When will the exodus begin?
 

Anyone want to lay odds on when the mass exodus of expat labour will begin out of the UAE?

Don't say it will never happen because it just could. I hope not
but if it does, maybe the workforce will be treated and paid a little better in this part of the world.

Remember how quickly Iran turned nasty in the early 1980's

When you say ex pat "labour", do you mean the tens of thousands of mainly Asian and Subcontinental manual workers who do everything from building hotels to working in petrol stations to waving red flags at roadworks? If you do, then I feel that they will never leave until employment conditions (job availability and pay in their own countries improves).

If you are referring to the other tens of thousands of professional people (pilots, cabin crew, doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, nurses, shop and retail staff.......etc, etc, etc,), I feel that exactly the same answer`applies. That is why we are all here, in the main.

Dubai is not stupid enough to risk having a mass exodus of ANY of the above two "labour" categories, as its very existance and future depends on these people being here and doing the jobs that they currently do.

Indeed if the ruler's ambitions of doubling the population of Dubai in the next ten years is to be achieved, then there is simply no scope for this to occur through an indigenous mechanism.

I am quite intrigued as to why you have made your initial post - where do you see things going wrong?

AB6

Do you know something the rest of us don't?

Understand your point, A300 Man but how are they gonna achieve this? The more Dubai expands and becomes the subject of the world's focus, surely the bigger and brighter target it will become. Certainly wouldn't put it past the government to comeup with some shady deal but Dubai reeks of everything Al Qaeda hates.

Whilst I don't think any sudden exodus is likely in the near future, I think it is only a matter of time before something happens that the government aren't able to keep quiet.

Its an interesting question, but i would reckon that the exodux will begin in saudi before the UAE.

That hasnt happened yet.... :)


Mutt

now that they've set up a new "bull's eye" on the main drag in Doo-bye that looks a lot like a Statute of Limitations or something else from that hated place, you never know who'll be unable to resist the temptation to learn to fly.

Saudi Exodus
 

In response to Mutt I would say it depends on what you call an exodus. I personally know of 37 people (including families) who have left here in the past year. After the killings in Yanbu All 91 western expats employed by ABB Lummus left (total 120 if you include the dependents). After the killings in Khobar a friend of mine (and his wife and daughter) working over there left the computer company who employed him and within two days all 21 western expat employees has resigned. They said friends of theirs in Bae said that Bae had received 49 resignations in one week after Khobar. I see a lot of people leaving - I don't see many arriving. You can see it just driving around. At one time you would always see the odd westerner, now you don't see any.