Kia ora!The latest news is that recruitment drives in New Zealand are cranking up to attract Kiwis to Dubai.
Tax-free salaries look tempting and they are being told it costs less than $20 to fill your petrol tank!
An article in the New Zealand Herald (25 May 2008) says:
“Last year, more than 700 Kiwis left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), permanently or long term.”
“Each day, about 700 people from around the globe arrive in Dubai and apply for work permits, which are granted to all who find employment. But the handful of New Zealand workers is dwarfed by the thousands of British and Australian expatriates turning up to make their fortune - or at least build up their savings.”
“Compared with Sydney and London, Dubai rates low as a destination for Kiwis' great overseas experience or cash injection, says Jason Walker, regional director of Hays New Zealand, the international recruitment company hosting the expo.”
“He says the UAE is desperately seeking Kiwi workers to help turn it into a sustainable economy by 2015 when the oil is expected to run out.”
The article by Jacqueline Smith entitled ‘Desert Jewel a Rough Diamond’ comes with many warnings about the toughness of living in Dubai and the UAE.
Steve Livesay who worked in Dubai as an engineer says he would recommend Dubai to Kiwis, but with a warning. "They have to be prepared - it's not all sweet and light. The rewards are there but it is challenging."
“A mother of a toddler, who would not be named for fear of jeopardising her husband's position in Dubai, told the Herald on Sunday there was not enough information available to wives following their husbands to Dubai. She spoke of internet censorship (parts of her social networking Facebook page were banned) excessive traffic jams, scorpions and the obvious racial hierarchy.”
“Being a 20-hour flight from home, she felt isolated, as she often avoided leaving the house because of the traffic, the 42C heat and the jumble of construction.”
“She warns all wives to check the place out before blindly following their husbands.”
Check out this article in its entirety, especially if you’re a kiwi contemplating flying to the UAE.
Link: Jacqueline Smith, ‘Desert Jewel a Rough Diamond’, New Zealand Herald, 25 May 2008.
Extra Information on the UAE
The NZ-UAE Connection
UAE Information: Essential Guide for New Residents to the Emirates
Drug Laws in the UAE—Beware!
The UAE and the Law
Christians and Churches in the Emirates
Setting up Business in Dubai and the UAE
Fujairah Information
Human Rights in the UAE
What to Wear in the UAE
UAE Tax Rates
UAE Pollution
Safe and Secure in the Emirates?
How Peaceful is the UAE?
Education in the UAE
Falling Dollar+Rising Costs=Protesting Laborers
Freedom of the Press
Rising Cost of Living
Quality of Living in the UAE
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Dr. Geoff Pound
Image: NZ and UAE—contrasting countries.
