{"id":94964,"date":"2025-08-26T22:29:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T22:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/94964\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T22:29:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T22:29:07","slug":"my-dubai-salary-i-earn-up-to-dh30000-and-aim-to-retire-by-40","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/94964\/","title":{"rendered":"My Dubai Salary: ‘I earn up to Dh30,000 and aim to retire by 40’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jayesh Jain, an Indian expat in Dubai, is only 33 but already owns two properties<\/a> in Dubai and as many in his home country. With the aim of retiring aged 40, he hopes the investments he has made will yield good returns and grow to become his main source of funds.<\/p>\n

A savvy investor, Mr Jain also buys stocks in the UAE<\/a>, as well as gold coins.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Mumbai, he has been living in the UAE for the past eight years and lives in Dubai\u2019s Al Barsha<\/a> neighbourhood with his wife, who is an HR and admin specialist.<\/p>\n

Mr Jain completed his bachelor\u2019s degree in mass media from Mumbai University and an MBA in marketing from the Himachal Pradesh University in his homeland.<\/p>\n

What was your first job and salary?<\/p>\n

I started off as an intern<\/a> for two months with The Brand Saloon, a digital marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) agency in Mumbai. Later, I found a full-time job there for a monthly salary of 12,000 Indian rupees ($138) and worked there for two years. I then moved to iProspect, another digital marketing agency in Mumbai, as an SEO manager.<\/p>\n

I then got an opportunity to work in Taiwan<\/a> for a year with the same company. Then, I was referred to a senior SEO executive role with Salama Insurance in Dubai, where my starting salary was Dh8,000 ($2,180) per month and worked there for two years. From there, I moved to Alshaya Group, a retail e-commerce company, as SEO manager where my monthly salary doubled to Dh16,000 and I worked there for two years.<\/p>\n

Tell us about your current role. What is your salary now?<\/p>\n

I work as a senior SEO manager with a media company. I earn a total of Dh30,000 per month from my salary and rental income in Dubai.<\/p>\n

Do you manage to save?<\/p>\n

Yes, I manage to save between Dh3,000 and Dh4,000 from my salary every month and this is saved for emergencies<\/a>. I plan to move this money to a high-interest savings account soon. My emergency fund can sustain me for four months.<\/p>\n

What asset classes do you invest in?<\/p>\n

I not only invest in real estate, but also in UAE initial public offerings<\/a> and gold. I have invested in the stocks of Dubai\u2019s public parking operator Parkin, retail firm LuLu Group and UAE delivery service Talabat. I keep aside a portion of my salary for my investments.<\/p>\n

I used to buy gold coins<\/a> every two to three months but haven\u2019t of late owing to high prices. When the price is attractive, I usually spend around Dh7,000 to Dh8,000 to buy 24-carat gold. I sell it when I travel to India because gold is pricier there. I sell when prices go up and use the money to buy gold in the UAE.<\/p>\n

Have you purchased property here or in your home country?<\/p>\n

I own a one-bedroom apartment and a shop in Mumbai, which I managed to buy with my savings during my initial days in the UAE. The rent from these properties pays off my mortgage on the shop.<\/p>\n

I bought a three-bedroom townhouse in Nshama’s Town Square<\/a> in Dubai for Dh2.3 million, for which I paid 20 per cent down payment, in 2024. I purchased it only as an investment and live in a rental apartment instead. I have a mortgage on this property.<\/p>\n

In January this year, I also bought an off-plan four-bedroom townhouse in Dubai South for Dh2.3 million, on which the payment plan is flexible (30:70), so I can manage to pay it using my savings and rent.<\/p>\n

I have a group of friends in the UAE who invest in real estate. We pool in money and in case one of us has an upcoming payment to a developer and requires money, everyone chips in without charging interest. We\u2019ve made an Excel sheet of upcoming property payments for all of us.<\/p>\n

I am also inspired by my father, who works in the real estate sector in India.<\/p>\n

Do you have any debt?<\/p>\n

No, because I plan well and manage my cashflow properly. I have credit cards<\/a> but use them mainly to avail benefits, such as airport lounges, but make sure to pay off the entire amount on time or ahead of time. I also paid for my car with full cash.<\/p>\n

