Right Here Right Now. December 22, 2008

The on going world recession and economic meltdown in UAE has churned out a completely new approach in the residents who have invested years of their lives in this place and are now at risk of being thrown out on their asses due to downsizing. 

The people are hell bent on enjoying themselves before they lose their jobs and have to leave. And why not? I’ve seen this attitude mostly amongst civil engineers. i.e. my husband’s circle. There are two things on their mind. Saving cash. Enjoying UAE.

They believe that if they’re going to be one of the numerous people losing their jobs, they’d rather live it up, enjoy the pleasure rides UAE has to offer. The autodrome, swimming in the sea, fast bikes and adventure, golf and shooting, the wining and the dining, the water sports and desert sports, visiting the finest discos and hotels….

We also have our list. My list is limited to swimming as much as possible. So DH takes me to Wild Wadi every month and we also go swimming in the sea. Yeah, it is recommended by doctors and at 7 months of pregnancy, it feels great to float freely in the water. It’s also the only form of exercise which makes me happy. DH’s list consists of Ice Skating, Shooting, Racing, (and one more thing I can’t recollect). We’ve already gone Ice Skating. He skated. I spectated.

Expats saddled by heavy credit card bills and loans are being throttled by the banks and their own fear of losing it all. Those who are free of plastic money and loans for their fancy cars or heavy maintenance living are living for the day. 

Seemingly DH has kept his banks quite happy through the last 5 years of his existance in this country. He keeps getting loan offers. Banks offering him insured loans. Even if he loses his job. Though, the situation is so pathetic here. The moment he mentions he’s a civil engineer employed with a renowned Real Estate Developer, the voice on the other side says, “Sorry sir!” and the line goes dead.

DH burst out laughing from one of those calls yesterday. We pondered over the messy situations some of our acquaintences are in and we finally thanked God for giving us just adequately to survive this politically influenced economic mess peacefully.

The 100 Unfortunate Categories in UAE December 4, 2008

HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! 

Okay, its not Christmas yet. I’m just LOL-ing. Many sane people in UAE are. I should have been writing about this before but my brother in law was more important and I had to take care of him while he was there.

How ridiculous is this – The ‘No License to 100 categories’ Rule.

I quote from the Article in the Gulf News: 

“A total of 86 professions will be denied the right of obtaining driving licences by Sharjah Police.”

Why? You ask.

The Answer you get: “The authority decided to stop issuing driving licences to certain categories of residents, to curb the sharp rise in the number of vehicles.”

You start laughing out aloud. Then you wonder aloud, “yeah? and they think this will do it?”

The moment the humor subsides, you start getting pissed off. You wonder what made you chose to live in a country where the government is so lame brained. Are you that way too? You question. No. You’re just a stupid victim of the great survival instinct which prompts people to travel great lengths, swim seven seas, and earn a good living for the family even if it means putting up with a half assed government.

You rationalize that the problem with the traffic doesn’t cease because of the lack of proper roads linking all the emirates. Especially Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. 

There are just two roads to Sharjah from Dubai. The Emirates Road, The Ittihad Road. Which the entire population uses. There are only two roads linking Sharjah to Ajman. The Emirates Road and the road via Rolla. And the entire population uses these roads. So what happens here? Traffic. 

How on earth would curbing licenses stop traffic, when the only way to stop it is build better roads, arrange for better transportation in buses, cabs; build bridges. UAE is a very rich country, but greedy too. If they want to recover their cash, they will install a dozen or more Salik Toll Systems on every road possible and the poor public will pay through their noses.

Another thing. The poorer categories like “watchmen, typists, cooks, carpenters, housemaids, tailors, cafeteria waiters, unskilled labourers, gardeners and bakers and others who do not have university degrees” first of all, find it unaffordable to have a license on meager salaries of 2000 – 3000 AED. If they need to have a license, it is sponsored by their company. And then they are given to drive company vehicles, because even a Nissan Sunny costs as much as AED 1000 on rent per month.

