Working in the Middle East

I've been offered an opportunity to do some event work in the Middle East and I've been asked what my salary expectations are. I'm a bit stumped by this as I don't have a clue what salaries are like out there, the job is in Bahrain.

If anyone with any experience out there could give me a hint as to what is about right then I would be very grateful. At the moment this is very much exploratory so I don't know if the job is contract or permanent which obviously would make a difference but any help with getting into the ball park would be appreciated.

Sorry about the vagueness but this is as much as I know at the moment, I don't even know what type of events I'd be shooting although my next step is to ask just that question but for the moment I thought I'd see how I'd get on here first.

The middle east? I'd be asking them how much are they willing to pay? And it better be starting well into the 6 digit area. Will you have the U.S. Marines with you too?

Jon.

Jurek,
How were you approched to do this? Was it an unsolicited email perhaps? How did they get your info?
Are they offering to pay you double up front and then send half the money back to them through an uncle that lives near you? Sorry but this seams fishy without more details/info.
Jeff

It was actually an ad I stumbled across on a jobsite whilst looking for something else so I would say it's vaguely legitimate but I'm definitely proceeding with caution. I aren't pinning too many hopes on it but if I can get a few months in the sun not having to pay taxes then it's probably worth a look.

I'm just waiting to hear back from them with the answers to a few questions before I go any further but it would be useful to have an idea what photographers are charging out there and even if event photography means the same as it does over here.

Jurek,
Its worth checking out I would say.What are the rules in the UK regarding taxs on $ made abroad?
My ex-works in Quatar and I thought I heard her say one time that she had to be out of the country for at least a year before that applied.This is in the US so I dont know. Just curious about UK.
She can come home for a visit but can only stay so long I think. We dont talk to much any more as the kids are grown now. Being there cost her another marraige however so it would be tough on a married life if you are married?
Her husband is an EMT and flys around the world working on oil rigs so that probabley didnt help either I suppose.
Good luck to you and let us know how it all turns out. I would'nt know where to begin on the pricing thing there exsepecialy not knowing the type of events covered and what product they would be looking for.

Jon Foster wrote in post #8747608
The middle east? I'd be asking them how much are they willing to pay? And it better be starting well into the 6 digit area. Will you have the U.S. Marines with you too?

Jon.

To the OP:
Chances are you'll find the people in the Middle East to be extremely friendly and hospitable. I beg you to keep an open mind and not let any of the prejudices the world seems to have against the Middle East affect your perception of the countries or the people.

I have many friends and mentors who have traveled through the Middle East and they have compiled this list of the top things you should worry about:
1) Being woken up early by the first call to prayer.
2) Not being able to sleep at night because of all the coffee and tea you will be given by the people.

Bahrain, especially, is quickly growing into a hot tourist destination and is even described, as some, as the best introductory country you can visit in the Persian Gulf because of its modernity, liberalism, and authentic Arab heritage.

So PLEASE, whatever you do, don't think you'll be blown up, shot, etc. Keep an open mind and embrace the culture!

The salary would depend a lot on where in the ME you will be within. The higher the risk, the higher the compensation.

Personally, I would shoot for the moon with an offer and see what happens. They might not even bat an eyebrow and say "oh, okay". Then you will kick yourself for not aiming higher!

While living in an Islamic country can be daunting at first, common sense and a willingness to adhere to local custom can lead to surprising benefits. Unless you have a scholarly bent, don't get overly wrapped up in trying to understand the religion, which reflects three divisions: the Koran, Hadith and local tradition. All of which can contain contradictions and calling attention to those contradictions would prove fruitless. Kind of like any outsider trying to get a handle on any religion they haven't grown up in.

Unless you already belong to one of the sects of Islam, in which case anything I say should be ignored.

I've certainly got no worries about living out there and think I would quite enjoy it. I think the tax situation is much the same as in the US but again I have no problem with making a long term commitment, neither has my partner who has an English language teaching qualification so no problems about relocating anywhere really.

