Dubai
Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world. No taxes on income and there are no personal taxes either. In Dubai Emirates Mall you can ski indoors while shopping, measuring 400 meters and using 6000 tons of snow. Burj Dubai will become the world’s tallest building, along with the world’s tallest man-made structure when it is completed. Eighty percent of Dubai residents are foreigners.
Check this out: http://www.interestingfacts.org/category/3
Cityscape Dubai 2008, in its 7th year, is the largest business-to-business real estate investment and development event in the world.
Cityscape Dubai attracts regional and international investors, property developers, governmental and development authorities, leading architects, designers, consultants and all senior professionals involved in the property industry. It provides an annual forum that celebrates the very best in real estate, architecture, urban planning and design from around the world.
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People outside trade center in Dubai (photo by Dennis Mallari)
Tremors from an earthquake in nearby Iran were felt in Dubai and other parts of the UAE, sending thousands of office workers and residents to the streets as high-rise buildings were vacated according the media.
Business was disrupted the other day as the people from high rise buildings in Dubai were panicking and started to vacate their offices after feeling the tremors.
One staff in trade center building in Sheikh Zayed road said, “We can see the next buildings to us moving and we were feeling dizzy. At first, most of us don’t think it was an earthquake until someone shout it was and we need to come down the building. I haven’t experienced this in my fours years stay here.”
The epicenter of the quake, which has a magnitude of 7.5, was in southern Iran according to the reports. Meanwhile, tremors registered in the UAE measured 4.8 in the richter scale.
There were no reports of any injury in UAE.
Today is the very first day of ramadan and it’s taking place for a month. This is a sacred thing for all the muslims around the world.
Yesterday had a heavy traffic almost everywhere in Dubai. I left work 15 minutes before 6pm in order to avoid traffic. Unfortunately, the traffic started to build up just a little early. So the bus which are coming from Bur Dubai to Al Quoz was already stranded on the way. We waited for more that an hour until one bus came. It was full and didn’t stop at the bus stop. We waited again for more than half an hour then came another bus, but still full and didn’t stop. I already wanted to fly if only I could because someone was waiting for me back home. One thing more that would really test your patience while waiting is the humid and hot air since summer is not yet finished. Good thing and thanks there are air-conditioned waiting sheds in almost all bus stops in Dubai. I realized there is almost no difference in the road situation back in Manila. The only difference is in Dubai you are just stuck in the traffic but no pollution and noise from horns of various vehicles.
At last, one van stopped and we boarded but oh my…. that was a real test of endurance and patience and strength and whatever might call it. The car stinks with bad smell from clothes full of sweat from the laborers who are riding the van everyday and from the stinking feet that were wet the whole day.
Im not complaining though I just wanna say… that was really a tough test of patience.
Dubai map
Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, has reached its tremendous economic growth due to the flourishing trade and tourism. It has built quite a number of world’s man-made wonders like the Burj Dubai, to become world’s tallest building; Ski Dubai, one of the largest indoor skis in the world and the Palm Deira, that would become the largest artificial island in the world. Not forgetting Burj Al Arab, which is the very first seven star hotel in the world. These are only few of Dubai’s many wonders that made this tiny city in the Gulf a favorite destination for rich people, for tourists and even for job seekers. It has become probably the most successful city in the whole of the Middle East.
I myself can’t hide my admiration of the vision of the leader of this emirate who has turned this place one best example of a modern city in a muslim-dominated place in the Middle East. He has proven the world that this once sleepy desert emirate could become a modern metropolis with a proper vision. I can’t deny the fact that Dubai has become a wonderful place to live.
Dubai Sheikh Zayed
But reality doesn’t stop there. Very recently, many expats have felt the difficulty of surviving here. Even this economic wonder was affected by the inflation hard. Based on the report surging inflation is affecting global competitiveness of UAE according to the survey released by World Economic Forum. News said that the inflation is caused by skyrocketing house rent, cost of production and the prices of goods and services. It is so felt by the expats who can hardly make ends meet now due to the rising of prices of major commodities and particularly the house rent. Many are complaining why did they chose to come here. Well I am not saying there is no more opportunities in Dubai. There is always and there are still many opportunities here. Fact is, there are so many on going projects in Dubai. They are not simple projects. They are mega projects that cost billions of dollars. Check my previous post: meydan, another mega project in Dubai, that is only one of example of the ongoing projects here.
But I can’t hide the reality that now it is not easy to survive in Dubai. Especially if you are from a third world county who is equipped with a bachelor degree. I bet you will still have a hard time finding a promising and a good salaried work. Considering the fact that there are jobseekers from India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and others. There are the Arab nationals (Egyptians, Moroccans, Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians and others) who are more favored compared to Asians because they speak Arabic and yet many job positions require applicants to be bilingual. There are the European who are always sought after by big companies and paid pretty good for the same position that an Asian can handle sometime better than them but thanks lucky are they for being western. I am not racist though. I am just speaking from my experience. That is only one reality here. So, you are going to apply for a position wherein you have experience and in line with your qualification. How many nationalities are there and how many people in every nationality are going to fall in a queue to get this position? How much now is your probability to get the position? One more thing, for sure those who have experience in Dubai or in GCC would have the advantage to get the job. Again, the possibility to get it is at stake.
So, my piece of advise is – if you are coming here for a visit or tour. Well, it is but fine. But if you are going to come here to search for a job. First, sit down. Second, think it over. Not once, not twice, not thrice… Do some research on what’s going on now in Dubai. There is the internet that can answer most if not all your questions. It can show you the real picture here. Or from anyone you know who is here or who have been here. Remember, there are so many things that you need to know before you make up you mind to come here. If you have that faith and wanted to come here. You are going to do all the possible means to make it here. Probably, you might seek the help of any agency there who are deploying manpower – skilled and unskilled. If you are not lucky enough, definitely you are not going to be one of them, so, you might fall in the hands of advantage-takers who are going to ask you triple the amount of you are supposed to spend to be able to come here. Promised of a job that would pay you of a salary that even yourself can hardly be fed. Then, there is the reality that you might be promised of a work in the office and later on found out that you will be working as a servant for a son of the d***l that no one ever knew. You know, there are so many unexpected things that can happen that we could have never imagined it’s going to happen after coming here despite of your good intention of earning a decent pay however hard it could be. So, think about it. Pray. That is the only thing that sure can help you.
If despite of your effort you cannot still find some one to give you enough information you need, well, I am willing to help. You can ask any question or if you need a little assistance and I will do help you in a little way I can with God’s help. I will help how you can make it here without paying to someone too big amout that would cost even losing your small property just to make it here.
If only you want I am just a post away. Good luck!
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