Part 2 in a series of articles which give advice to airline pilots who are considering a move to work and live in the Middle East.
The first article, in association with Airline Prep, can be found here.
The Tough Selection Process
Whilst it’s true that the Middle Eastern Airlines require many pilots to join them over the coming years, they still demand very high standards, and have often very restrictive experience requirements. You are likely only to be able to join a Middle East based airline if you’ve got a reasonable amount of flying experience already, and this of course means that you are likely to be leaving a relatively established lifestyle.
When it comes to the actual selection, you can expect some of the most challenging selection processes in Aviation. Some are up to 4 days in length, with a pass/fail approach at the end of each day – if you don’t pass something, you can expect to not make it through to the next day of selection. You can also expect many variations of group exercise, competency based interview, simulator assessment and indeed many variations of testing.
The general advice is that you must prepare well and be prepared to arrive in the Middle East having done your research. Here at AirlinePrep we are in a great position to be able to help you prepare, having successfully prepared many clients before for these tough assessment processes. Please feel free to get in contact with us to discuss your options. We also have our product – AirlinePrep “The App”, to assist you. Within The App you can download specific briefs for the airline you are attempting to join, which will target your preparation and make it much easier for you to prepare. Members of the AirlinePrep team have also worked within the Middle East, so we are available should you wish to discuss your options, please just get in contact with us.
Financial Implications
Money is often one of the biggest attractions when it comes to relocating to the Middle East due to the tax free living that you can currently enjoy. However, it’s not so much the tax free element that can make this a financially attractive option for you, more the fact that often, your accommodation is provided. This immediately removes all of the costs associated with living in the UK – mortgage/rent, council tax, bills etc. If you can sell your UK property, or rent it out, then this is when you will really reap the financial benefits of living and working in the Middle East.
If you plan on becoming a non UK resident, then it’s essential you obtain your own professional tax advice. Tax law is complicated and often rules change. For example, you will potentially have to prove you have actually left your home country, and proving this can be harder if you continue to have ties within your home country. It’s essential that correct planning goes into this area, because the repercussions of poor advice regarding your tax position could become quite costly later on.
Returning to your home country earlier than you expected to is often not as easy as you might like because of tax. You may have to remain outside of your home country longer to prove to the tax office that you are actually not a resident of your home country. Failure to prove this could result on you having to pay additional tax.
Having said all that, and providing you do your financial research, you can enjoy a relatively wealthy existence within the Middle East. You can certainly expect to earn more money than you would in an equivalent European position, however your outgoings could be quite variable. Many aspects of the Middle East are fairly expensive, and if you expect to continue to enjoy the imported brands you are used to, then this will come at a premium. You may also face an increased travel bill to your home country, to visit friends and relatives.
Salary scales are likely to be flat, and you are unlikely to receive a Pension fund, however there may well be an alternative in place. You may well have to fund your own retirement, and it’s our recommendation that you solicit a professional financial advisor to help you do this.
Typically, you are often provided with company accommodation, or indeed an allowance to help you rent your own home. This is likely to be great value to you and an apartment or villa with shared leisure facilities is the likely provision. It can be an extremely social existence, with many people who are in the same position as you living close by. This can have benefits for your family while they remain in the Middle East, while you go to work.
Working and Living in the Middle East
Much of your time will be spent working – there’s no doubt that in whichever country you decide to move to, you will be working hard. Scheduling agreements are non existent, and you will be rostered right up to legal limitations, which may be significantly different to what you are used to. You would be forgiven for thinking that you don’t mind working hard, but you must give consideration to the prospect of your airline “back to backing” trips, with little time off between. This might be OK for you, but what about your family who are looking at perhaps a week to 12 days without you while you fly? It’s important again that they are as keen as living in the Middle East as you!
When it comes to time off, there is an abundance of things to do. Many major sporting events are now held in the Middle East, and getting tickets to these is much easier than in Europe. Equally, music acts are common and popular. The Middle East is very social, with lots of ex-pats being in the same position as you – with social events being extremely common. You are likely to enjoy a relatively high standard of living, with regular visits to nice restaurants, shopping malls and night venues being common. For families, the situation is the same with there being so many as you in the same position, meaning you are rarely short of people to meet up with. With the weather being hot the year round, providing you can stand the heat, you will be a regular visitor to the pool!
Sport is common in the Middle East with many families choosing to join sports or beach clubs where they can take their families to relax. This gives the impression of quite a luxurious lifestyle, and offers something to the families who accompany you. The locations normally are extremely well maintained, and modern.