As far as payment goes I think shooting for the moon is probably the way to go, I've sent an email requesting more details about the job so I can have a better idea what to ask for and if they don't give me that information I will simply give them a silly quote and tell them it is open to negotiation once I know more about the job.

If there are any further developments then I'll let you all know although interestingly the ad was posted on the 15th of September so I thought the application process may have closed by now but they got back to me almost immediately so I'm hopeful there may be something worth pursueing here.

JurekB wrote in post #8746674
I've been offered an opportunity to do some event work in the Middle East and I've been asked what my salary expectations are. I'm a bit stumped by this as I don't have a clue what salaries are like out there, the job is in Bahrain.

If anyone with any experience out there could give me a hint as to what is about right then I would be very grateful. At the moment this is very much exploratory so I don't know if the job is contract or permanent which obviously would make a difference but any help with getting into the ball park would be appreciated.

Sorry about the vagueness but this is as much as I know at the moment, I don't even know what type of events I'd be shooting although my next step is to ask just that question but for the moment I thought I'd see how I'd get on here first.

who may i ask is offering? im 20 and thats exactly what i want to do.. sam.

am a lurker on POTN and this is my 1st post, I live in Saudi Arabia but I go to Bahrain every week (30 min drive) because my wife study and live there. salaries in Bahrain are low, but I know that the nationality of the worker make a difference in the amount.
I just searched in some Bahraini forums, they say the average salary for most jobs is BD300/month = $795
Engineers & MD doctors salary is around BD600-800/month = $1591-2122
and they say the people from USA/UK/… are paid 3 times more than the Bahrainis.
Renting an apartment with 1 bedroom 1 bathroom a small kitchen and a living room is around BD200/month = $530
I will be glad to answer any question you have

JurekB wrote in post #8758159
I've certainly got no worries about living out there and think I would quite enjoy it.

Thank you very much for saying this. The world appreciates it!

And to kasparov_ksa, I'd also be interested in hearing anything you'd have to say about the area. I'm a curious citizen of the world.

JurekB wrote in post #8758159
I've certainly got no worries about living out there and think I would quite enjoy it. I think the tax situation is much the same as in the US but again I have no problem with making a long term commitment, neither has my partner who has an English language teaching qualification so no problems about relocating anywhere really.

As far as payment goes I think shooting for the moon is probably the way to go, I've sent an email requesting more details about the job so I can have a better idea what to ask for and if they don't give me that information I will simply give them a silly quote and tell them it is open to negotiation once I know more about the job.

If there are any further developments then I'll let you all know although interestingly the ad was posted on the 15th of September so I thought the application process may have closed by now but they got back to me almost immediately so I'm hopeful there may be something worth pursueing here.

My recommendation would be to contact a relevant union...what's the job doing? If it's press or PR then I would suggest talking to someone at the NUJ or BAJ to try and determine an appropriate salary package. Bahrain is actually a safe country (unlike the preconceived idea that Middle East = Basra) and I would imagine you'd be very welcome.

Feel free to PM me and we can discuss this, it's not easy being asked to name a price for 6 months of your life...

James.

madhatter04 wrote in post #8760297
Thank you very much for saying this. The world appreciates it!

And to kasparov_ksa, I'd also be interested in hearing anything you'd have to say about the area. I'm a curious citizen of the world.

I dont really know what to say,
Its a safe place, living isnt expensive, no tax, the weather is HOT it can reach 50 degrees C in the summer, these days its around 35 degrees C, in the winter its like 13-20 degrees C but it can go down to 5 degrees at night…
Night life in Bahrain mmm there are no good clubs but there are a lot of nice bars.
I dont know what else to say, so just ask :P

Thanks for the advice everyone it was very useful especially kasparov_ksa so should I find myself in Bahrain I will buy you either a beer or orange juice depending on your preference. Unfortunately it's not looking too likely that it will happen as they are not responding to my emails which is really annoying me, whatever happened to common courtesy?