{"id":15006,"date":"2018-03-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/identifi-global.eu.applyflow.com\/go-east-here-s-what-it-s-like-to-relocate-to-the-gulf-as-an-it-professional-hint-you-ll-want-to-go-too\/"},"modified":"2022-12-09T06:14:33","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T06:14:33","slug":"go-east-here-s-what-it-s-like-to-relocate-to-the-gulf-as-an-it-professional-hint-you-ll-want-to-go-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/go-east-here-s-what-it-s-like-to-relocate-to-the-gulf-as-an-it-professional-hint-you-ll-want-to-go-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Go East? Here\u2019s what it\u2019s like to relocate to the Gulf as an IT professional (Hint: you\u2019ll want to go too)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\"\"<\/p>\n

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\n\tThrough all the international recruitment we do at identifi Global, one region continues to present the most opportunities for tech professionals: the Middle East.<\/div>\n
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\n\tWith abundant job vacancies and high salaries, the region has become incredibly cosmopolitan<\/a>, drawing in millions of foreign workers. The UAE, for example, is home to over 200 nationalities<\/a> and Emiratis only constitute roughly 10% of the total population. English is widely spoken.<\/div>\n
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\n\tWhat\u2019s life in the Middle East really like for IT professionals, and how should they prepare for the move there?<\/div>\n
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\n\tWe\u2019ve successfully placed several candidates in the region, and spoke to them to get their on-the-ground perspective.<\/div>\n
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\n\tMaking the move<\/h2>\n
\n\tTax arrangements are a key factor in making the decision to work overseas, and will play an important role in determining whether you take a permanent or contract position there.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tContracting \u2013 and flying back to the UK regularly \u2013 is a viable and popular option, and means you\u2019ll still be a tax resident in the UK. It\u2019s especially popular with those not ready to make a permanent move. Many expats keep their families at home so as not to disrupt their lives.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tMeanwhile, a permanent contract will sidestep the tax residency question. Income tax isn\u2019t paid in Gulf Coast countries, so moving there permanently means no income taxes at all. Combined with the already high salaries for IT contractors<\/a> \u2013 topping out at $190k or more for senior networking roles \u2013 this tax break can mean a windfall for in-demand professionals.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tWhat you\u2019ll save in taxes you\u2019ll gain in complexity, however, when it comes to resettling your family in a new country. Legally, there are few obstacles to moving families to the region. In the UAE, for example, this is dependent on a health check and a minimum monthly salary of \u00a3793. If you\u2019ve found your role through a recruiter then they should help you with the administrative burden.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tDaily life<\/h2>\n
\n\tLiving in the Gulf throws up differences you\u2019ll notice straight away. As in most Islamic countries, the weekend falls on a Friday and Saturday. Sunday is a normal working and school day.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tSchooling is an important \u2013 and expensive \u2013 consideration for expat parents. \u201cYou have no choice but private school if you want instruction in English,\u201d explains one of our candidates. The situation is similar to private schooling in the UK: costs vary and some schools are better than others. Many employers will contribute to school fees, and there are an excellent assortment of international schools throughout the region.<\/div>\n
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\n\t“Some employers will provide housing, or help towards rental costs.”<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tHigh living costs are a common theme across the Middle East. Housing is expensive. \u201cIn Bahrain, accommodation will require a minimum one-year lease. This often includes the whole lease paid up-front\u201d says one contractor we placed. \u201cRents are high, too: Usually in the region of \u00a32000 per month\u201d. Some employers will provide housing, or help towards rental costs. Be sure to read the fine print in your contract to avoid expensive surprises.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tYou will need to exchange your driver\u2019s license. There\u2019s a brief grace period where you can use your British license, but it\u2019s worth applying immediately for your new one. Bureaucracy in many Middle Eastern countries can be inefficient.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tOperating a car is very cheap compared to the UK. Petrol costs around 40p per litre and no road taxes are collected. \u201cSupermarket prices are similar to the UK, but the aisles will be stocked with more exotic fresh foods,\u201d according to one expat. \u201cBritish and Western products are easy to find, but you\u2019ll pay a premium for them \u2013 often twice the price.\u201d<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tCulture shock and how to handle it<\/h2>\n
\n\tMiddle Eastern countries aren\u2019t secular. Islam is the state religion throughout the region, and while there\u2019s plenty of diversity, the tolerance of non-Islamic worship and cultural values varies by country. Don\u2019t let this discourage you, however. Even in Saudi Arabia, which practices an austere form of Sunni Islam, the expatriate community is respected and tolerated. Western behaviours are simply confined to the compounds where foreigners live.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tOther countries \u2013 like the UAE and Bahrain \u2013 are more liberal than Saudi. They\u2019re still far from secular by Western standards, but more allowances are made for non-Muslims. You\u2019ll be able to find haram (or forbidden) products like alcohol and pork, and \u201cprivate beaches allow you to escape from the conservative dress code of public beaches\u201d. Allowances are baked into daily life to make things easier for you, and after a while, new cultural practices will become second nature to you.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n

\n\tGo East<\/h2>\n
\n\tIf you\u2019re wondering if you could manage the move to the Middle East, the answer is simple: you could. There\u2019s a reason so many foreigners call the region home.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tRelocation will involve difficulties and difference, but these are not impossible to overcome and, depending on your outlook, are part of the experience.<\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tGoing East involves a leap into new cultural norms, ways of working and living, but don\u2019t be surprised if you end up loving your new life there. With an average 40 days of annual leave, high salaries, and tight knit expat communities, it could be just the change you\u2019re looking for.<\/div>\n
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\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tTo find out how we could make your Middle Eastern ambitions a reality, contact identifi today.<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Through all the international recruitment we do at identifi Global, one region continues to present the most opportunities for tech professionals: the Middle East.   With abundant job vacancies and high salaries, the region has become incredibly cosmopolitan, drawing in millions of foreign workers. The UAE, for example, is home to over 200 nationalities… Read More »Go East? Here\u2019s what it\u2019s like to relocate to the Gulf as an IT professional (Hint: you\u2019ll want to go too)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/14210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}