The weather is a huge factor when it comes to living in the Middle East. The weather in Winter is similar to our Northern Europe spring/summer with temperatures reaching the mid twenties. This is a lovely time of year and is very pleasant when you compare it to Winter in Northern Europe! However, the summer is a different situation altogether! Temperatures up to 50°Celsius are not uncommon! This makes even leaving your accommodation a challenge, let alone sitting beside the pool! Whilst it could well be sunny, you may struggle to spend much of your time outside with temperatures like this.
When it comes to driving, you will have to get used to the fact that people drive differently in the Middle East! You will have to learn patience or already possess lots of it, as there are simply so many nationalities on the roads, that consistency is a challenge! Expect the unexpected on the roads and you won’t go far wrong!
The shopping mall is likely to be somewhere you frequent perhaps more regularly than in Europe, with these being locations of choice when it comes to socialising in the day time. All of the brands that you are used to will be available, and when on the inside of these malls you would be forgiven for thinking that you are in Europe, as all the brands are recognisable. Because the retailers have to import their stock, pricing is a little higher than you are used to but not significantly so.
If you have children then finding a suitable school will be high on your list of priorities. Many options are available to you, and most people who send their children to school in the Middle East are happy with the education they are receiving, given that most of the teachers are brought in from abroad and follow education systems that you would be familiar with. Our advice would be to visit schools and speak to parents who have children there to get a good feel of the education system. It is not necessary to find a school prior to your arrival in the Middle East because you do not know where you will be living within these large cities. Finding a school relatively close to your accommodation after you arrived could save a lot of time spent in traffic jams!
Healthcare is variable in the Middle East, with healthcare professionals coming from all over the world. More and more money is being invested in this area, with facilities being generally good. Certainly if you are coming from the UK, you are likely to be leaving behind a very robust, and professional healthcare system and replacing it with one that is generally good, but not always so. Private healthcare schemes are common, and often allow you to take your healthcare provision all around the world. Most practitioners are privately registered and it would be worth checking their credentials before accepting treatment.
In terms of the flying environment, this too is variable. How the Middle Eastern airlines tackle incidents is variable, so always make sure you follow the company SOPs as best you can. The environment on the flight deck could challenge your CRM skills on occasion, and the language barrier could prove an issue at times. However, once you have prepared for this it is easily overcome. Be aware that these airlines are very rule bound, so following company procedure is the easiest way to ensure a long and happy career in the Middle East!
The Law and Religion
When it comes to law and religion, on the face of things you may not notice much difference. However, be aware that Sharia law is in place. How much of it is enforced is the only variable across the Middle Eastern countries. You must always remain respectful of the cultures and beliefs, and if you do that you will not run into trouble. However, expect to be challenged if you choose to go outside of what is deemed acceptable in the Middle East. Kissing in public, revealing your shoulders or knees as a female is likely to attract attention, and be challenged. To save embarrassment, ensure you stay on the correct side of religious law and you will exist in the Middle East easily.
You must be aware that failure to comply with Sharia law is taken seriously, and a “slap on the wrist” is unlikely to be the punishment you will receive. Prison sentences are a possibility, although rare.
Providing you go about your life in a normal, respectful manner you are unlikely to find yourself on the wrong side of the law. Generally, people are friendly and very family orientated. However, something that is not tolerated is when it appears you are trying to disrespect someone or something that they believe in. This is likely to generate trouble for you. Our advice is to remain respectful, even if you disagree and don’t try to change the system.
Generally speaking, it’s straightforward to exist in the Middle East from a law abiding point of view, just be well aware of the differences in the Law and you won’t go wrong.
The Challenge of returning to the UK
What we mean by this is what is your long term plan? Do you plan to spend a few years in the Middle East, and then retire? Or perhaps you want to move on? Should you decide to leave a career position in the UK, you may find this difficult to return to given that you could end up joining the bottom of a long seniority list. Do you want to be an ex-pat forever? You may well find that that financially, you are unable to return as you cannot match your salary again in Europe? What about pension arrangements – are you making provision for this?
All of these questions, and more need to be thought about, along with tax advice. Our advice in this regard is to get professional tax advice, as the law often changes. Make sure you stay on the right side of the law in this regard, as failure to do so could prove very costly.
When it comes to physically moving back, you are likely to have to go through quite an in-depth process – we recommend following this and leaving on ‘good terms’. You never know when you might want to return!
We will leave you with one final piece of advice: those who exist best in the Middle East simply go to work, do their job well, take the money, go home to their families and don’t try to change the system!
