The roads around Dubai airport are clogged with abandoned cars left behind by workers from the construction industry who are fleeing the UAE at the onset of the economic collapse:On the night of December 31, 2008 alone more than 80 vehicles were found at the airport. "Sixty cars were seized on the first day of this year," director general of Airport Security, Mohammed Bin Thani, said over the phone.
On the same day, deputy director of traffic, colonel Saif Mohair Al Mazroui, said they seized 22 cars abandoned at a prohibited area in the airport.
Faced with a cash crunch and a bleak future ahead, there were no goodbyes for the migrants -- overwhelmingly South Asians, mostly Indians - just a quiet abandoning of the family car at the airport and other places.
While 2,500 vehicles have been found dumped in the past four months outside Terminal I, which caters to all global airlines, Terminal III, which is only used by Emirates Airlines, had 160 cars during the same period.
Dr Geoff Pound
P.S. Regarding the free abandoned car, you may well be left with the task of paying off the remaining costs but there might be some bargains in the offing.
Image: Another abandoned car gets towed away.
