next »

[aworkinprogress]

Hello! I am a looking into academic jobs in the UAE region, specifically Dubai. I am a recent PhD graduate for a top state school in the US and want to know what the base salary range is for an assistant professor in Dubai? Can anyone help me please? I want to know what kind of salary range to expect? What are the typical teaching loads? What are some of the things I should consider when evaluating a package from there?

[tinabodenheimer]

It costs ...lots...to live there. You will need to find out how much rent money they will give you. I was paid 3000 (a month) extra for rent, alone, and lived well. Money and status are important in the Middle East, so you should no that frugal living is almost impossible.

[plordan]

I would agree that cost of living in Dubai is very high. Abu Dhabi may be less, but it is still an urban center and likely to be expensive, too. Al Ain has a branch of the UAE University and HCT (Higher Colleges of Technology), and the cost of living still seems to be less. Most packages include rent or housing provided, health care, round trip tickets for you and dependents to your place of origin annually, 4-8 weeks of leave in the summer months, tuition for children's schooling (private schools are recommended--our children went to a private British School), and a month's salary bonus for every year of the contract you complete--paid upon leaving. A housing/setup allowance is often included, though it is not sufficient, usually. This ends up being deducted in small increments from your paycheck each month. If you have a family, a car is a good idea. If you're single, taxis are inexpensive and abundant. Some universities provide you with a laptop of your own, the cost of which is handled like the housing allowance. Some people buy a furniture/household package from a person or family who is leaving, but in my case, the UAEU was not willing to broker such deals, leaving it to the two parties to deal with each other, lest the departing person rips you off. In our case, we got car, furniture, dishes, carpets, paper clips--from a Canadian family who was returning to North America after 4-5 years. If you are thinking of going for a year or two, you probably won't break even--if you are willing to go for 3-5 years, you'll be able to save some money. If there are two of you working, you can stash away a considerable amount of money. Travelling regionally to Africa, Asia, Europe is somewhat reasonable if you choose to spend your extra income that way.