer and see if you can handle the heat.

Perhaps do some contracting for people in Ireland while over there (working from home) to get a flavour of the place and see how things operate.

As someone else mentioned already, you'll find most accounting jobs will be taken up by Indians working on smaller salaries than what you are getting here.

irish_goat

Turkish1 wrote: »

Sick of Ireland and the way the country is run to be honest.

And you think UAE is an example of a well run country?

FURET

mrcheez wrote: »

Have you had an extended visit to Dubai before?

I'd suggest doing that rather than dropping everything and up-rooting. Especially see what it's like during the summer and see if you can handle the heat.

Perhaps do some contracting for people in Ireland while over there (working from home) to get a flavour of the place and see how things operate.

As someone else mentioned already, you'll find most accounting jobs will be taken up by Indians working on smaller salaries than what you are getting here.

To be honest, everyone I know here moved cold turkey. It was a risk, but an exciting one! If the OP has kids, he'll need to think a bit harder, but if it's just him and his wife, I don't see a problem with moving over without having visited Dubai first, as long as he's landed a job with a reputable company.

Regarding the weather in Dubai, give me Dubai summers over dreary, dark, wet, grey Irish winters any time. The climate is nice from October to April and as for summer, meh, plenty of air-con here.

mrcheez

FURET wrote: »

To be honest, everyone I know here moved cold turkey. It was a risk, but an exciting one!

Each to his own I guess, but considering his occupation I would say a month's holiday for research would definitely be worth considering.

Sure I know all about the weather having grown up in the middle east from the age of 6, but judging by his post it sounds like he's going to head over in the next 2-3 months and many people have visions of the UAE being like the Costa del Sol

wuffly

Agree with most of what the others have said, coming out on spec and getting a job can be done, i wouldn't recommend it though as if you don't have good prospects you'll burn through any savings you have and they would handy for actual set up costs. Learned that the hard way. I know a lot of accountants here but all in senior roles as others have said it tends to Indian and Filipino's in more Junior Roles. I would try companies like Jumeriah, or other high end brands that have ops here. Now isn't the best time to be looking but that said if companies need senior staff they need them so its still worth looking. The thing about where you live is... you get what you pay for further out areas are cheaper but aren't always finished (shops, roads etc... to be completed) which is fine but you will need a car as public transport is basic, at least in the Marina etc.... you have access to the metro. I've lived in Business bay for 3yrs as i work there and its very central. We are moving to the sticks (Jebel Ali) which is grand as now we know the place and enjoyed the good times as such. Our old place now costs almost double what we paid in 2011.
It might be worth your wife looking for a school nurse type position,(good hols, regular hours, salary might not be great, but you might get benefits like places for your kids or at least a discount, this is great benefit as places are had to get and are very expensive) or looking for an in house safety position could get her nebosh cert online before you come over. A lot of oil and gas companies here have their own in house nurse running parts of their safety operations.
Re 2020 its all hype to increase the rents...!!!

wuffly

www.roberthalf.com
www.michaelpage.com
www.thehumanangle.com

sashafierce

This post has been deleted.

bbari

sashafierce wrote: »

Hi is there a working visa for dubai or how do you go about moving there?

As far as I know you don't know via if you are an Irish passport holder.

FURET

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Working / residence visas are arranged by your employer and your employer only. As an EU citizen you have the right to enter Dubai for 30 days at a time as a tourist, but you cannot work on such a visa.