The poorer categories mentioned above are now at the mercy of shit to travel from destination to destination. Why? Firstly, bus services suck. Secondly, cabs are fucking expensive to afford on a daily basis. Thirdly, if the cab is affordable by some, then it is hard to haul a cab in the mornings and evenings when cabbies prefer driving off to some safe place for fear of being halted by a passenger who wants to travel inter-emirates. Fourthly, carlifts have been made illegal. Those who do operate have started charging almost AED 1000 to travel to and from Sheikh Zayed Road, daily, 22 days a month. A guy/woman earning 2000 AED paying 1000 AED for a carlift? What’ll she eat? Air? Lastly, due to this recession the projects have been halted. Those projects which were due to be completed in 2010 are now going at snails pace. So people who were waiting for the metro need to wait years more.

You realize from most of your day and evening travels through Dubai and Sharjah and AUH and Ajman, that most of those people who do drive vehicles are professionals with University Degrees, businessmen and women, mothers on their way to drop kids to school… Have you seen a delivery boy with a three tier cake in the right seat speed past you at 6 am? What a joke!

Oh and what about the world class chef from Burj Dubai? He’s on a chef’s visa and earns a five figure salary and has no degree. Will he be entitled to a driving license? 

What about the tailor who has a university degree? What if this person who is a tailor by profession and choice, has educated himself in civil engineering but doesn’t wish to practice it – does he have the right to a license?

More to read regarding the License Issue:

• Obtaining a Driving License
• No driver’s licence for 100 categories of UAE workers
  

PS – Twisted People, these Sheikhs. Maybe they have arteriosclerosis of the brain.

From the National: On Damac Etcetera November 13, 2008

… and throwing light on the growing concern of the property markets’ slow collapse. 

For everyone to read. Oh, and I got the figure wrong. It’s 200 employees.

Recommended to read: 

1. Burj Dubai property prices fall
2. Damac Properties lays off 200 workers
   
3. Dubai acts on property troubles
   
4. Cracks start to show in property market
   
5. Prices drop for first time on record
   
6. Emaar to ease payment to boost sales
   
7. Consumer confidence begins to flag

As a newspaper, and from an expats point of view, I think The National is a better newspaper. I agree it prints news almost three – five days after the public is aware of the situation, but atleast it prints the truth. It’s better than having public woes not addressed at all.

Unemployment in Wonderland: Dubai November 9, 2008

Have heard that NAKHEEL laid off 350 employees and today, have received new news about DAMAC – it is laying/already laid off 100 employees.

What is the issue here? Is the property and construction world falling from its mightiness? If it is, there is only but the debris of thousands of people going jobless.

I read the jobs4u section in gulf news. They’re now paying AED 12000 – AED 14000 to HR & Recruitment professionals. The money is good as per this day and age in UAE. But what are they paying for?

Seems there is a huge shortage of work, projects are going out of hand, companies supposedly do not have money for projects, contracts are being cancelled, major names in property development are selling off their properties or co-owning them with another major name – where is all the money going?

What is the trouble in wonderland?

Would appreciate it if anyone (who has been affected by/ likely to be affected by/ knows about – this situation) would like to share their story here.

As usual, there is no mention about the stark reality in the Gulf News and the Khaleej Times (People in the UAE wonder why they censor the reality that the public knows. Maybe its to make UAE look rosy and still so attractive to the Western/Eastern/Asian world and their job seekers, but normal human beings have their survival instincts and UAE doesn’t smell so good anymore.)

Though, you can find an article pointing out to the crisis in The National -Developers and brokers feel bite of credit crisis.

Jean Marie Riachi – Dawn Mp3 November 7, 2008

I have been desperately looking out for this song for the past year. I’m so desperate to find the song, I’m blogging about it.

This is an instrumental by Jean Marie Riachi and From the Album Fruit Salad Grenadine. Track is called “Dawn”.

Have heard this as a caller tune (Greetune of Etisalat) on the mobile of one of the most irritating people in my life.. apparently she didn’t know how to calculate gratuity correctly and Princess Y was an accountant and great mathematician by profession, or so was her position in my company.

LOL.

I’ve tried using Limewire. Ares p2p. I’ve tried various websites. Nothing seems to work.

Wonder if anyone could help me with finding this song on the net and helping me download it from some site in any language…….

Departure. Arrival. Good Wishes? October 23, 2008

I lost my job and couldn’t find a temporary one. Everyone knows this.
My Grandmom chose the worst time to leave her family. Any time she chose would’ve been bad. I know and everyone knows this.
I went to India to see her one last time and my huge huge family was sad to lose her but happy to have gained a baby.

