This is my first input into this forum and I found the thread appealing.
Departed Bahrain and worked across many of Gulf countries, I found them all have incredible level of racism and chaos. Their job markets are governed by more than 50-years-old backward labour laws mainly addressing indemnity, leaves and wages, they prove that dignity of people is marginal. While working in Bahrain, I was suffering from racist behaviours of some Asian managers. However, after working across other neighbours, I perceived the same at the hands of some locals!
When you live and work a region that allows discrimination against its own people under religious basis, it will do the same against expatriates. Few years ago, I was offered an employment at a club for Shaik Zayed Military Air Force but then it was revoked after getting to know that I am shia! Last year, few Bahrainis MPs pled for an investigation into facts and figures proving discrimination against employment of Bahraini shia into defense and security sectors. The result, long-bearded and short-garments MPs with few others did a lobby to kill it off. One of the latter quoted saying;" how can we investigate discrimination when we have alcohol and pork in the country"!!! (he is the man behind a proposal to ban alcohol on Gulf Air fleet)
Unlike America and Europe, Gulf labour laws do not have legislations addressing issues like diversity, equality, labour unions (except shortly for locals and expatriates in Bahrain), redundancy, restructuring, etc and consequently rights of people are always lost, especially at this critical time. The funny but painful part is that weather you resigned or the Company decided to ruin your future and terminate your employment for reasons or no reasons, the indemnity is equivalent! (there are slight changes in cases of work accidents)
It is true that some cases of discrimination happen in America and Europe like everywhere, but the fact there are laws to minimise their incidents, unlike in the Gulf. You can't clear people grudges, but certainly you can limit them. Sense of nationalising jobs should not be managed in a context of racism because human resources is not human racism, and companies must be managed in a balance between commercial and social arguments!
Now I am happy immigrated away from racists and no one could put my future in risk for my religous background.
Thank you all.