Working in Dubai, anyone got any experience?

aligator_am

Hi all,

Just thought I'd run this by you and see if anyone has any advice or previous experience. There's a (small) possibility in the near future of me heading off to Dubai for a couple of years on a Telecoms project from what I know of it the money is good and it would be nice to get away from Ireland for a while...

I'm just wondering what you think? is it worth taking the risk and returning to Ireland in a couple of years to find the economy's shat itself? or plug away here in a job that pays crap wages and there's no room (realistically) for promotion?

I'm just worried about making a rash decision and regretting it in a couple of years or worse, a few weeks after starting the contract

Tom Dunne

aligator_am wrote: »

I'm just wondering what you think? is it worth taking the risk and returning to Ireland in a couple of years to find the economy's shat itself? or plug away here in a job that pays crap wages and there's no room (realistically) for promotion?

The answer to your question is in that last sentence. Personally, I would jump at the chance. Getting to live and work in another country is a great experience. Also remember that the whole world is heading into recession (or so it seems), so no matter where you are, things probably won't be as rosy as they have been.

aligator_am wrote: »

I'm just worried about making a rash decision and regretting it in a couple of years or worse, a few weeks after starting the contract

I'd say you will regret more not going. Take a look at your situation now - have you any ties (e.g. partner/kids/mortgage)? If not, then what is holding you back? Think of the experience and how it will look on your CV.

aligator_am

Thanks for that Tom nah, I've no ties here, and from what I've been told about the position it's the kind of thing that travels well, basically building and designing mobile phone networks. The money looks pretty amazing tbh so I'm hoping to get it

I know some of my mates are very wary of the idea, their logic being that Dubai is a Muslim state, but from what I know it's a more relaxed kind. Within reason of course, once you respect their rules and don't go down the street smashed drunk

Well sure we'll see what happens, fingers crossed eh?

inforfun

aligator_am wrote: »

Hi all,
I'm just worried about making a rash decision and regretting it in a couple of years or worse, a few weeks after starting the contract

You will only regret it when you dont go for it.
I am pretty sure it will be a great experience.

Personally, i wouldnt hesitate for a second.
Ok, so it is an Islamic country but it is not exactly the Taliban in charge over there.

testicle

aligator_am wrote: »

I know some of my mates are very wary of the idea, their logic being that Dubai is a Muslim state, but from what I know it's a more relaxed kind. Within reason of course, once you respect their rules and don't go down the street smashed drunk

You need a license to drink at home.

The legal drinking age is 21.

All pubs are part of hotels.

board om

perosnally i think it would be a great experience. getting away from ireland for while, working a good job for good money (persumably tax free). and it will look brilliant on your CV when you get back.

considering you have no ties to ireland i would seriously consider it. if you dont like it you can always come back.

it isnt as strict as people say. the bizarre laws usually apply to women more so than men. rules for women are pretty strict but again nothing too crazy.

you actually have me thinking about it now

helimachoptor

OP i worked with a guy who was there for 3 months and he liked it. He loved the weather and its a great place to meet people and network.

Placebo

TAX FREE WAGEs.

Gone West

Just dont eat any poppy bagels before you fly...

aligator_am

Hey, thanks for all the replies, hopefully i'll find out something more solid soon, it'd be good to travel, and as someone said, it would look pretty decent on the CV :)a

useless

FuzzyLogic wrote: »

Just dont eat any poppy bagels before you fly...

Yea, and you better not have a cold either

MIN2511

Placebo wrote: »

TAX FREE WAGEs.

Yeah tax free wages; they treat foreigners with respect.... My friend was there for a month and she said they are not really strict on foreign women; you are a bloke i guess it would be alright... stay away from the women!!!!!!!!

Raekwon

also make sure that you don't have 0.003g of cannabis on the sole of your shoe

qwertz

That requires a little correction, they treat western foreigners with respect. A lot of the eastern foreigners are treated just a bit better than slaves.

MIN2511 wrote: »

Yeah tax free wages; they treat foreigners with respect.... My friend was there for a month and she said they are not really strict on foreign women; you are a bloke i guess it would be alright... stay away from the women!!!!!!!!

MIN2511

qwertz wrote: »

That requires a little correction, they treat western foreigners with respect. A lot of the eastern foreigners are treated just a bit better than slaves.

Yeah true, a friend's dad from Pakistan was earning $20,000 less than his colleague and this friends dad had more experience

delija_sever029

Dubai and UAE at all lookes strange to me coz wages can be so different and some people can earn hardly to live and other can earn a fortine,i still by all things i saw cant see how someone from west Europe or USA and especially Ireland can have more money there

Serafijn

Dubai is a funny old place. The city itself is so rich, grass verges along the streets, shiny big skyscrapers etc. Then you get past the edge of the development and it's desert, camels and people living in little shacks. They say the people there live in a little Dubai bubble, so if you do go try to remember the rest of the world still exists!!