One day, in her happy mood, my mom let me in on her feelings. I knew she meant well so I didn’t blast the way I would have had I been this sad and moody (as I am today).

She said that my dad and she were really happy that I was not working anymore since I was pregnant and needed rest and she was wishing for me to quit working.

In her illogically happy mind, “a pregnant woman needs rest” is true.
In my practical and logical but ecstatic mind, “a pregnant woman just needs some extra rest and a supportive husband”, is also true.

In her practical mind, she always knows her baby needs to have ten things to do at one time to be a happy person, and “never to be BORED”. (Boredom has been the enemy of my existence since I was two months old. And “I’m bored.” is the only phrase I remember using 65 times a day, every day of the year, every year of my life – at home, in school, in college, at work. At work, my manager was used to me say this to her. She knew it meant I wanted some more things to do. And was usually out of work because she had to give me hers.)

So why on this whole fucking earth would she wish this for me. I know her wishing can’t have anything to do with the way my life has played on me, but wouldn’t you agree, it’s a piss off to think your parents wished for something that is now making you miserable everyday?

All I feel like doing is banging all the empty vessels together and saying “fuck all”. Speaking of empty vessels and the adage that “empty vessels make the most noise”, for now I’m an empty vessel. You can see just how much noise I’m making.

On Being a Housewife, October 23, 2008

Life is fast and furious and people have jobs to do.
And no time.
Circumstances have been different to me.
And so my life is slow,
I have no job to do,
no earnings,
no people interactions,
no boss needing me to manage a month,
and over 100 employees’s requests.
which leaves me so heartbroken most of the time,
because I’m not use to feeling like a servant.
or feeling like – being at home subjected only to housework
and empty walls
has made me a maid
in a thankless job
of cleaning after.
And nothing else.
Because the world doesn’t center around me.
And I’m not the world.
How much consideration can I hope for?
How much appreciation
And how much sensitivity?
What I get is not enough.
Supposedly getting enough will still never be quite.

(Thank God I have the baby to keep me “Alive!” and get me to live.)

Visas in Dubai August 8, 2008

I’ve extracted this info from the gulfnews site. It’s about the new rule for Visa’s in Dubai.

Deposit and insurance mandatory for all types of UAE visas
By Samir Salama, Associate EditorPublished: July 29, 2008, 00:05

Abu Dhabi: Changes to the visa system take effect on Tuesday, making it easier for people to obtain visas and for authorities to track them down.

“Applicants for visit visas could obtain them within 10 minutes for no extra charges,” said Brigadier Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department. “Others may have to wait for not more than 90 minutes for security checks.”

Speaking on the eve of the introduction of the new rules, Brigadier Al Minhali said a Dh1,000-refundable deposit and proof of health insurance will be mandatory for all visas.

“Sixteen types of visas have been created, including visas for medical treatment and education, to stamp out illegal stay in the country,” he said. “Documents required include passport copies, photographs of the visitor and the data of the visitor, including address in home country.”

He confirmed staff were ready, the software was in place and visas have been printed. “The system will be up and running smoothly,” Brigadier Al Minhali said.

There are several different types of visas available, with the most common being used are visit, tourist and residency visas for foreigners.

Visit visa Residents can apply for a 30-day or 90-day visit visa, both of which are non-renewable, for their spouse or blood relatives of 1st or 2nd degree only. These visas will cost Dh610 and Dh1,110 respectively. Holders can enter the country once within two months from the date of issue. Applicants will also have to pay the Dh1,000 refundable deposit and show proof of health insurance.

Only Emiratis will be allowed to sponsor friends on visit visas. Those visas may or may not be granted, depending on individual cases.

Documents proving kinship or marriage must be submitted, along with a valid reason for the required visit visa.

A foreign wife of a citizen of a GCC country can only obtain a visit visa if she holds a residence visa in the home country of her husband. Sixty-day visit visas are renewable twice, allowing for a total permitted stay of 180 days, can be obtained for domestic helpers who accompany citizens of GCC countries.

Residents in GCC countries and their domestic helpers can obtain a 30-day visit visa, renewable once for a similar period.

Tourist visa People of all nationalities can now enter the UAE on a tourist visa. Earlier, nationals from 79 countries in the Subcontinent, Middle East and elsewhere were not eligible for tourist visas and could come to the UAE only on visit visas.

