Thinking of 10 reasons to be or not to be in Dubai...

Ten reasons why one should come and work in Dubai

1. Monies: You get paid at least 3 – 4 times what you normally get paid in India. Those abnormal IIT, IIM types please excuse.
2. Lifestyle: It definitely is better compared to what I used to live like in Chennai. This might be a little different depending on perceptions on individuals and their outlook towards life… But it is far better.
3. Good women: If you have an eye for women, this is the place to be… All nationalities and types… Filipinos are found in abundance, Russians, Lebanese and Syrians…. What not, its fun for the single men and the unfaithful… heartburn for people like me… And for the women, you have got some fabulous looking Greek men and of course me, RajaB.
4. Fast cars: If you are the one who likes those colourful fast cars, this is the place to be… Ferraris, Lamborghini’s to our own Scorpio every thing is available. The permitted speed limit is on an average between 80 – 120 Kmph… Speeding more than that, Insha Allah you will not be caught by the camera…
5. Food: You get to taste the greatest range of world cuisine possible… From Chettinad to Italian, Lebanese to Pakistani, Kerala to Turkey name it you’ve got it here…
6. Less of Pollution: No smoke, smog etc. as seen in Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai… But you should be prepared for the occasional sand storm which doesn’t affect your life greatly if you are going to live in mainland Dubai. The city is clean and you pay fines if you are found littering (but still people from the subcontinent manage to do it and feel proud that they have fooled the police!!)
7. Amazing shopping malls: Obscene number of shopping malls gives you a plenty of choice while you shop. This huge numbers of mall presence also ensures you have some great deal/offer running thro’ the year at some mall in the town, not forgetting the Dubai Shopping Festival, the Summer Surprises, Gitex – A computer exhibition and a host of other festivals round the year… And the highlight of Dubai, exclusive mall for gold – The Gold Souk…
8. Presence of multinational companies: Almost all the multinational companies and brands are present here in Dubai… So you have a wide range to choose from be it a packet of Kraft cheese for your kitchen or a Hansgrohe for your bathroom… You could also hop jobs from one multinational to other provided you are in Dubai Media City or any other free zone, otherwise your employer could ban you from entering Dubai for 6 months if he finds you are going to hop.
9. Nightlife: Dubai has a great nightlife. Evenings start only by 10p and 4am is night for Dubai. Fabulous clubs and pubs clubbed with amazing beauties from all across the globe, what more would you want… Once you experience Dubai’s nightlife you would wonder if this place is ruled by Sheik St. Peter.
10. Water, Electricity and other amenities: People think water is a rarity in Dubai or at least I have heard horror stories about how difficult it is to fetch water here… I have been told a “Thirsty Sheikh” story during childhood, where the Sheikh unable to find water to quench his thirst kills his camel removes its water bag and drinks from there eeks… But I have after I came here bath for 20 continuous minutes twice a day… Ditto the case of other amenities including electricity etc.

Ten reasons why you should not come and work in Dubai

1. The heat: Dubai, they say is not that too hot. But believe me that is meant for the camels and probably it is justifies if a camel from Dubai tells this story to a camel from India… In my opinion this is a little too hot a place for humans to live and that too from a country like India (I still don’t know how the Russians & Canadians here manage!!). Temperature here is on an average about 48 degrees during summer and the humidity is pitched at more than 85%. Even the AC’s at your home, transport, office and everywhere could only save you to a certain extent.
2. You miss your home: Yes I’m feeling the pinch… It is pretty difficult leaving your whole family down in India and living alone here and that too if you have a wife 7+ months pregnant it makes life all the more difficult and unexplainably tough to deal with…
3. Cost of overseas calls: The ISD calls are a little too above the reach of an average man… And that too if it is India you are calling it is very expensive and that is my personal experience. Talking about calls I have a friend for whom Etisalat the local mobile service provider is thinking of appointing a dedicated customer care resource. Believe me this gentleman makes calls worth Dh. 250, which is Rs. 3000 every two days to his fiancé in India… And I bust-up about half that calling my pregnant wife… Which effectively means that you end up spending a few hundred bucks more than your salaries on phone cards every month, thanks to my Citicard I’m surviving.
4. The cost of living: It is a way too expensive… I bought a pair of shoes for Dh. 300 which equals to Rs. 3,600 and believe me that was the most inexpensive of the lot that was available for me….
5. The middle managers crisis: If you are a mid level manager and you have a plan to make it big in the Dubai scene someday, you cut part of the entertainment and live a quiet life. This over a period of time makes you function like a robot, get up have a bath, catch a bus to office, work, work work, eat your lunch, work, work, work, take a bus back home, have a bath, watch some TV – primarily the free to air channels to save the extra buck, have a drink while you watch TV, have dinner at some cheap Indian joint, go to bed… And ditto the next day and the saga continues ever after till you grow big in the corporate ladder.
6. The traffic: It a little too congested… This is primarily due to the fact that every other man owns a car and if you are a local then a 4-wheel drive is a must as part of your identity. This makes traveling between two points a picnic, yes a picnic full of traffic snarls…
7. Accidents on road: Due to the maddening speed at which these 4 wheeled monsters travel on road there are many accidents that happen. While there is 95% probability that these are not fatal, this leads to traffic jams and congestion. Mornings and evenings when people get into and get out of offices is when the cars look for their mate, and some times it is group orgy of about 4-5 cars piled up.
8. The real estate: Renting a house in mainland Dubai these days gives one a Sheikh status… Yes it is very expensive and only locals and a select group of high earning executives (in Dubai standards) get to live in the heart of Dubai. Rest of us aam junta have to either find a dingy studio apartment or move to Sharjah or some other emirate…
9. The no nonsense approach of the police and bureaucracy: You can’t bribe them you can’t jump the queue and no favoritism or the VIP approach. Indians, especially the ones who have tasted this would find it very difficult to digest this attitude. Now I know where and how “Sare jahan se achaa, Hindustan hamara!!”
10. The women again: If you have a weakness for women, then this is not the place where you should be. “All nationalities available at a very competitive price” looks like a slogan or something? But that is the reality. So better not be here if you have a sweet spot for those sweet woman else you would go back to your country with lots of fond memories and an empty budget in hand…