Why “tax-free” isn’t the full story
Dubai packages vary widely by facility and unit. The safest way to compare is to convert every offer into monthly cash equivalents, then subtract realistic living costs tied to your commute and family plan. This avoids surprises from housing gaps, cooling charges, or underestimated schooling.
The five components of a Gulf package
Base salary — fixed monthly cash.
Allowances — housing, transport, utilities, on-call, relocation. Some are fixed; others are caps (spend more = you pay the difference).
Benefits in kind — flights, medical insurance tier (you and dependants), CME/CPD budget, malpractice insurance.
Variable pay — overtime, productivity/quality bonuses (define trigger and cap).
Hidden frictions — cooling (chiller), parking, move-in NOC, agency fees, school deposits.
Offer math you can trust
BaseHousing allowance(or the part you won’t need to top up)Transport/parking allowanceOn-call/overtime(use last role’s average or 70% of promise as a conservative proxy)–Rent + cooling + utilities + internet–Schooling (net of any allowance)–Commute costs= Realistic monthly remainder
Tip: If housing is “provided,” still price it at a conservative market rent and treat it as in-kind—that’s the real value you’d need to replace if you moved.
Housing reality check (10 minutes that saves thousands)
Pick a commute-reliable area near your unit (e.g., DHCC/Al Jaddaf, Business Bay, Al Barsha).
Shortlist 3 comparable units (same size/condition).
Record: annual rent ÷ 12, cooling policy, parking cost, agency fee %.
Add Ejari fee and moving costs once.
If the allowance < monthly reality by >15%, budget the gap from your cash.
On-call, overtime and roster signals
Confirm: rate per hour, caps, minimum call-outs, and post-call recovery (no clinical duties after nights).
Ask for last year’s average paid hours in your unit—per grade.
If domiciliary/VIP support exists, check whether domiciliary hours are paid at a different rate and whether travel time counts.
Insurance & schooling (family scenarios)
Medical insurance: who’s covered (you/spouse/children), exclusions, and co-pay ceilings; list your current meds to test coverage.
Schooling: allow deposits + assessments; many offers provide a cap per child—price the gap.
If sponsorship falls to you, plan the legalisation → translation path for marriage/birth certificates.
Role-specific notes
Offer-stage due-diligence (copy/paste email)
“Please confirm monthly base, housing/transport amounts or caps, and whether housing is cash or in-kind.”
“Share the on-call/overtime rate, typical paid hours/month for my grade, and post-call policy.”
“Confirm insurance tiers (me/dependants), what is excluded, and schooling allowance per child (if any).”
“State whether malpractice is claims-made or occurrence, and who funds tail on exit.”
“Provide a target start date aligned with licensing/privileging.”
Budget guardrails (signals, not promises)
Single clinician near major hospitals: rent AED 5.5k–9.5k, utilities/internet AED 500–900, transport/parking AED 300–700.
Cooling (chiller): add AED 300–600 if not included.
Agency fee: 2–5% of annual rent (or one week).
Annual flights: price a realistic route (peak season) rather than list price.
Red flags—and calm fixes
“Housing provided” without address or size → request three comparable examples or cash equivalent.
Uncapped on-call with no post-call rest → ask for caps and recovery rules in writing.
Claims-made malpractice with no tail → negotiate employer-funded run-off on exit.
Bonuses with undefined triggers → ask for written metrics (denominator, timeframe, exclusions).
Domiciliary work expected but not named in insurance/privileges → add domiciliary rider and scope before any off-site visit.
Quick comparison template (paste into Notes)
Short FAQs
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