Whilst I, thankfully, has not been in a position where I had to lower myself to accepting a job in the GCC countries, my job does entail quite a lot of travel in that region. Over the years, I've probably been spending on the dark side of 12 months in Do-buy and Bar-ain. And while the governments in both places are the most inept bunch of corrupt oxygen-thieves imaginable, what has always struck me as being particularly offensive is the behaviour of its expat population. The same people who would, in the real world, be nice and agreeable persons somehow develop the most nausiating colonial traits once they've settled in the sandpit. The amount of truly disgusting, racist and horrid behaviour I've witnessed is something I'd rather soon forget. But, I can't.
The author of the article we're debating has got more than a few things right, and I'm afraid to say that one of them is the management employment dump that's GCC. All those failed, useless and downright ignorant managers who are finally seen for what they are, somehow find a way to the GCC where they're promoted far and above their abilities. The nepotism amongst expats is alive and well; one inept manager will hire a "mate" from back home, a mate who's always less capable than himself. So you've got idiots hiring even bigger idiots, etc ad infintum. Worst part, once settled they all take on royal airs and try to pretend they're really good at what they do, conveniently forgetting they were booted out of their home country for being, well, useless. Small minded people, and guess what, within a short period of time they start talking about the "lower classes" (i.e where they themselves came from) and treat anyone their junior worse than crap.
That is what really gets my knickers in a twist and is the overwhelming reason why I've turned down many an offer to work in Do-Buy, Cat-ar and Bar-ain.
Feel free to shoot me down; I know I'm right, and if you dare take a good honest look at the situation, you'd have to agree. But, bearing in mind the arrogance of your average Sandpit-expat, I'm quite sure you wont.