Tourist visas for 30 days, renewable once for a similar period, can only be applied for through a licensed hotel, travel or tourism agency.

These firms must maintain a Dh75,000 bank guarantee. Tourists must be covered by health insurance. The tour company, hotel or travel agency must pay a Dh1,000 refundable deposit for each tourist coming to the UAE.

Applications must be submitted at least a week ahead of the tourists’ arrival in the country. A list of at least 10 tourists, their date of arrival, date of departure, itineraries and address in the country must also be submitted. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior or his representative can waive the condition regarding the number of tourists.

Student visit visa These are issued for 60 days and can be renewed twice for a similar period, for a maximum stay of 180 days. These will cost Dh1,110. Each extension will cost Dh610. Students must be registered in one of the universities in the UAE and must obtain health insurance. Additionally, a refundable deposit of Dh1,000 must also be paid.

Multiple entry visa Business travellers who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company here can obtain a multiple entry visa. This is valid for six months from the date of issue and costs Dh2,110. However, each visit must not exceed 14 days.

Visit visa for medical purposes Those wishing to undergo treatment must obtain a visit visa for treatment purposes. These visas cost Dh1,110 for a 90-day duration. They can be renewed once for a similar period for Dh610.

Visit visa for events Those visiting to attend conferences, exhibitions or festivals can obtain a 30-day visa for this purpose for Dh210. It is not renewable.

Visa for guests of the Government This is a special visa granted by UAE diplomats abroad free of charge. It can only be granted for a period of up to 90 days.

Special mission entry visa This is issued for a non-renewable 14-day period for a fee of Dh220 and a delivery charge of Dh10. Commonly known as a transit visa, it is collected by the visitor upon arrival. It is issued to businessmen and tourists sponsored by a company or commercial establishment, or a hotel licensed to operate in the UAE.

Mission visa This is a newly added type of visa for the purpose of temporary work in the country. It is issued for a maximum of 180 days with a combined fee of Dh1,800. It is issued initially for three months for a fee of Dh600, and can be renewed for another three months for Dh1,200.

The visa is issued in conjunction with the Labour Ministry’s Temporary Work Permits. An applicant must obtain the permit from the Labour Ministry to get the visa.

Transit visa: It is issued to travellers transiting through UAE airports. It is issued for 96 hours and must be sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE. The visitor must have a valid ticket for onward flight. There is a charge of Dh100.

Residence visa A residence visa is required for those who intend to enter the UAE to live indefinitely with a person who is already a resident. It is issued to the immediate kin of a resident for three years for a fee of Dh300. The residence permit becomes invalid if the resident remains out of the UAE for more than six months at a time.

Parents of residents can obtain residence visas after special approval. These have a renewable validity of one year for a fee of Dh100 annually. A refundable deposit of Dh5,000 has to be paid for each parent, however.

Investor visa These are issued to expatriate investors in partnership with locals. The foreign investor must hold a minimum stake of Dh70,000 in the share capital. Like the residence visa, it is issued for three years for a fee of Dh300.

Employment visa Employment visa or permit is issued by the Immigration Department to a foreign national who wishes to work for a company in the UAE upon the approval of the Ministry of Labour.

It allows the holder to enter the UAE once for a period of 30 days and is valid for two months from the date of issue.

When the employee has entered the country on the basis of the employment visa, the sponsoring company will arrange to complete the formalities of stamping his residence.

Urgent visit visas Urgent visit visas will no longer be issued, but all visas will be processed on an urgent basis. Earlier, the Residency Department would issue a visit visa on an urgent basis for additional payment of Dh100.

Exemption: Free entry – The UAE will not charge 34 nationalities for entry visas, and the free entry permit valid for 30 days on arrival will remain unchanged. This permit is renewable for 30 more days for a fee of Dh500. These visitors will be exempt from the refundable deposit and health insurance rules.

The 34 countries are Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Website Facade – Part 2 August 8, 2008

So I’m continuing in the same mood from the previous post.

My company is shutting down. Poof! Poof! With a clap of the hand! Our aircrafts are not being registered in Dubai because after Emirates introduced an A380 into its fleet, Dubai Airport has upped standards. Which means classic boeings have to go elsewhere.

Problem is that Sharjah Airport isn’t willing to register our aircrafts. They’ve tolerated the company long enough. They hate our company.

VOILA!

