New Ghetto Style Housing
 

Heard on the grapevine that all new hires will be placed in a massive complex out by the Meydan. All those in company accommodation will also be shifted out there as their rental contracts expire, apparently there will be no renewal of your existing rental agreement in your complex and we'll all end up living in row housing out in the sand.

From what I hear...it isn't pretty. This isn't DSO.

Anyone else heard anything?

On the up side, it will surely get your wife on-board with your decision to resign so it might work in your favor...in a backward sort of way!

I guess they really don't want pilots to come here.

Discuss....

From what I have seen "ghetto" seems a bit strong.

The houses are town-houses, but therefore no different from the 84s, 164s and Wasl Square.

The new Silicon is nothing too flash either.

Admittedly the area is still a bit underdeveloped, but that will change in time.

At least they are new.

Think I'd rather live in the 84's in town than out in the sand plus living with your work mates 24/7....I don't think so.

At the 84's you still have other folks from differing walks of life around you and you are close to schools, shops and the like.

It has the mentality of labour camp from what I hear...maybe nicer than what the boys in blue get but the concept in the same....keep them all together and out of town...nice!

Any idea where the New Ghetto will be located...:confused:

Past it today, leaving Nad Al Shiba Vets.
Yes, a pretty horrible, crowded looking bunch of small town-houses.

HOWEVER- I'd venture that only about fifty where anywhere near completion, so the idea that everyone will be shifted there soon is at least premature.

They're literally behind the Meydan course. Coming from Jumeirah over Al Khail, go straight at the second roundabout and then first right. At the X-roads, turn left and go about 2km, they're on the left with a big sign with Emirates on it.

I believe they're 3 or 4 bed plus a maid room. Reasonable overall size, narrow and long with a postage size "garden". A couple of pools and mini parks similar to Silicon.

Not where I'd want to be :=

Sorry if I missed it guys, but what airline are you referring to? Couldn't find it in any of the posts above...

Read the post above yours again Vortac.

Thanks SOPS, totally missed it.

It does have great views of the high voltage power lines. I expect our recruitment people won't show them during the interview.

Pools and parks? Not for a long time and then will be crowded and no doubt dirty when they do come on line.

Been past it, agree with Wiz, not gonna happen straight away if at all, but even then we all remember the Mirdif fiasco?
I also remember all the howls when they opened up DSO etc etc etc as ever the drive to save 50 fils continues.
Do I care anymore? nope, it will only change when enough people not yet employed take a look at it and say no, pure market economics, I guess we will be getting more RYR bods from eastern european bases and pilots from defunct third world carriers.

The Ek guys regulary mistake the ME forum for the EK forum. The rest of the pilots manage to put QR, GF, FZ, etc, in the heading, but this is very difficult for some of the EK pilots.

Original plan announced in the news in 2010 ish said 500 townhouses for all of the new EK staff. I expect this development probably slowed a bit with the economic crisis.

I would think it's probably correct to assume all the current villas not owned by EK / Royal Family with not the have the contracts renewed due to rising rents with the private villa demand in Jumeirah.

184 of the first batch of villas were sold by Emaar under a big fanfare about 6 months ago. The demand was huge due to a massive shortage of villas in Dubai at the current time. I am not sure whether these were originally earmarked for EK.

However, even if the plan is to eventually have most of EK staff in these villas it won't happen for a long time as mentioned previously - only a few EK villas anywhere near completion.

Still, beats living in the new Al Furjan past Jebel Ali....?

Meydan City set to host Emirates gated community in three years | GulfNews.com

It's okay to post EK stuff without a formal notification as "they" are all cut from the same cloth around here and any shaft you might get is probably not original thought.

And why differentiate since the other majors simply copy everything EK does anyway.

The upside of the new Desert Camp will be no one wailing - for a while. Imagine peace and quiet!

And EK copy every mistake that Gf ever copied from East African Airways...probably get a similar result eventually.

Yeah, Ive noticed that. Didnt mean to start a p!ss!ng contest tho, just curious as to whose housing was being discussed.

Carry on...

Vortec,

Mana seems more interested in making smart remarks despite the many inferences to the city and company in question, let alone one post which clearly identified the corporate moniker.

Do you guys at EK have the option of getting paid the housing allowance or is it company accomodation or nothing? Us at FZ get the allowance and no company accomodation but can at least choose where in Dubai we live

Yes. We have the option...

Do you guys know if the current people at 84s,164s,Wasl Square will be affected as they are not owned by private landlords?

Are they identical to Al Wasl ones? Any news when will they be ready?

It doesnt make sense to have 3500 pilots spread all over town. Must be a pick up nightmare.
It makes sense to have most pilots concentrated in a few areas.
Meydan sounds nice. Close to town, but not in town..

Enjoy

Yes in a way. (Payscale.)

But they probably re-thought that theory after the UPS freighter ploughed in. :eek:

Different developer.

Wasl Square is by Meraas, a wholly-owned government venture. Similar to 84s and 164s situation.

