Attracted by a tax-free salary and year-round sun, thousands of teachers are choosing the UAE as their second home.
Beyond the financial benefits, the country offers an opportunity for educators to broaden their horizons through cultural exchange and travel.
Speaking to The National, teachers from various countries spoke about their reasons for making the move to the Emirates and the impact it has had on their finances.
Hazra Shaikh, 37, moved from India get on the property ladder
For Hazra Shaikh, 37, an Indian teacher and head of primary at The Indian Academy in Dubai, moving to the Emirates in 2016 meant she was able accomplish her dream of buying a property in Mumbai.
“I lived in India for 30 years but was never able to purchase a house on my own,” said Ms Shaikh.
“I moved here and within seven years, I've already bought my house."
Ms Shaikh takes home a salary of between Dh8,000 to Dh9,000 per month inclusive of accommodation, whereas she would have earned between Dh2,300 and Dh2,500 per month in India.
“I saw the lifestyle, which was much better than what we get in our country and I took the decision to bring my family here,” she said.
In Mumbai, rent for a two-bedroom house ranges between Dh14,400 to Dh28,800 annually.
Ms Shaikh now pays between Dh25,000-Dh45,000 every year for a two-bedroom house in Sharjah.
“To live in a two-bedroom apartment of my own here is much more convenient with the current salary than in my home country,” she said.
The teacher said she has a disposable income of about Dh2,000 per month in the UAE but would have about Dh500 in India.
A teacher in the UAE typically receives free education for one child, a 50 per cent discount on tuition fees for a second child, medical insurance and some schools also offer accommodation allowances.
Most schools in India do not offer such benefits.
Thomas Blakemore moved from the UK for the weather, and independence
"While pay and benefits were in the back of my mind, I wanted to move to Dubai to use it as a hub to travel around the world," said Thomas Blakemore, a primary school teacher at Kent College Dubai, who creates content online to support teachers interested in moving to the UAE.
“Having a tax-free wage and accommodation offered a good opportunity to gain independence.
"I would have struggled based on my teacher salary in the UK to pay a mortgage.”
Mr Blakemore worked as a teacher in the UK for two years before he moved to the UAE.
He said many people were surprised when they found out that teaching jobs in the UK paid more overall but when one added the accommodation and the tax-free element, Dubai made more financial sense.
In the UK, Mr Blakemore would have earned Dh175,586 annually with seven year’s experience, before tax, but in the UAE he earns between Dh168,000-Dh180,000.
He said a new teacher could expect to earn between Dh9,000-Dh10,000 per month.
In the UK, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in a city centre outside of London can range from Dh3000 to Dh5000 per month. This is not provided by employers.
In Dubai, a one-bedroom apartment in a prime area can be secured for about Dh6,000 to Dh7,000 per month but, as a teacher in Dubai, accommodation is usually provided.
On average, groceries for one person can cost about Dh1,000 per month in the UK, while in the Emirates the bill can go up to Dh1,200 monthly.
A monthly bus or train pass in a city can cost about Dh350 to Dh500 in the UK; fuel is cheaper in the UAE, at about Dh400 per month.
In the UK, the average cost of bills such as electricity, gas, internet and council tax can range from Dh2,000 per month depending on consumption. Overall, bills in Dubai can exceed Dh1200 per month.
Rhonda Kotb, 45, moved from the US to be closer to family
Rhonda Kotb, 45, an elementary school teacher at Dubai American Academy, moved to the Emirates in 2015 to be with family and friends after her brother and best friends relocated to the country.
“To me, it’s really about the family. When I moved, it seemed like everybody close to me was here,” said Ms Kotb.
In the US, she used to have her taxes refunded after filing, as she was not in an income bracket required to pay taxes.
Ms Kotb earns between Dh15,000 to Dh20,000 a month and said her salary had increased by 35 per cent in eight years.
"My salary would have increased way faster and more if I had stayed in the US," she said.
She said she would have had options to teach extra courses and supplement her income in the US, which she did not have in the UAE.
Typical salaries at Dubai's American schools vary depending on experience.
Teachers with five to seven years’ experience earn between Dh11,000 – Dh15,000.
Ten to 18 years’ experience earns Dh15,000-Dh20,000.
Salaries get capped after 15 to 18 years and only increase for inflation.
Rana Ellaban moved from Egypt for family and lifestyle
Rana Ellaban, 35, a teacher from Egypt and mother of two, moved to the UAE in 2017 to be with her husband who had found work here.
The Arabic teacher from Alexandria got a job at The Indian Academy.
She earns about Dh4,000 to Dh5,000 per month while the same job only earned her Dh250 monthly in Egypt.
The teacher pays about Dh27,000 in rent per year for a two-bedroom house in Sharjah, while rent in Egypt for a property of similar size would range between Dh14,000 and Dh30,000 annually, depending on the area. Her house in Egypt was already paid off however.
“Life in Egypt is very hard and everything is expensive,” said Ms Ellaban.
"My salary was much lower in Egypt. I only earned Dh150 but I was getting the experience and working for fun."
She said moving to the UAE meant she quickly had to learn English, in order to converse with and teach non-Arabic speakers, which proved a challenge.
“I came here not for the money. I came here because my husband was here and got a good opportunity here," said Ms Ellaban.
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
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The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
The%20specs
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
THE%20SPECS
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More on Quran memorisation:
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