Interesting place nonetheless, and with their TAX FREE wages it's definitely worth going over for a couple of years! Just be careful what you take and do there, as previous posters have mentioned they are very strict when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

Will the job find/provide you with housing? A lot of the comapnies there will do this.

Also telecoms is a good industry to be in, one that isn't going anywhere despite whatever recessions come along.

Best of luck!

delija_sever029

Yeah,i also know a lot of things about Dubai,but not those which are important for my kind of job haha:D
Does anyone in here acctually works there?

DenMan

Dubai is definitely an option I am looking at. I am returning to full time education in Sept and would be interested in working over there for the summer months. I wonder do companies in Dubai (specifically TV stations) take people on for summer internships. I have mate who lives there and said it would be a great idea. I wonder do they do that?

graveydavey

hey folks

Please can anyone help me with my following income tax queries i have rang reveune and usual bull****, they told me id have to write into them for an answer, I have recently been offered a job in Dubai United Arab emirates with start date 1rst September 08, and I am wondering if you could tell me the following

• If I return to Ireland after 1 year will I be taxed on any income I have earned in Dubai on entering back into Ireland?
• If so can you tell what is the %?
• Is there a time period where if I am out of Ireland I will not be taxed on income earned abroad on returning home

As you imagine this is a huge decision for me moving away from home and I just inquiring on weather it is worth while earning tax free wage in Dubai if I get heavily taxed when I return home. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

AARRRGH

Why would you be taxed when you return home?

qwertz

Ireland has no double taxation agreement with Dubai.

graveydavey

qwertz wrote: »

Ireland has no double taxation agreement with Dubai.

hey qwertz, no double taxation agreement does this mean i can arrive back with all my earnings without been taxed???

graveydavey

dublindude wrote: »

Why would you be taxed when you return home?

hey mate, if u still an irish resident ie uve been living here all your life etc then when u come home ur still considered resident because uve been working here during this tax year...so if u arrive back i think u still have to pay tax around 20% of earnings????

graveydavey

delija_sever029 wrote: »

Dubai and UAE at all lookes strange to me coz wages can be so different and some people can earn hardly to live and other can earn a fortine,i still by all things i saw cant see how someone from west Europe or USA and especially Ireland can have more money there

hey delija, have u worked in dubai??? are u back in ireland now?

delija_sever029

graveydavey wrote: »

hey delija, have u worked in dubai??? are u back in ireland now?

Never worked in Dubai and i am not from Ireland,just have some basic infos about UAE

graveydavey

ok cheers mate,

Nody

What it comes down to is if the Irish revenue considers you to have lived in Ireland for noticable amount of time in a year (recall the limit being 100 days) to be considered for Irish Tax. If you unregister out of the Irish tax system AND don't spend more then 100 days in Ireland 2009 for example you would not be liable for tax here but rather where you made your money.

Now if you don't meet this criteria and is considered to be liable under Irish tax that you pay tax as if you made the money in Ireland. Don't matter that UAT don't have any tax because as far as the Irish tax authorities are concerned you're liable for tax in Ireland for the money.

graveydavey

excellent nody, cheers mate, so as soon as i give in my notice here in work in 2 wks time, ill ring tax office and tell them im jumping ship and that i will not be here for next tax year ie 2009. this means i can then stay in dubai until say jan 2010 return home with a nice few quid??
actually nody do u reckon when i finish work here can i ring revenue and claim all my tax back for the year??? get a nice lumpsum b4 i head off??

stevedublin

Dont eat any rolls with poppy seeds on them before travelling to Dubai
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article3333905.ece
you may not be spending your time in Dubai working, rather doing time!

Nody

graveydavey wrote: »

excellent nody, cheers mate, so as soon as i give in my notice here in work in 2 wks time, ill ring tax office and tell them im jumping ship and that i will not be here for next tax year ie 2009. this means i can then stay in dubai until say jan 2010 return home with a nice few quid??
actually nody do u reckon when i finish work here can i ring revenue and claim all my tax back for the year??? get a nice lumpsum b4 i head off??

Going on the top of my head the answer would be no on getting all the tax back. I recall the limit being six months (i.e. you have to have been in Ireland less then six months in a year to recover it all), you should be getting back your remaining tax credits though (i.e. the tax credits saved for October to December will be counted to the tax already paid, if your tax paid exceeds these tax credits you get it back). Could be wrong on that one though as I never spent a whole lot of time investigating it back in the days.

You can't call the tax authorites to unregister instead you need to fill in a P50 and send in your final P45 slip. There is a tick box there for not working in Ireland this year or similar to get the tax back.

graveydavey

cheers nody, appreciate the advice, thanks for help