Where is everybody?
 

I'm not talking about members on this forum - let's be honest, it has been dead for years... but I mean the greater population of Dubai, specifically the westerners.

When I don't have a deal on, I try and spend a lot of my time meeting people. I was busy up to just before summer so did not do this for a while and then took a break over the summer as no-one is here anyway. I'm now back to it and there is literally no-one around. I've also noticed that all the senior positions I used to meet are now filled with non-westerns, which does make it a little harder to connect with them. The only people here seem to be Millenials surviving on coffee and dust while running their loss-making start-up that has no chance of succeeding, either due to an unimaginative business model (another food/grocery/spa delivery service anybody?) or a simple lack of effort on their behalf.

It's the first time I've really felt it, but wow. It's like the fish have all been taken out of the tank but the pumps, lights, and heater are all still on.

Oh, and I suspect my neighbour has done a bunk. He's been gone for 2.5 months now...some poor soul is still washing his car three times a week though.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

Re: Where is everybody?
 

What car is it? ;-)

A load of my long term mates are now commuting into the Kingdom while more and more positions here are being filled by inexperienced young or washed up old Arabs, both sets seeming to have questionable ethics / approaches to professionalism......

I'm waiting for a project award and so will be heading out to site for a few years so all still OK for me tho.Doubt I will stick the whole project through this time (although its likley to be there for me if I want it). I may give it another year and then start looking elsewhere outside the region.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

Well, if the Pizza Express buffet in Ibn Battuta on a Friday afternoon is any manner of barometer, Dubai is not in great shape, place was far from busy. Mostly young families of Arab origin. But then again, went to Coffee Club on Wasl Rd yesterday and it was heaving with young Arabs and Indians. Sign of the times?

Re: Where is everybody?
 

Not meaning to sound naive, but what does Dubai have to offer a westerner?

Been in KSA seven years now and yet to visit , no real inclination to either . I was contemplating a trip in the spring , but there are other places I'd rather go more. What am I missing out on ?

Re: Where is everybody?
 

Re: Where is everybody?
 

More and more friends here (long-term expats) are talking about exit plans within in the next year. The place feels different, and not like back in 2009. At my daughters school there a a fair few parents working on Expo, it will be interesting to see what happens once that is over. I'm just pleased we never bought a property here. Our bucket is close the brim now.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

Definitely seeing the same, but moreso where I live. The apartments are very, very big and very cheap. We're certainly in the minority as a young Western couple.
Still, that's a microcosm. At work I'm still hiring lots of good Westerners to work on Expo (no, I'm not lying, we're still hiring).
Most of my work at the moment is on bids in KSA, no two ways about it. It's where the market is shifting and the sooner most of the candidates get their heads around it, the better.

When Expo finishes? They all get punted. It's the only project that's ever had a cliff edge date in the region (that I can think of). It's got to open for the entire world to come (lol) in October.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

serious question - What does a westerner do down at the expo? I thought it was all Chinese?

Maybe... or maybe a central core will be ready with some stuff on the peripheral being finished off - Greek Olympics style.

I'm looking forward to going to the expo. I imagine somehow it will boil down to being another global village but with better access.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

What's all Chinese?
To be honest, we're purely looking at the construction side of it. Getting the main buildings built and helping the visiting nations get their space or pavilion fit out / built.

It's ****ing phenomenal down there. It's huge and some of the pavilions are spectacular, that's before the 90 odd nations start building their own.

I can't wait to go, will be sick.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

Etihad Rail will keep a lot of us busy for the next few years but a lot of this will be site staff and so no likely to be westerners except for the more specialist folks like myself.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

I'm one of those boring old blokes who sits in the pub once or twice a week. The sheer number of boring old blokes at the bar who have disappeared over the past year is shocking, but also many of the ones that are still here, are unemployed it seems.

Very worrying if you're in construction and welded to Dubai by family etc. (Which I'm not).

Re: Where is everybody?
 

I thought all the construction down there was being done by Chinese contractors.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

There must be some parallels with other countries which historically attracted expats but then fell by the wayside. I'm thinking similar cycles must have happened in Africa over the years - perhaps from the 50s to 70s.
Hong Kong stands out for me as a place that surely must have taken a nose dive of western expats since the handover.

Re: Where is everybody?
 

Most of the work was under the umbrella of the recently bankrupted Carillion through Al Futtaim. Though I'm sure there's millions of construction 'management' firms running around down there too.