So here's my options for saving my mental health & Leaving dubai

[Waaib]

I will defend Waaib and his statement about knowing the right people. I have being doing a bit of reading on how "on the ground" politics work. For instance the death penalty rate is something silly like 75% higher for foreigners than it is for Saudis.

Saudis believe they are Gods chosen people (yep another lot), and are extremely arrogant (they make americans look like the Red Cross). A Saudi if in trouble has the option to often pay Diyya (or blood money) .. to the right government official to get out of most crimes.

All cases are judged by the extreme Sharia law and are not done or translated into English.

Its a very very bad idea to get on the bad side of a country with dismal human right records.

Thanks Wiz - point of order though - Acid is in Dubai not Saudi.

 

[brixton tower]

Hehe, doing that atm, but as the IT manager I need to come in when the other people are here for support/work thingies (believe its called giving them work to do)

*sigh*

Well I did start freelancing on my Fridays. Fridays are business days in SA so I'm charging R1800 per month for 5 hours per Friday retainer on work. I'm also working on 2 website ideas which should bring in some extra cash if I do it correctly and then I have my gamecard business on the side as well which is chugging away nicely (but constantly having to struggle with suppliers sucks balls!)

I'm also in the process of organizing advertising boards on our house back home because we live right next to the N1 and visible going in and out of Cape Town, so I reckon an advertising agency would be interested. If I can do that and pay my dad x for the house I could rake in enough to settle the loan in around 9 months.

Trust me, I'm working my ass off to dig myself out this hole (note my words, dig, lol)

Just not sure how much longer I can take this **** here...

I feel your pain mate but like most of the people on here I suggest that you stay put even if it feels you're like enduring hell's fire and pay off your debt...only WHEN you lose your job will you have to change your game plan.

I just had a friend go over to work in Dubai and other people have been telling me all about it. For the most part I can't see myself living in 24 hour air conditioned bubble- granted Manila ain't much better.

One thing about working in a place like Dubai is that you need to forget about your human rights because Arabs, and those who invest in Dubai see it differently so forget about questioning authority.

 

[Jewelbox]

Now I'm very worried as my son-in-law is leaving for Dubai, to work there, on Saturday!
Some sort of amo factory located between Dubai and Abhu Dabi.

Anyone know about this place?

 

[guest2013-1]

Jewelbox,

It's not a "bad" place. Just advise your son in law not to take out a credit card or incur any loans and he should be fine. Pay everything cash up front and don't be swayed by all the things he can afford to buy here.

Since I've been here the only thing I bought myself was an ipod touch. I have been sending money back home like a mofo. (Oh and I had my teeth done)

But yes.

No loans
No credit cards

He should be ok

 

[bwana]

Jewelbox,

It's not a "bad" place. Just advise your son in law not to take out a credit card or incur any loans and he should be fine. Pay everything cash up front and don't be swayed by all the things he can afford to buy here.

Since I've been here the only thing I bought myself was an ipod touch. I have been sending money back home like a mofo. (Oh and I had my teeth done)

But yes.

No loans
No credit cards

He should be ok

Was that cosmetic?

 

[guest2013-1]

Was that cosmetic?

Not entirely, but some work yes.

 

[guest2013-1]

Oh and it wasn't done on credit or loan

 

[blunomore]

Oh and it wasn't done on credit or loan

Improving your smile is always a good investment.

 

[w1z4rd]

Thanks Wiz - point of order though - Acid is in Dubai not Saudi.

I always thought Dubai was in Saudi. Bleh. I need to look at my maps again. My bad.

 

[guest2013-1]

lol @wizard, its in the same region. It's UAE then Kuwait then Iraq... so its easy to assume

 

[krycor]

hah, a telling mistake.

btw are electronic goodies really cheaper or just more abundant?

 

[Jewelbox]

Jewelbox,

It's not a "bad" place. Just advise your son in law not to take out a credit card or incur any loans and he should be fine. Pay everything cash up front and don't be swayed by all the things he can afford to buy here.

Since I've been here the only thing I bought myself was an ipod touch. I have been sending money back home like a mofo. (Oh and I had my teeth done)

But yes.

