Sayan Sarkar, an Indian information technology professional, moved to the UAE from Bengaluru, India, with his wife and son in December 2022.
Mr Sarkar, 37, finished a course in electronics engineering from the West Bengal University of Technology in 2008 and worked in India's software sector for 14 years.
However, he initially struggled to find a job and salary in the UAE that was commensurate with his experience and qualifications as he lacked local experience.
Now, he’s employed as IT operations head with a Dubai-based start-up.
Mr Sarkar, who is from the East Indian state of West Bengal, lives with his wife, a doctor, and their two-and-a-half-year-old son in Karama, Dubai.
What was your first job and how much did it pay?
My first job was with software company Infosys. Initially, I was posted in the south Indian city of Mysore and after seven months, I moved to Hyderabad.
My salary was around 19,000 Indian rupees ($228.90) per month back then. I was with Infosys from 2008 to 2011.
2024 UAE technology sector salaries
How did your career and salary progress over the years?
I moved to IBM in Kolkata and earned a salary around 550,000 rupees per year. I worked there from 2011 to 2013.
In 2014, I moved to Cognizant Technology Solutions in Chennai, where I started with a salary of 750,000 rupees a year. By the time I left this job at the end of 2016, I was earning somewhere around 900,000 rupees per year.
I joined IT services provider Birlasoft in Bangalore in 2016. My salary was around 1.2 million rupees per year. I was with this company from 2016 to 2022.
When I quit, my salary was around 1.8 million rupees annually. I left as a senior project manager.
When I was working with Birlasoft, I visited Stuttgart, Germany, for two months to work on a client’s project.
Why did you move to the UAE?
My wife is a doctor. Once she cleared the Dubai Health Authority exams, we decided to move to the UAE.
After we landed here, she received her license and got placed in two months.
Was it a struggle to find a job?
Absolutely. I thought because I had vast experience working for reputed global companies, it would be easy to get a job here.
I also did my MBA in marketing from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management in Bangalore from 2020 to 2022.
However, I found it hard to get a job in the UAE for a few reasons. Firstly, I didn’t have UAE work experience. Secondly, I was on a visit visa and, thirdly, my last job was in the mid-management level.
Employers here were not ready to accept a candidate on a visit visa in a mid-managerial level or as a senior manager.
Companies were mostly offering IT jobs for developers and coders, so my 14 years’ work experience backfired. I was always told that I was overqualified for positions.
How long did it take you to find a job?
In July 2023, I cracked an interview and started working in August. By then, I realised that the visit visa wasn’t conducive for my job prospects, so my wife sponsored my son and me as dependents. It took me around seven months to get a job.
I was finally hired in a senior role as IT operations head with a start-up. However, because I didn't have UAE experience, I had to compromise on my salary. I still work for that company.
How much do you earn now?
There are two components to my salary every month. There is a fixed component and a variable component because I'm directly involved with the company's revenue and growth.
My base salary is Dh5,000, which is fixed, and there is a variable salary that ranges between Dh4,000 and Dh7,000. So, in total, I earn between Dh8,000 and Dh12,000 on average per month.
Do you save?
I was working in India for around 15 years. My major expenditure included taking care of my family, my expenses working outside my home state, getting married, having a child and doing my MBA.
I had savings in the public provident fund, but that's a very minimal amount. I have three life insurance policies.
From 2020 onwards, I started investing in the stock market. I used to buy blue-chip stocks but wasn’t a day trader.
I learnt stock trading on my own. My cousin guided me, too. I also invested in mutual funds whenever I had excess funds.
Which stocks do you buy?
I refrain from buying very volatile stocks. I buy stocks of mostly Indian blue-chip companies and big market players.
I have stocks in Asian Paints, Reliance Industries, Tata Steel and HDFC Bank, to name a few.
Have you purchased property?
We stay in our ancestral home in Kolkata, so I haven’t invested in property.
I don't plan to buy property in the UAE as of now.
Do you have any debt?
I took out a loan when I was doing my engineering [studies], but I cleared it in two years. Currently, I don't have any debt and don’t use a credit card.
I am a bit old school, so I don't believe in the concept of credit. The only reason you will need credit is to cover emergencies. But if your health insurance is covered, I don't feel there's a need for a credit card.
I could have easily taken a credit card as I’ve been working for the past 16 years. As a married person, I have my responsibilities, but I didn't feel the need to take credit.
Have you ever inherited a sum of money?
No. I lost my father when I was 22 and had just started my career.
Were you taught how to handle your finances as a child?
I come from a middle-class family where my parents had excellent skills to make ends meet with a small amount of money and save, too. That's a skill I observed and learnt from.
But I was never formally taught about handling money. When you lose your father at a young age, you automatically learn how to handle your own finances. You don't have the luxury of being a spendthrift.
Because I was working out of my hometown, I had to take care of my expenses and send money to my family. I always felt the necessity of having an emergency fund.
How do you budget your salary?
Since I don't earn a huge amount of money right now, my wife and I combine our salaries. We plan our fixed expenses and make sure this is paid by the first week of every month.
My major expenses include the house rent, utility bills, kid's playschool and remitting money home. Sometimes, we have to pay for our insurance policies, too.
We try to keep our variable expenses on food and travel between Dh3,000 and Dh4,000 per month. We save whatever’s remaining.
Have you started saving for retirement?
I’ve never thought about it. I save money, but never thought of saving for retirement as such.
Life is unpredictable. I didn’t ever think that I would start my life from scratch at the age of 36 when I moved to the UAE. As long as my health permits, I’ll keep working.
I plan to work for a minimum of 13 more years and will make sure to invest my money in growth funds where the return will be somewhere around 10 per cent to 12 per cent, if not more. This will help beat annual inflation.
Do you earn passive income?
The shares I have purchased offer dividends, but they are a bare minimum amount.
Do you have an emergency fund?
Yes, I do. I always have a policy to have six months’ worth of expenses as backup money in a liquid fund.
I have a liquid fund in asset management company Aditya Birla, where I can withdraw the money without any deduction and it pays interest between 4 per cent and 6 per cent.
Apart from that, I have money in my savings account.
I will invest my money in growth funds where the return will be somewhere around 10 per cent to 12 per cent, if not more
Sayan Sarkar,
IT professional
What do you spend your disposable income on?
It's mostly on food, travel and a little bit of shopping.
I also love travelling internationally, so try to segregate a fund for this purpose. I try to travel at least once in six months.
Do you ever worry about money?
No. I'm not an extravagant spender, rather I am a calculated spender.
When I earn say Dh10,000, I manage my expenses within Dh7,000. Or, if I earn Dh6,000, I finish all expenses within Dh4,000.
I plan my expenses accordingly. On top of that, I have my emergency fund to support me.
Money is a by-product of working hard. Even at the age of 33, I did my MBA after having a kid and while working full time.
You don't work for money. You use your skills, put in effort and money will come eventually.
What are your financial goals?
My short-term goal is to have at least Dh100,000 in my savings account by the end of this year.
My long-term goal is not purely financial. My wife and I wish to start our own clinic in about 10 years.
What is your idea of financial freedom?
It is a state when you don't worry about money, which I have already achieved.
Do you want to be featured in My Salary, a weekly column that explores how people around the world manage their earnings? Write to pf@thenationalnews.com to share your story
Quick%20facts
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khodar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%20and%20Alexandria%2C%20in%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ayman%20Hamza%2C%20Yasser%20Eidrous%20and%20Amr%20El%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20agriculture%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Saudi%20Arabia%E2%80%99s%20Revival%20Lab%20and%20others%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Company%20profile
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Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Book%20Details
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