Growing up, were you taught how to handle your finances?<\/p>\n

Yes, my parents taught me that I will gain respect if I have money. But they also advised me to not rely only on money but value family and friends in equal measure, too. They taught me about savings and not to spend unnecessarily on luxury products.<\/p>\n

What are your major monthly expenses?<\/p>\n

On house rent<\/a>, for which I pay Dh45,000 annually. I spend between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of my salary each month on rent, utilities and food. My wife and I also like to travel, so we keep a certain portion of our income for travelling twice a year, be it to India or outside the UAE. Last year, we went to Europe, this time it\u2019s Japan.<\/p>\n

How do you budget your salary every month?<\/p>\n

I save 15 per cent of my salary, invest between 40 per cent and 45 per cent, and spend 5 per cent on dining out and travel within the UAE. The remaining is spent on utility bills and other recurring payments.<\/p>\n

At what age do you wish to retire?<\/p>\n

I wish to retire<\/a> after five years since my industry is filled with the Gen Z crowd. So, I feel it will be challenging to work after the age of 40. I hope to retire to a remote place, somewhere like the small town of Mahabaleshwar in the Indian state of Maharashtra, where I can do organic farming.<\/p>\n

I need to be self-sufficient and make sure that I have passive income worth between Dh20,000 and Dh25,000 per month to sustain me during retirement. I am relying on real estate investments to offer me good returns.<\/p>\n

Do you worry about money?<\/p>\n

I worry about work since it is a major source of my income now. I think of times like the Covid-19 pandemic when things went haywire. That is why I know the importance of having a passive income or being self-sufficient.<\/p>\n

Watch: Why expat packages are not what they used to beWhat are your financial goals?<\/p>\n

In the short term, I wish to pay off all my debts, such as the mortgage. I don\u2019t wish to wait until retirement or for 25 years to pay off the mortgage. I wish to pay it off in the next five to seven years. I also want to sell one of my properties, so I can be debt-free.<\/p>\n

My future financial goal<\/a> is to invest in a business to generate more passive income.<\/p>\n

What is your idea of financial freedom?<\/p>\n

To be able to take on a consulting role and invest in a few businesses such as drop-shipping or import-export, which will become my main income source.<\/p>\n

Do you want to be featured in My Salary, a weekly column that explores how people around the world manage their earnings? Write to pf@thenationalnews.com<\/a> to share your story<\/p>\n

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf. <\/p>\n

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive – https:\/\/www.agda.ae\/en<\/a><\/p>\n

Mohammed bin Zayed MajlisAIR<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Affleck%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMatt%20Damon%2C%20Jason%20Bateman%2C%20Ben%20Affleck%2C%20Viola%20Davis%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

Killing of Qassem SuleimaniMore on animal traffickingProfile<\/p>\n

Company name: Marefa Digital<\/p>\n

Based:\u00a0Dubai Multi Commodities Centre<\/p>\n

Number of employees: seven<\/p>\n

Sector: e-learning<\/p>\n

Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017\u00a0and an initial seed round\u00a0of Dh2m in 2019<\/p>\n

Investors: Friends and family\u00a0<\/p>\n

Killing of Qassem SuleimaniKilling of Qassem SuleimaniOur legal consultants<\/p>\n

Name:\u00a0Hassan Mohsen Elhais<\/p>\n

Position:\u00a0legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.<\/p>\n

The specs<\/p>\n

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors<\/p>\n

Power: Combined output 920hp<\/p>\n

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm<\/p>\n

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic<\/p>\n

Fuel consumption: 11.2L\/100km<\/p>\n

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025<\/p>\n

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000<\/p>\n

Killing of Qassem Suleimani<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jayesh Jain, an Indian expat in Dubai, is only 33 but already owns two properties in Dubai and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":94965,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[84,10671,4176,1371,46996,4174,4175,5438,5141,56,54,55,21179],"class_list":["post-94964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-business","tag-business-team","tag-finance","tag-jobs","tag-my-salary-latest-news-and-updates","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-standard","tag-story","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wages"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}