No loans
No credit cards

He should be ok

Thanks for the advice, will tell him! And good luck to you.....

 

[AvOk]

Easier said than done. (I wish I knew this before I came to Dubai, thinking I could land another job easy if this one fails)

Guess what they do?

If your employer fires you and you have to find another job, you get flight blocked and your bank accounts freezed ANYWAY until you can confirm new employment. So with no way of having money, you need to get around Dubai + get to interviews to secure employment.

Not only that, I can't look for another job while I'm employed with this company because (guess what) if my company finds I did that they can lodge a complaint with the freezone authority which would effectively cancel my visa, block my account and give me 30 days to vacate Dubai (**** knows how as they won't allow you to leave) and an effective 1 year ban from returning.

I have to have a letter of NOC from my current company before moving on to the 2nd company, to do that I have to give notice with intent to leave the country to start the process. Then when the notice is up I have 30 day grace period to leave, only once I have left the company (note my accounts being frozen all this time) will the new company be able to furnish me with a contract.

So I have to hope to Alah that they actually are true to their WORD and not **** me seven ways from Friday and leave me in the lurch.

It's seriously ****ed up how it works here. It's not just a question of finding a new job, its going to the right channels not pissing anyone off who might refuse NOC letters and ****. This is only making me want to come back to SA even more.

Pitbull, you're right, I can do that, but I'm not that kind of person. Like I said, if you corner an animal it will attack you for survival, and if Dubai and it's authorities force me to I will...

Hi Acid

I posted some advice, or experience in another thread a while ago. You have obviously made up your mind and you are looking at justifying your illegal escape from this country.

What you have said above is not entirely true, in fact half of it is BS. I have been in a similar situation and have managed to find another job (I had a 6 month automatic ban for leaving in my first year of service). I have moved to the government sector and a ban does not affect employment within the government sector.

Not only that, I can't look for another job while I'm employed with this company because (guess what) if my company finds I did that they can lodge a complaint with the freezone authority which would effectively cancel my visa, block my account and give me 30 days to vacate Dubai (**** knows how as they won't allow you to leave) and an effective 1 year ban from returning.

Not true, you can move from free zone to private, ie. any company outside free zone without any problems, and if I have a ban from the the private sector, I can find employment in a free zone and government sector. Even then your new company can lift a ban if you are in the private sector (which I know has happened for a few of my friends)

Also, a company has to have a valid reason to fire you(looking for other employment is not one). If not, you have a lot of recourse with the ministry of labour. You are also not allowed to stay/live in the country in any way without a visa, so if you are fired, you have no visa and you will end up in jail and eventually deported. If however you are retrenched, it is very rare and costly for any company here.

I recommend looking for another job, or settle your debts from SA. The bank freezing and airport blocking is not a big a deal as you make out, although they are all ways of dealing with people who abscond.

For a company to ban someone more than 6 months(automatic ban for less than a years service), they have to have a very good reason and it is not an easy process.

Most companies will not contest or fight it if you leave.

Finding another job seems it will not help, as you want to return home for other reasons. (family/friends etc.)

Jewelbox: that would be Jebel Ali Free Zone. What is he going to be doing. Its really not a bad place, but you can end up working for a crappy company very easily.

brixton, i dont quiet agree: you can question authority, you can take up any unfair discrimination with either the free zone authority or the ministry of labour.

 

[Waaib]

^^ There are rules and then there are rules it seems ...

 

[guest2013-1]

Thanks Avoc, thought it wasn't all doom and gloom, but still, having debt here and wanting to go back seems difficult if you want to do it legitamately (sp) I had my information coming from an expat website here in Dubai and one of the ladies on there works for a bank. Some of them are also business owners with experience on the working of things.

But thanks for clearing up the ban if you look for another job etc.

 

[Waaib]

I always thought Dubai was in Saudi. Bleh. I need to look at my maps again. My bad.

No problem. You might want to check your facts on Saudi also though. They do have a very strict culture but your posts are pretty extreme and I'm sure not a fair reflection on everyday life in Saudi.
I work in a team that includes members and managers who live in Saudi and are Saudi citizens. All of them are just humans trying to get by like you and me, the old corporate slog. Some of them are the funniest and warmest characters I've ever dealt with.