The Meydan project is Emaar. The government have a stake in Emaar but do not own it. They simply offered land in return for 32% of the organisation a few years ago.

However, the 528 Meydan villas are being purchased via lease-to-own over a 16 year period so will eventually belong to EK outright... IF they are still habitable by then.

Only 70 or so of the 528 are ready and the others may well be a while. EMaar have sold 184 of the other Meydan villas to normal private purchases

As far as I know no-one has heard otherwise... However, the canal linking B Bay with Beach Park will be built about 1km further up the road so this could make Jumeirah 3 a prime location for redevelopment...

It makes sense to have a life. Living with 2000 other pilots and their nagging wives, gossip, etc, The swapping doesn't always make up for it.... :p. I'd much rather live in the burbs than their nasty little shoeboxes in the desert. Tight fisted so-and-sos...

I can only imagine the chaos, and if the cluster **** at HQ is anything to go by lately :hmm:

"shift change captain...no drivers"
"one more coming captain...can you fit 4 in the car?"
"V26...no V54...(then silence as the man with the clipboard wanders away..)"

Get ready for them using buses instead of cars once they get enough pilots all in one place...:E

I had a look at them last week, first impression was that of a concentration camp. Rows and rows and rows of identical barracks with no imagination in the design. Two bay car park but you'll need two cars anyway because there is nothing out there to do. Each cell has 4 small bedrooms with an en-suite WC. The kitchen is satisfactory at best. the dining/living area is not an ideal size when you consider how much time you spend indoors in the summer. The best way I can describe the backyard would be to tell you to go into your bathroom, note its size then double it....seriously. One thing that helps keep my sanity in this place, is at the very least having a nice garden with some green to look at.

The company kept this quiet for a reason, they don't everyone knowing about the sh1t hole they intend to move everyone into. If you like living with all your colleagues 24/7 in what amounts to an apartment by the high voltage towers...(wait, they did say that those were going to be removed and replaced with an 8 lane motorway...yes really) then consider this a middle eastern utopia.

I would urge all Dubai based pilots to go have a look, as it is the intention of the company to shift you there when your current lease runs out. If you know anyone coming here to interview, take them past camp Dachau and make sure they understand what they're giving up at home.

The acid test will be how many managers will in the park when their leases run out.

I'll say this with certainty, the day they force me out there will be the day I resign...personally I've had enough of the BS.

You are obviously still in the right seat, Mr. Outlaw. Decisions are clearly not your strong side.
Let me offer some assistance. Opt out of the company housing. Do it before they start to move pilots to the new place. Once that process starts, EK is very likely to end the option to stay outside company housing because it will cost more.
Leaving EK is not an option. Ek drivers never do, they just talk about it.

That - if it happens ever - won't be for a very long time. Just look at the numbers of current and future pilots versus the 500 odd Meydan Villas!

But I agree that Outlaw should consider opting-out instead of getting over-excited about the ghettos:ok:

Wow Mana, you must be in the right seat for a lack of common sense.

"Let me offer some assistance." Opting out of company housing for a family of four in Dubai would add an out of pocket cost of about AED 80-90,000 per year just in case you were not aware of the massive rental increases over the past year or so here. You are also at the mercy of your landlord increasing the rent by massive amounts despite the "law of the land", perhaps you were not here in the years 2004-2008.

PS... There have been a lot of EK drivers leave from all ranks and seniority, the smart ones leave quietly. Study the list sometime.

White Knight:

Go do a drive by and tell us what you think then. "A long time" is when your lease agreement runs out. This is when you'll be going out there. The first units are ready now with just some snagging to finish and will be ready to occupy within 4-6 months...that from the Emaar office. The official word is that nobody will live north of SZR in 3 years.

The 'official word'? Maybe then you can tell me where they are going to put 2,000 married pilots and their families within 3 years!!! As well as all of the forecast new joiners as the fleet builds towards 250 frames by 2020...

And as for the current lease where I live; it's just been renewed! By EK...

You CAN opt out as has been said... I certainly would if 'the ghetto' awaited:ok: It certainly wouldn't cause me to resign:ugh::ugh::ugh:

LOL!
 

That is GOLD!

PG

ManaAdaSystem and The Outlaw,

Slightly off topic and I apologize for reacting but I believe it says more about you than the guys in the right seat when you actually :eek: say things like: "You are obviously still in the right seat, Mr. Outlaw. Decisions are clearly not your strong side.", and "you must be in the right seat for a lack of common sense." := :yuk:

Slightly offensive to say the least! But I understand that in your minds you become the greatest leader and most sensible person of all times as soon as you move 1 meter to the left... Makes total sense :ugh: Must be amazing to fly with you guys with attitudes like that! :rolleyes:

Happy flying!

Will

Don't worry Will, I'm sure they are awesome :ugh::hmm::uhoh::):ok:

Of course I am! Thanks! :ok:

You know Will...your absolutely right. Sorry if my comments struck a nerve with you. In a moment of weakness I stooped to Mana's level...should have kept my head.

You can make what you want from Mana's posting above, at least he is consistent!

The Outlaw