JSB

That was very useful. I am also due to go out there soon. A little apprehensive as the end is nigh but trying to just be myself. Dominoman - how have you found settling in? Or are you a long timer?

ShirleyG102

Thank you both, JSB and Dominoman! I haven't had further details on this yet, but it is confirmed I will have a case study!

Dominoman, do you work at ADIA now?

JSB, what team are you interviewing for?

ShirleyG102

I'm going over to Abu Dhabi very soon and have a case study while there. Please can someone share light on this if you know anything, or have been through it recently?
Your response will be much appreciated!

Thanks!

ShirleyG102

Hello! For those who have been to Abu Dhabi - did you have a dinner with your hiring manager on one of the nights, and did you / the manager bring respective wives along?

JSB

Generally they do not but i have read here that others have brought their husbands along so I would just ask once there. They are very nice and friendly - everyone has been through the process, there is a lot of apathy for what you are going through....

ShirleyG102

Thanks JSB! It turned out to be ok - I'm trying not to read too much into it. Hope you meant empathy and not apathy?

JSB

Yes of course......it was too early in the morning, mind wasn't quite switched on

Good luck with your trip, Shirley...

Anyone have any thoughts on the article in the FT about the expat flurry out of Abu Dhabi? Thoughts?

ShirleyG102

Thanks JSB! I've sent you a DM - please respond when you get a minute? Thanks!

I was also going to ask about thoughts on the FT article from yesterday. So I personally think the flurry / exodus refers to more lower income people so nothing to worry about for ADIA employees at the moment, but based on what I've heard on the ground it does seem like the low oil prices are eventually going to result in the bursting of the bubble. They do need to put their proverbial eggs in other baskets as well.
That said, from whatever I've read and heard, 90% of the UAE's money is in Abu Dhabi so the situation is much much better than in say Dubai, but I think they feel the pinch at ADIA because I've also heard there's major restructuring going on there, and a change in strategy.

What are your thoughts?

jam25mack

But Dubai runs on tourism not oil and so is much less affected by the significant drop in oil prices. Also, Dubai is ramping up for Expo 2020 so its all go at the minute. I can't think of one big project we have in AD at the moment.

Personally I wouldn't be moving to AD any time soon.

Have a look on some of the other ME forums (Middle East & Sandpit) and read what folk are saying.....

Maxima

Wrong
Not the 90% bit, but about the situation being much better

Maxima

Not quite true;
According to local news articles, there were redundancies in banks as well as govt places like ADNOC etc, and of jobs across all levels

ShirleyG102

Very interesting points you both make - I stand corrected. I was merely quoting what I heard from a couple of ADIA employees during my visit there!

Of course an ADIA person won't tell me if people are fleeing ADIA, but I do know people are being let go due to the restructuring there.

ShirleyG102

Just want to share some thoughts about my recent trip to Abu Dhabi - my first time in the UAE, and actually also in the Middle East.

I have lived in a number of countries (across four continents), and always in cities with 5 million+ populations, so I while I'm very keen on the ADIA opportunity for professional reasons, I was very keen to get a sense of what it's really like out there, and whether it is for me.

I'll still take the offer if I get it (and I hope I do!) but I have to say I wasn't particularly excited about the city itself. I don't mean to offend anyone on here - so please don't take this personally!

1). It's an extremely expensive city - everything from groceries to eating out to living expenses seem much higher than in London (which, until I went to Abu Dhabi, I thought was really expensive). I paid £25 for a Thai green curry (without rice!) while there; it was really good, but £25?! I also went to a couple of supermarkets to check out prices - a 9 pack of Andrex was £12! I understand that ADIA pays well enough to compensate for these high prices, but still - it just feels wrong to pay artificially high prices for these things! Taxis and petrol of course are really cheap, but I think that's about it. Maybe household help too, but heck, from the rates they are paid I got the sense that these people were economically exploited.

2). There's nothing to do around. Being a big city person, I would probably drive down to Dubai whenever possible, but I found that the options in Abu Dhabi itself were extremely limited. There are tons of malls, but apart from that there are literally one handful places to see (the Grand Mosque was spectacular, but I don't see myself going there very often given as I'm not Muslim), and most of the entertainment seemed to come from eating out, perhaps lazing on the beach (it's great that there are beaches everywhere you look), and driving out to the desert every now and then.

3). There's zero cultural interaction with the local people - the Emiratis - who are far outnumbered by the expats. I met two Emiratis during my interviews, but that apart I only saw them from a distance, either driving their cars or shopping, but they're so rich that you'd never come into contact with them on a day to day basis, so you're living in their country but really not interacting with them at all.

4). It's an ephemeral world - it's an oasis (or an oasis under construction, literally) in the middle of the desert, and people come and go every few years. That's probably what I'll do as well - make my money and leave - but something to think about. I've been an immigrant / expat in a number of countries, but none felt the same as Abu Dhabi does.

5). ADIA employees didn't tell me this, but friends who work at ADIA have told me there's a clear delineation between Emiratis and expats in the workplace. Expats don't progress professionally, while Emiratis, no matter how undeserving they are of it, do because they're usually well connected in high places. I might give away my identity if I quote a specific example, but I did hear of one jaw dropping example of a really senior Emirati saying this openly to a new joinee expat. There's no secrets about it.

Those were the things I didn't like - of course, I only did my research after the interviews, so didn't let it show in the interviews. I absolutely loved the weather, the open spaces, and the fact that a huge expat community means I'll get to meet a ton of new people while there, and because everyone's an expat you're on the same footing in some ways and no one has an advantage.

There - my rant while I wait for a decision from ADIA!

jam25mack

Just my 2 pence in red.

Maxima

But of course there are those expats who claim Dubai is fake, plastic, artificial when compared to other more "natural, authentic" places ..... though they will always choose to spend their weekends in Dubai