r2i forum

I am planning a relo to dubai, I was wondering if anybody has any vignettes to share on the IT jobs scenario and the living conditions in dubai. My wife's got abt 7 yrs of exp in the US with IBM working up the chain to a band 8 (project lead role). Wonder what the packages r like, her exp is in non-msft technologies including java, perl, php, linux among others.

bump! jus keepin it in view

Great place to live (you will feel like you are in India with good infrastructure, no corruption, no standing in line etc (similar to future India, what we are all dreaming of)) but working there might be a lot different. I generally heard that local people will get higher priority while promotion comes up from different industry but not sure about IT.

Dubai is a place where discrimination is legal and racism based on nationality etc. is rampant. Indians are treated like dirt at the workplaces. They get paid about half or less than what the europeans get paid. So it would be wise to try it out for a short term and keep your options open in case you cant digest such an environment. Also housing is terribly expensive and traffic is a nightmare if you live in Sharjah (due to cheaper rents) and work in Dubai. Hope this helps.

dubai is a good pay master in comparison to other middle east places but the cost of living is high their ..so u lose all that extra stuff to ..

Why dont u try Muscat. the scene is good here ..less traffic congestion , no Taxes, good housing . plenty of schooling options.. nice place.. and u will see more indians here than arabs.. at work place.. its home away from home..

My hubby is in IT is doing well and happy.. we are considering india for differnet reasons.. so on this forum...

How do you find jobs in ME sitting in US? I know the easier route is thru ToI Mumbai edition and by camping in the city as there are many recruiting companies there.

One advantage is closer to India and avoid the infra issues of the Mother country. Regarding treatment of Indians - if you are a professional and work for MNC or bank, you should be fine. I have many friends in executive position and they refused offers to move to US. They visit Kenya and S Africa for wildlife safari and bungee jumping in NZ. They said life in US is not worth leaving all this.

You can try for middle east jobs at www.naukrigulf.com www.monstergulf.com just search for such similar sites in google u will find them helpful.

You have a good quality of life here , lot of time for Family closer to India.. and the zero Tax are the greatest attraction..

asman,
my sister is in Dubai although not in IT. She says payscale for the exact same job will depend on your passport. So even if you are a desi with US passport then you will get European/American wagescale.
See this website
http://www.jobsindubai.com/

for how to go about getting a job in dubai (it has salary and some kinda cost of living)
http://www.grapeshisha.com/jobs-in-Dubai.html

How are opportunities in systems software development?

Also how would the job interview process be like? In US, the companies pay for domestic travel within US for a full-day interview. How long are interviews in UAE/ME for IT jobs? Do I have to fly all the way from US to ME for face-to-face interviews? Can phone/Skype interviews work? Or do I have to camp for a few weeks in Dubai to appear for interviews?