The company decides to shift to Kazakhstan, lay off all asian employees without giving them their dues and keep Russian and CIS employees back so they could do some odd job or the other.

Classic Example: Like the once Flight Operations Assistant who was shifted to the position of Sales Executive for Charter Flights who was shifted to being Flight Operations Assistant again will now be demoted to Receptionist in our SAIF Zone office. And why? Because she’s Moldovian.

And even though she’s never on her seat and uses free time to eat breakfast, eat brunch, eat lunch, talk to her friends and parents over ‘voice over internet protocol’ which is paid by the office.

But our sweet Filipino receptionist at SAIF has been dismissed because company has no use for her anymore and anyways she was not good, inspite of doing all tasks as directed and sitting on her seat from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM non stop.

Most of the Asian and middle eastern staff are on unpaid leaves or laid off. But CIS citizens and Russians are still on the payroll. Those Asians and Middle Easterns who are not on leave will be paid 50% of their salaries. Those CIS citizens and Russians who are not on leave will get 75% of their salaries. The CIS citizens and Russians who are on leave will get half their leave salaries and also return tickets. For citizens of other countries, people have to bear their own expenses.

Sounds like SHIT?
IT IS.

Now this is the internal situation of my company. I’m saddened by the way they’re using people to play their dirty game of chess.

But I’m happy I’m free. It’s my dream come true. All I’m waiting for is the legal advice which will be offered to me by DAFZA Admin about my claims. And about the company’s refusal to pay me my full notice period salary.

This is precisely why company website are a facade of their true faces. (okie, twintopaz, you were right, I was talking about my company also, but couldn’t be darn true cuz there were some colleagues on my blog) You recieve a call from the company saying they’re interested in you and they chat you up on your career and pretend they’re real charming. Ofcourse, candidates get charmed and ask for the web ID to understand what the company does. The HR provides the web ID. The candidate visits and is real charmed by the text, colors, the Flash constructed sequences. The idea forms in the head that if he or she were to be hitched with this company, he or she could survive well for a few years.

Ofcourse, I don’t say that the website is the only thing to blame but its one of it. And I don’t say candidates don’t have a head to guess whether they’re headed for the skies or a huge dirt bag.
But the website does play a role.

When I got the call I asked for the website address. Visited it and thought that this was so classy and so amazing and they were into CARGO and CHARTER AIRLINES and TRAVEL. Huge money, huge business and great salary. The office I visited was world class, totally European in design and each employee workstation was furnished with the best of furniture. Women and Men walked about in elegant business suits, as was the official clothing of the office. No arguments on the salary I demanded. Polite interviewer. Warm employees. Brilliant interview from company’s side and mine. I was explained the nature of their business on the first visit. The way it was spelled to me, I saw the “you’re getting the job” signal between every sentence.

My job went excellent. I was recruitment officer for a group of companies. I performed recruitment for their Airlines, European Office Furniture Company, Chinese home furiture company and Interior Design Consultancy. I placed 5 to 6 candidates in a month in every company. Partly because of new requirements of a company increasing in size and partly because of employee turnover. I was happy with my job, salary, employees, work conditions, everything. Until, the HR Manager went for her vacation.

Find out what happened while the HR Manager was away in my next post.

Why I think Company Websites are a Facade. July 20, 2008

Doesn’t one single soul in this world sometimes doubt the fancy website a potenial employer has developed to market his company?

What I mean is this – The company may be a shipping company with world class liners advertised. The colors used on the company website may be superbly co-ordinated. The theme and layout of the website may be dazzling and the text may be so enticingly arranged it may give us the impression “If God granted me the wish of choosing the best company in the world, this would be it.”

Only an employee from within that company would know that one of the ships has sunk in the Pacific, one of the ships has been mortgaged to help cover losses and the other ship the ‘news’ talks about, doesn’t exist.

I’m sure there are many. All those who fall in the category of many may leave comments. (Ok, I love comments. Good or Bad. Sad problem is my blog is not so famous. That’s okay. And not the real issue.) Those who defend the website as the raspberry cream which makes the cheese cake so alluringly delicious, may also leave comments.

I’m so tired right now, that I’ll fall asleep. The sixteen or eighteen visitors on my page in the next 10 – 15 hours may leave their opinions. It’s nice to know what people think.

I’ll be writing much more on this once I recover from sleepiness.
Good night!