 

[Frankie]

I'm used to the crap people spew but it becomes increasingly "back breaking" when my responsibilities are overridden by those who gave it to me in the first place and then at the end blame me when things go wrong even though I advised otherwise.

If you didn't have that advice in written form then what you're experiencing can be expected - keep it all in writing, distributed to the correct parties.

I think you'll be making a major mistake in life if you do not make arrangements to service your debt with the bank - the bank has stuff all to do with the bad employer - see the bank and ask them what arrangements can be made to service the debt if you left the area.

Regardless of your insecurity, it may be best to stick it out and honour your work contract. If they fire you then the dismissal should reflect that and then just find a way to work-around the issues.
The bank will not want to block your departure if they know that will mean you cannot repay the debt.

Biggest mistake was to work in Saudi Barbaria - I wouldn't have expected anything different from those buggers.

 

[AvOk]

Thanks Avoc, thought it wasn't all doom and gloom, but still, having debt here and wanting to go back seems difficult if you want to do it legitamately (sp) I had my information coming from an expat website here in Dubai and one of the ladies on there works for a bank. Some of them are also business owners with experience on the working of things.

But thanks for clearing up the ban if you look for another job etc.

No probs, I know it does not help much, as your problem is related to your loan, but don't let the company try and threaten you with banning etc. As to working hours, there are set amount, not sure, will go look it up tomorrow at work.

I would settle the loan, no matter what! As they outsource the collection of debt and in some cases even open criminal cases in your home country!

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080529/NATIONAL/116983407/1010/rss

Answer to your question with regards to being fired while working (this guy is a local lawyer):

http://www.gulfnews.com/uaessentials/ask_the_law/employment/10247701.html

I have read your post on the expat website your mentioned, there is some good advice, but there are ways around the banning. But they have some good advice with regards to the loan.

On another note, with the rand at R9.32 to the dollar today, its going to cost you a lot to try and clear the loan here.

Frankie--> most contracts are open, so I presume Acid is on an open contract, same as SA, 1 months notice etc. but his loan is the problem.

 

[guest2013-1]

If you didn't have that advice in written form then what you're experiencing can be expected - keep it all in writing, distributed to the correct parties.

I think you'll be making a major mistake in life if you do not make arrangements to service your debt with the bank - the bank has stuff all to do with the bad employer - see the bank and ask them what arrangements can be made to service the debt if you left the area.

Regardless of your insecurity, it may be best to stick it out and honour your work contract. If they fire you then the dismissal should reflect that and then just find a way to work-around the issues.
The bank will not want to block your departure if they know that will mean you cannot repay the debt.

Biggest mistake was to work in Saudi Barbaria - I wouldn't have expected anything different from those buggers.

I have it written and spent hours in meetings argueing otherwise. But "whatever you say boss, however you want it boss" (In the end it cost them more than R240 000, not my baby, they're paying for it, but still... I'm good at my job and I know wtf I'm talking about, but now I'm threatend with my job security because of these expenditures. Lovely.)

Anyways, AvOk found me no worries Now I just need to figure out who AvOk is on there and I can be evol and push the status up to moderator. I are having power trip

 

[guest2013-1]

I have read your post on the expat website your mentioned, there is some good advice, but there are ways around the banning. But they have some good advice with regards to the loan.

Yup, and as I said in there I am in no way intending to not pay my debt. And I've basically chosen a *** time to try and do this with the exchange rate being so stupid.

I'm more relaxed about the situation here, still unsure about the job (but a LOT more chilled in finding a new job which is cool) I was thinking I should even go as far as make myself even more into debt, restructure my current loan into 60 months and pay off my car back home. This will effectively reduce my "living" expenses back home to almost 0 and I can then concentrate in pushing my entire salary less expenses per month (toiletries/food) into the personal loan and then "live like a rat"

The issue is always (was always) coping with sending money back home in time for the debit orders not to bounce etc. I will evaluate this in December (the date I was told I will be fired if things don't improve) and see if I'd like to take that route I mentioned above.