What are labor rates for Middle East? 3

[cry22]

Hello Middle East expats

We hear of the Middle East El Dorado, what are the labor rates one can command for professionals? I see offers of job postings of 130,000 British pounds per year for senior staff (before the fall of the pound)

Can anyone give an indication of Middle east salaries in UAE and Qatar?

Drafter
Junior/Mid-level MEP Engineer (5 to 12 years experience)
Senior Level Engineer (15 to 20 plus years experience).

Thank you

 

[cry22]

Really, nobody knows these rates?
Is this asking too much?
Any help from you guys already in the middle east?

 

[msquared48]

Sorry, but Blackwater has classified all that information.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[GregLocock]

That's right, there's no way that even google can help you on this one. Absolutely all searches on keywords such as UAE engineery salary are redirected to the FBI and then they come and get you with black helicopters. Again. Same as last week.



Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[GregLocock]

read this if you dare

http://www.interec.net/salary/servl...y&horizontal-axis=Degree&specialization=Civil

Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[cry22]

Thanks Greg,
Hey, I checked the rent down there and when I compare it to the numbers from the link you posted, one can barely pay rent down there with a month's salary.

Some things must be classified down there.

Cheers.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Greg,

Interesting numbers there... it seems every EE working in the area only has a BS, whereas the vast majority (92%+) of software guys have an MS.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[GregLocock]

Thereby proving the real life worth of an MS.

Tomorrows lesson is a comparison beteween PE's pay in California vs exempt engineers.






Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Nope... all it proves is that the BSEE's and the MSECE's were bored... ;-)

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[msquared48]

Here's a link that has some interesting information on the labor rates in Dubai.

http://www.alternet.org/audits/1368...le_east's_shangrai_la_became_a_hell_on_earth/

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[kelowna]

Frightening article, thanks for sharing it Mike

 

[cry22]

Hello Mike.
I read a good portion of the article and frankly it is deceiving.
Here is a story of a Canadian couple who goes to Dubai, starts partying with all the money they made, get into debt, cannot declare personnal bamkrupcy, so decide to cash in the pay-off from leaving the job and take-off while leaving the creditors holding the bag.
Looks like the locals were not as fool as one might think.
Criticizing the local "laws of the land" is plain ridiculous.

When one goes to Dubai or any place out there, there is only one goal: MONEY. It is not about getting in debt, investments, etc.. make money and get out, period.

What happened to everyone sucked in by Dubai extravagance is nothing mnore than what happened to the people buying $600,000 homes here in the US with interest only loans and no down payment when they could not afford more that $200,000 home. Result, sub-prime troubles, foreclosures, etc.

Sheikh Mohammed is no different than lehmann Brothers, Bear Stearns, Enron, or AIG.
At least, we don't have to bail out any one in Dubai. Here, we got hosed by the banks (401K plans losing 50%) and we still bailing out the same vultures.

I cannot believe that people move and buy homes in Dubai for "lifestyle" as the article says.
What lifestyle? lifestyle in the desert? with 85 wet bulb temperature?

Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Zayed had one big vision which is to exploit the human GREED, and they succeeded. Who do you think owns all the villas on the Palm islands? Dubai Marina, etc? Brtish nationals of course.

Kelowna: Don't believe everything you read. No, I am not frightenned at all by the article, the article is plain ridiculous.

I cannot think of one US large corporation that is not in the UAE. Reason, one heck of a business climate, or else they wouldn't be there.

 

[kelowna]

I do not believe everything I read cry 22, but as it happens I have a very good friend that worked for a while in Abu Dhabi and he talked about the same issues in the article. Virtual slavery of foreign workers and unreported deads on construction sites included.

 

[cry22]

Slavery is no news. Child labor in China, Bangladesh, India, all over, not just in UAE.

My point was about the article itself. It relates a story about the GREED of a Canadian couple, when these people lose, they bring blame on others or the system and all that is bad about the country to make a point.
In the story, this couple tried to cash in and skip out of the country without paying their debts.

No one is supposed to be ignorant of the law of the land, no matter which land we are in.

Greedy People who live the high life and then complain do not have my sympathy.
You live by the sword, you shall die by the sword.

 

[kelowna]

Then we have the same opinion. The part about the Canadian couple left you cold. You are right on all you said. They caused their own problems.

Still, the issues on the article about the foreign lavour force, the environment and the non existent real foundation for the construction boom there continue to frighten me

 

[TPL]

I spent many happy years living and working in the UAE, latterly in Dubai.

I don't believe your figure of GBP130k/year for senior staff in any engineering position - you don't say where you are from but, all drafting functions wil likely be carried out by staff from Asian countries (principally India, Pakistan and the Phillipines) simply because they produce good quality work at a much lower salary than that expected by Western ex-pats.

I would suggest that a reasonable salary expectation would be that which you earn in your home country but without the tax burden.

All salaries are paid in UAE Dirhams (Dh) which is pegged to the US dollar, so you are effectively paid in US$ and your final remuneration is subject to currency fluctuations.

Most Middle East companies pay an end of service award - it varies around the Gulf countries but, in general it averages out at around one months salary for each complete year worked.

My Canadian neighbours maxxed out their local credit cards and bank loans before leaving. To stop this happening again, all employees who subesequently left had to produce a letter from their bank stating that they had no debts before the company would pay your end of service award - then the bank knew that you were leaving and would cancel your credit cards and not advance loans.

You have to remember that Dubai is a foreign country and it is different from wherever you call home.
My time in Dubai was fantastic - my kids grew up there and we were always on the beach or camping out in the desert or mountains (particularly in neighbouring Oman which is a very special place). Its an easy place to live if you are earning a reasonable salary, just remember it is not home.

Having said all that, I keep in touch with a few friends who are still there and I wouldn't go there now - it has become a very expensive place to live, very overcrowded (truly horrendous traffic congestion) and it just isn't as much fun as it was a few years ago

 

[cry22]

Thanks TPL for your insight

 

[msquared48]

Always good to have intellectual discussions here. Keep 'em coming. No worries.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

In the story, this couple tried to cash in and skip out of the country without paying their debts.

He knew he was guaranteed a pay-off when he resigned, so we said -- right, let's take the pay-off, clear the debt, and go."