US lawyer

Does anyone know of a problem experience with an employee who moved to work with ADIA and it did not work out? How about someone who used to work there who can describe the corporate culture and approach to contracts?

I am a friend of someone (he is not my client) who has been extended an offer to join ADIA in the next few months, but there are no guarantees, no bonus buyouts, and they can cancel the contract at any time with almost no repercussions. Meanwhile my friend is renting his house (can't sell anything fast in this housing market) for a year, and leaving his job. What if he gets let go for any reason whatsoever in a couple of months and cannot return to his own house?

I am concerned for him and his family and want to make sure his blind trust in ADIA is well founded. Anyone have a thought? He presently lives in Europe and likes the idea of the tax free salary.

Is ADIA trustworthy to take this kind of risk?

Thank you for your help.

NorthernLad

This is the Middle East, no difference if you are working in ADIA or delivering food for Ravis. They can all do what they want.

lullabelle

Its not really about trust. People in charge can do what they like... And if that means laying off people who just moved their whole family over, took out loans etc then they will. They can, and will, close down whole companies if they feel so disposed.

You have very few rights here. There will be no sympathy if things go wrong. I saw two workmates forced to run because the final payout was too low to cover housing and car loans. As long as your client prepares for the worst scenario when coming out here then... Well it could be great or terrible, depending on how it goes. This is not shangri-la. There is often no logic to how companies are run, especially anything to do with government.

And I echo Millhouse... I'm not hearing good things about Abu dhabi at present.

Millhouse

With a downward trend I'm told.

US lawyer

NorthernLad, Lulubelle and Milhouse...thank you so much for your reply.

You are supporting the impression I have received from people over here.

ADIA has indicated that "this is my contract, and we do not negotiate", do you think they may if they want my friend badly enough?

Do you think there is any room to get some security before he pulls the trigger and finds himself and his family homeless because ADIA changed their minds and do not want to do the types of investments or just do not like him for some reason?

Am I interpreting you correctly in that even if there is a contract, they will do whatever they like anyway?

Sometimes the best legal advice is not legal advice.

My understanding is that Abu Dhabi is not a "government" per se, it is more like a "family run country" like a family business. My experience with family businesses, especially large ones with money and power, is that often there are political casualties - blame the new guy for something someone else decided.

Is this "family run country" concept accurate?

Thanks again.

Millhouse

Yes - AKA Abu Dhabi Inc.

Look, you have basically no employment rights, so from a legal perspective i know that you will see this as very risky. As a lawyer your natural reaction will be to try and document and contractually allocate risks - that will not work here.

You price for risks here.

You ask for a signing on / relocation lump of cash and a stupidly high salary. If (or most likely when) it goes wrong (which may be a good couple of years run) - you leave with your tail between your legs and go home. Hopefully to a job that you kept warm when you were away.

So rules are:

1) Have an exit
2) Get paid loads
3) See how the land lies before he moves the family over and / or do something stupid like selling the house in the US

lullabelle

i agree... and add this

1. Really don't sell the house
2. ask for all costs to be paid upfront - relocation, school fees, housing allowance
3. don't get into any debt here until you are absolutely sure everything is
stable.
4. All contracts are negotiable, bargaining is life here. You may find that you negotiate and the package then goes down (mine did). You just refuse the job for that reason and the package will go back up again. Maybe.
5. Get a long notice period put in the contract. It will give you extra dosh if (when) they decide to get rid of you. If you have family you will be tied to school years anyway and people here tend to know when they want to go well in advance...

Think medieval Britain crossed with the Borgias with a bit of ancient rome thrown in (particularly Ben Hur)

Ethos83

What's going on in Abu Dhabi at the moment?

Forgive me for asking but I'm a bit out of the loop these days.

csdf

Lots of small but cumulative signs that AD Inc is tightening the belt-straps and slowing down on investments. Renewed pushes on Emiratisation having a knock-on effect on expat employment, continual reduction in consultancy spend etc.

BellaUK

Wow this surprises me, I always hear ADIA is a great place to work! I have met a lot of ADIA people since being in AD and have a very good friend who works there and have never heard anyone say anything really negative about working for them (and some have been there 10/15+ years!) In general any company can treat an employee like garbage here, as there is a lack of legal structure to support employee rights and I have definitely been on the receiving end of that one, so I am not sure Govt entities are any worse!

Agree that you should always be sensible, don't get into debt, sell your home etc as you are only ever temporary here!

soukie

ADIA are probably one of the better employers in the region but everything Millhouse and Lullabelle have said is spot on. I have noticed that a lot of people who arrive in AD these days look on it as a permanent move and that's where it all goes wrong. Expats are commodities and can be shed easily - some with only 4 weeks notice. UAE and in fact the Middle East in general is not a place to build a new life as it's all very temporary - one day you have everything and the next you are out of a job and a home. I have seen a lot of families suffer this fate especially in Construction. Things are tight in AD at the moment despite what you might read in the press.

al dente

There was a net out flow of labour in Abu Dhabi this summer. This has put a kybosh on many projects and the projected populations figures are being shown in the light of the fantasy which they were. Museums have been hit hardest

US lawyer: trying to get guarantees is all well and good but i doubt one of them would be enforceable anyway. Many, many top dogs are surprised by their lack of rights here but tis the way of the middle east.

Overall though, i'd say ADIA was still a pretty good bet if your mate has nothing better to do.

al dente

ADIA do a 3 month termination and are fair.

jdgummi7

This thread has been going for nearly 2 years...

ionoyo

Hi Guys,

I wonder if anyone can shed some light on my experience with ADIA. Basically I went through the whole recuritment process, was invited out there and got a conditional job offer. The condition was that I had to go through a "security check" which I was told is a legal requirement in Abu Dhabi, so I came back to the UK expecting to go out there once these checks were complete. After 2 months they advised me that I failed the security check, but were unable to give me any more information because the checks were done by a third party who simply told ADIA wether the canditates had passed or failed. It all sounds very strange to me because I've never even had a parking ticket so I have no idea how I could have failed a security check, and no one at ADIA seems to have any more information either. Im starting to think they turned me down because of the increased pressure to recruit locals, but thats just a thought.

Has anyone else experienced this with them? Does anyone know what kind of stuff this security check looks for?

Thanks
Ali