Originally Posted by TheShed (Post 12410674)

A continuation of the exodus of western expats from Dubai and the greater GCC

Originally Posted by littlejimmy (Post 12410698)

Here's me going against the tide. I keep hearing Dubai is going into recession. Am I doing the right thing? :confused:

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH (Post 12410701)

If your project is solid you should be fine.

It's not a case of the entire western expat community up and leaving in the next few years and no new ones coming, but a long term decline of the population over time and changing demographics within the expat groups. Westerners are being replaced with cheaper South Asians in many industries (50k/month western engineer replaced with a 30k month Indian engineer). Younger and single westerners increasingly preferred over older, married with family westerners as they can be had cheaper. Eastern Europeans and South Americans (do they count as westerners?) taking up an increasing share of the professional population as they're cheaper.

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH (Post 12410701)

If your project is solid you should be fine.

It's not a case of the entire western expat community up and leaving in the next few years and no new ones coming, but a long term decline of the population over time and changing demographics within the expat groups. Westerners are being replaced with cheaper South Asians in many industries (50k/month western engineer replaced with a 30k month Indian engineer). Younger and single westerners increasingly preferred over older, married with family westerners as they can be had cheaper. Eastern Europeans and South Americans (do they count as westerners?) taking up an increasing share of the professional population as they're cheaper.

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12410707)

Definitely true.

Why pay for an expat, his wife and 4 snotty kids when you could get exactly the same on married or single status only? Get a younger version with a bit less experience and save even more.
We're under pressure to hire more sub-con type PMs and Cost guys instead of always hunting / plumping for the expat.

Originally Posted by TheShed (Post 12410674)

A continuation of the exodus of western expats from Dubai and the greater GCC

Originally Posted by Miss Ann Thrope (Post 12410713)

Is this really true though, or is it more a question of ongoing turnover? The longer you are here the more you will see people you know leaving - as we all eventually have to. Meanwhile they keep being replaced by younger, thinner, dumber, cheaper models - that you don't know and are, let's face it, too old and decrepit to ever meet. They will in turn go through the cycle...

Originally Posted by Miss Ann Thrope (Post 12410713)

Is this really true though, or is it more a question of ongoing turnover? The longer you are here the more you will see people you know leaving - as we all eventually have to. Meanwhile they keep being replaced by younger, thinner, dumber models - that you don't know and are, let's face it, too old and decrepit to ever meet. They will in turn go through the cycle...

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH (Post 12410712)

Yep. School fees are a major headache for companies these days. Increases the overhead, fees always going up every year and there's the bizarreness of having two employees on equal footing, equal experience, equal salary, but one earning the company a lot more because he has three kids and the other doesn't have any kids.

The long run scenario for westerners in Dubai is a small group of highly paid senior executives, C-level, senior experienced PMs, people opening up new branch offices or stores and so on, and a larger group of young/single westerners who come to party and play in their 20s, working in a range of industries. But the "middle class" is rapidly disappearing.

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH (Post 12410718)

Exodus might be the wrong word while changing demographics is better. I referenced this in earlier posts.

Also, methinks we'd all be shocked if we realised how many westerners we see out and about in Dubai are actually tourists or just visiting family/friends.