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As well as running sessions you will likely have at least 1 duty. Duties are; helping at breakfast, lunch or dinner, supervision free time or running evening entertainment.
We try to limit working hours to 9 per day however some days are longer and some shorter.
You may be asked to be a group leader from time to time. This involves looking after / entertaining the group outside of session/activity times.
We have 3 main products:
Multi activity programs
These programs are based around a number of ‘taster’ sessions. Activities could be anything from kayaking and canoeing on a man made lagoon to climbing and high ropes or animal encounters and water sustainability.
These make up the majority of our programs and participants are typically 9-11 yr old.
Field studies programs
These are specifically aimed at students aged 16+ who need to collect and analyze data as part of their school work, typically for geography or biology
International Award Expeditions (DofE)
These are 2-4 day expeditions where students 14+ hike and camp
You can see more about the timings for a typical day here.
Working week
We have a 5 day working week, however when it is busy it's not always possible for everyone to have 2 days off each week.
We guarantee 1 day off each week and any days missed will be issued as operations permit paid out at the end of the contract if this is not possible.
Package
Click here to find a salary breakdown and explanation.
The salary mentioned on your offer letter includes an AED500 bonus that is paid at the completion of your contract. What you receive each month is therefore AED500 less than the amount on your offer letter with the monthly bnonus paid in 1 lump sum at the end of your contract.
We also provide a flight allowance of up to AED2200, work visa*, accomodation and food.
Visa
Not everyone gets a visa at the same time, while the process might seem relatively straightforward there is a lot that goes on the the background to organise it. As much as possible to try to have visas ready for when you enter the country but in practice this does not always happen.
We prioritise those people who cannot get a visit visa on arrival in order to ensure they can arrive without any issues.
It is not uncommon for people to need to do a visa run if their visa in not complete before their visit visa expires but we do try to avoid the need for this as much as possible .
What is the accommodation like?
Al Mazrea'a (The Farm) will be our primary site from 2023 and the staff accommodation will be brand new in September. At the time of writing the design has not finalised but will we can say that rooms will be shared (2-3 people) with separate communal male and female bathrooms. The will be an open area to sit and socialise as well as an indoor common room and simple kitchenette area.
We will also be operating out of other 3rd party sites where you could end up staying for up to a week at a time. This accommodation could be dormitory rooms, tents, apartments or hotels but you room at Camp Waha will be yours for the whole season.
There is limited to no wifi on site.
Al Hamra is ~45min drive away where there is a mall as well as some hotels and shops. RAK is ~50min drive and Dubai ~1.25hr.
If you are working on a program that is based at another site, accomodation at that site will be provided for the duration of the program.
Driving
Unfortunately driving is a necessary evil. If you have meet the below conditions you will likely be asked to drive at some point and this will be reflected in your salary.
Hold a manual driving licence
Are over 21
Can convert your licence to a UAE licence
Can we use work vehicles for personal use?
Ecoventure has vehicles to allow us to perform our daily operations and these are not normally available for personal use. Any allowance of the use of vehicles for non work purposes is purely discretionary and can be withdrawn at any time without notice.
Ecoventure operates the following evaluation period policy regarding personal use of company vehicles:
Senior members of staff must complete 1 months employment before they can request the use of company vehicles for personal use (i.e. for days off)
Instructors must complete 2 months of employment before they can request the use of company vehicles for personal use (i.e. for days off)
These waiting period times will be reset if;
Ecoventures driving rules are not being adhered to.
Proper logs of vehicle use are not being kept
If there are any concerns about the appropriateness or safety of an individual's driving inlcuding if they have recived any traffic fines.
What is there to do during my free time?
Al Mazrea'a is remote bu we do have some bikes that you can use to get around the local area but to get further afield you will need a car or taxi.
If you are willing to put some time and effort in to your days off there is some great climbing around, you can go hiking, take group trips down to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, etc. You can look on sites/apps like Groupon for deals on visits to the Burj Khalifa, Atlantis Water Park, Yas Island etc. Your free time is what you make of it.
Adhen is the nearest village and is about a 60min walk or 20min bike ride away, from there you can get a pre booked taxi.
Al Hamra, a suburb of RAK is about a 40min drive from camp. From there there are bus routes to RAK and Dubai.
A car can be hired for around AED1400 per month (AED350pp between 4 people). If you or a group decide you would like to hire a car for the season Ecoventure can assist with that. Any shorter hires must be arranged individually.
Are meals provided? If so, what meals are they, do I need to pay for any meals, and are there any facilities to cook my own food?
Yes meals are provided on site by the kitchen staff at no extra cost. We have a rotating menu and there is also a basic kitchenette where you can cook your own meals if you choose to. There may be times that food/ingredients are provided in place of prepared meals for you to cook for yourself. Management will inform you if/when this will be the case.
How do I get paid and how often ?
You will get paid once a month, on the 10th of the month for the preceding month eg you would get paid for January on the 10th Feb.
Before your visa is complete you will be paid in cash.
Once your visa is complete we have to pay you through the WPS (Wage Protection System) and you will have to collect you salary from the Al Ansari branch in Al Hamra. When you collect your 1st salary from there you will get a debit card which you can use for withdrawing cash and for payments.
At the end of your contract you will either need to sign an unpaid leave form (if you will be returning for another season) or a visa cancellation form. If you cancel your visa then your final pay (including the monthly bonus and flight allowance) will be paid in cash when you leave site. It takes 2 working days to cancel a visa so the paperwork either needs to be signed at least 2 days before you intend to leave or you need allow 2 working days at the end of your contract before you fly.
Will I get to go on a trip to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman or Azerbijan?
Maybe, but it is not guaranteed. We do have some returning freelance staff who lead a number of our international trips and are supported by the current team. There is no set criteria for selecting staff for our international trips because each trip has different requirements. Some things that we take into account are experience, qualifications, and visa eligibility however the most important factors are that you demonstrate that you can be proactive and have a good work ethic.
Anything else I should know?
The UAE is a fairly young country, that has grown incredibly fast over the last 4 decades. Sometimes things that would be easy to do back home, can take a lot longer and cause more frustration than you are used to. Customer service is hit and miss and dealing with banks and public entities can be frustrating.
One of the biggest frustrations each season is caused by visas. This process has a lot of steps, and takes a lot of work and time. We get them all processed as quickly as we are able to, but we are limited by government dictated allocations - we are only allowed to process so many at a time, and even how many of which gender is dictated to us. Please be patient.
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