Abu Dhabi… or not

[Cocopops145]

So my OH has been approached about a job in Abu Dhabi. We’ve never really considered moving abroad, although looking into it there are definitely pros as well as cons, and a lot of logistics to sort if things go ahead. We currently have an 8 and a 12 year old who are both keen.
I’m interested in hearing what was the deciding factor in making a move to the UAE, or confirming the decision to stay in the U.K.?
Thanks

Have you searched other MN threads that discuss life there? There was one very recently.

I’ve seen a few thanks. I was more interested in what was the deciding factors rather than advice re schools etc. I’ll have another look at them though thanks.

We're not in the UAE but in the Gulf.

Deciding factors:

No rent - that would have put a big dent in the income and it means we can significantly overpay on our mortgage at home and probably pay it off in half the time.

Extremely low bills - gas electricity and petrol

Excellent exchange rate

Excellent school for our kids (big, big factor)

More family time (work day and school day finish early)

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If it's going to enable you to put away a significant amount of savings or pay off your mortgage, and your kids are going to get an excellent quality of education then I think that is the two most important things.

You also want a plan. How long are you going to be there for? What are your goals? What are the tax implications on returning to the UK?

Don't go if all you're going to be able to do is live the high life while you're there but not bring back a healthy pot of cash for the future.

UAE is much more expensive than where we are and we are lucky to not have to pay for our house.

@Cocopops145 agree with PP that it's all about the package on offer.
It's a very different and potentially much more expensive lifestyle. Huge social divides.
But also can offer great opportunities if the package is right.
Make sure you understand all the UK tax implications too if this is not a long term proposition.

Also, obviously there is regional instability and you need to be okay with that, have an exit plan and a 'go' bag, have an understanding of visa requirements for neighbouring countries if you needed to exit by road etc. I don't mean that to be alarmist, you just don't want to be caught out. Always have a plan.

It's quite hard being from the UK to understand and analyse risk as we basically don't live with any!

@Karmaiscool @gulfgirl Thanks that’s really helpful.
it would be purely to save in order to reduce the mortgage. Possibly for 5-8 years with flexibility. Our children go to great schools now, so ensuring that was at least the same if not better would be important.

it’s very early days in the whole thing, and there’s so much to consider. I’ll make sure we look into the tax liabilities on return. Thanks again.

How old are your children? Have you factored in paying overseas fees for university if you stay that long (you used to have to be resident in uk 3 years before uni from memory so gcse exam year). Look at the cost of flying home for the summer, food/electricity/water/rent, schools and I agree an emergency evacuation plan is necessary. If there are and Sen then I would look at the cost of supporting that.

I personally wouldn’t go because of their pro Trump and Israeli vibe, but I appreciate that’s not key for everyone. If you can pay off your mortgage while you are there it’s tempting, if it’s just a few years shaved off I wouldn’t

Our deciding factor was the package as a whole — having housing and school fees covered made the maths work, as rent and schools are the two biggest costs here. The lifestyle is genuinely family-friendly, but I agree with the others that you need a clear savings goal and an exit plan. Happy to answer questions as you work through it.

I've lived in AD for 4 years. I love being here- so many beautiful places and quality of life is excellent. We earned well and saved exceptionally well too. It's very different in many ways to the UK and many times that's a good thing - exceptionally safe, great infrastructure, very friendly.

We have been living in the region with our 7 year old for the last 2.5 years. Most on the ball Brits return to the UK for the start of GCSEs/Standard Grade so their kids can benefit from home fees if they want to go to university in the UK. I spent a significant proportion of my career working in HE admissions - it is crazy the number of ex pat families who fail to realise that having a UK passport/owning a home/sending their kids to a UK boarding school for sixth form does not automatically mean they are eligible for home fees. I would say in my experience here and in my job before, this is the most overlooked factor. Of course once your kids have had an international education they may decide to continue with that elsewhere where fees are cheaper anyway, but most families want to keep the UK home fees option open.

Aside from that as long as you have a solid contract with a decent housing/schooling/flights/extras allowance which will enable you to live the life you want PLUS save for coming home (if that is your goal) then go for it, taking into account the uni fees thing for your 12 year old and timeline. We have always prioritised life experiences/travel but here we go on A LOT more holidays as a) we have a lot more time [lots more public holidays] b) we have a lot more disposable income and c) we can get to some really cool destinations much more easily than from the UK. My 7 year old has been to 6 new countries this year excluding where we live now and the UK plus has a preferred airline to get us back to the UK, and we are on the lower "end" as we do not take him out of school to travel.

As others have said, it depends on the package being offered. School fees, health insurance and rent are going to be the biggest expenses. I live in Dubai but am single so my circumstances are different but I am definitely financial better off here compared to the UK, appreciate the health care and weather and travel opportunities. Things are unstable in the ME but as @gulfgirlsaid, you need to have an exit plan and bear it in mind.