Dubai / Abu Dhabi: Questions and Issues (Lucky 7)

[earl223]

I heard about Dubai not having any money to pay its loans anymore. Pati na rin ang Abu Dhabi, mas malala pa daw ang problema kesa Dubai. May immediate effect na ba sa mga foreigners dyan mga sis and bros?

I think that Abu Dhabi is okay... it's the largest emirate in the UAE and it's oil reserves are plentiful.  Dubai is still very much in crisis... close to bankrupt (if not yet bankrupt).  Dubai still has outstanding unpaid loans amounting to billions of dollars mainly done to fuel its construction boom... tapos last month nagloan pa siya sa Abu Dhabi ng US$10Billion.  The Dubai stock market has seen losses of upto 60%.  It may take years before Dubai recovers as it tries to win back investors.  In the meantime, unfinished construction will remain unfinished and delayed for months or years and people will continue to leave Dubai because of the redunduncies, and because work is hard to come by.

The effect to foreign workers?  Since the economic downfall started to have an impact on Dubai early 2009, as much as 15,000 work visas were being canceled everyday.  Some say that Dubai is on the verge of becoming a ghost town.

[jm23]

^ hala, ano ba yan... nakakalungkot naman! baka parehas na naman to last year. i don't want to think any negative thoughts muna...
bro earl, kasi ganito yun... yung al habtoor nagconduct ng employer's interview nung nov. 19, tapos nagsubmit na lahat ng requirements last friday and inasikaso na yung sa visa ang flight schedule... siguro naman, ok na to noh? naku talaga natatakot na man ako... yung pinsan ko na nagtourist visa last nov. 5, nakahanap na sila ng work, mag-asawa kasi sila... yung wife, secretary sya tapos yung husband is materials engr. pero not in al habtoor sila.... siguro naman ok na tong sa al habtoor ko noh? anybody who worked for alhabtoor here? ok ba sya? ano status ng company nila? heheeh... pasensya na, napapraning na ako... hahahaha...

[earl223]

^Sis yung Al Habtoor is one of the biggest corporations in the UAE.  You can compare them to San Miguel corporation dito sa pinas... San Miguel has their liquor division with San Miguel Beer and Ginebra San Miguel, food and dairy division with Purefoods and Magnolia, Real estate division, food packaging, etc. etc.  So if you say that you are going to work for San Miguel corporation... i have to ask you, anong division?

So as with Al Habtoor, they are a group of companies ranging from the real estate sector to hotels, from schools to car companies, from publishing to special events coordinators.  So the question is... saan division ka mapupunta?

Al Habtoor is saying that they are a strong company and that the recent financial crisis had little affect on them.  Maybe yes, maybe no.. but still affected nonetheless.  Okay naman siguro ang Al Habtoor in terms of professionalism... hindi ka lolokohin and they won't take advantage of you.  No need to worry about that.  The only thing you have to worry about is kung saang divison ka ilalagay.  If you are assigned to real estate and even sa hotels... mahirap i-determine yung future mo doon.

[jm23]

^ bro, sa al habtoor leighton ako... sa engineering and construction division ako tapos sa abu dhabi project. though hindi ko pa alam kung ano exactly ang site kasi dun na namin malalaman eh... marami din kami... thanks for the info!
i'm hoping and praying for the best!

[shoutingwind]

Malaking company naman ang Al Habtoor. Kung talagang mapapa alis na kayo, I guess ok na yan. PERO, wala pa din kasiguruhan lahat.

As we always say, nothing is permanent in Dubai. May mga kilala ako, kaka hire lang after 6 months inalis din kasi nga "redundant" daw.

You'll just have to take the risk.

[lovelybelle]

hello everyone! newbie here

ask ko lang po if may alam kayong promos ng air ticket pauwi ng pinas pero march to may pa naman ang target date ko kasi [textspeak!] company namin are only giving us less than 2000AED budget for our air ticket allowance.

Thank you.

[caiomhe]

try mo singapore air, brunei air or gulf air..dpat mas maaga ka mgpabook pra mas mura mkuha mong price..

[earl223]

^^Cathay pacific meron at 1,680dhs...excluding travel tax so aabot sa 2,175dhs.  Dapat ngayon palang magpa-book ka na.

Malaysia Airlines has it at 1,675dhs including tax.

Singapore has its cheapest fare (depending on departure and arrival dates) at 2,095dhs including tax.

[yezzel]

earl223

thanks po..

ok din po ba magwork sa bahrain? ano po ba mas ok dubai or bahrain?

sorry if off topic na ata .. wala kasing bahrain thread kaya dito ko na lang ask .. thank you again

[earl223]

^Bahrain has a stronger economy.  For every 1 Bahrain dinar you get 123 pesos while for every 1 UAE dirham you only get 12 pesos.

Cost of living is relatively comparable to European countries but cheaper than Dubai.

Population wise, there are more filipinos in Dubai compared to Bahrain.  Dubai had more than 300,000 OFWs in 2006.. but during the recession where many were laid off from work,  reports have it na there are only 80,000 OFWs left working sa buong UAE. (not sure lang kung totoo ito).  Bahrain has about 45,000 OFWs... so between Dubai and Bahrain, kapag mag-isa ka lang, mas malaki ang chance na magiging homesick ka if you go to Bahrain.

In regards to salary... mas malaki ang salary na matatanggap mo sa Bahrain.

[Gabrielle Andre]

saan ba sa dubai pinakamagandang bumili ng DSLR camera, lenses at accessories? yung pinakamura ha aside from sharaf and carrefour...

kelan din ba start ng DSF? gusto ko kasi pagbalik ko dyan dsf para bongga ang mga sale hehe

[southpaw]

sis, you can try sa Al Falak sa City Center. Dun ko binili DSLR ko. Cheaper than e-max, sharaf or carrefour. Hinde fixed ang price nila, pwede ka tumawad.

[Gabrielle Andre]

san nga ba yung Al Falak dun? Is it the one na malapit sa carrefour? thanks sis ha...

[marssie]

Al Habtoor is saying that they are a strong company and that the recent financial crisis had little affect on them.  Maybe yes, maybe no.. but still affected nonetheless.  Okay naman siguro ang Al Habtoor in terms of professionalism... hindi ka lolokohin and they won't take advantage of you.  No need to worry about that.  The only thing you have to worry about is kung saang divison ka ilalagay.  If you are assigned to real estate and even sa hotels... mahirap i-determine yung future mo doon.

Nung kasagsagan ng recessions, yung friend ng friend ko nagtangal sa Al Habtoor, pero nakangiti pa rin siyang umuwi kasi halos 4 times ng salary niya nakuha niya:) Then yung mga next "daw" na natangal x2 na lang..

[southpaw]

san nga ba yung Al Falak dun? Is it the one na malapit sa carrefour? thanks sis ha...

Al Falak is at the Lower Ground Floor. Halos katabi ng Jumbo Electronics.

[mahalskie20]

Hi sisses! Ask ko lang sana, san ba sa Dubai magandang magpafacial, for acne treatment. Need your advice kasi bago pa lang po ako dito at di ko alam kung san pwdeng pumunta na maayos ang serbisyo. TIA!

[jk_1234]

^sis better magpaconsult ka nalang sa derma then prescribe ka ng isotretinoin for 6 to 10 month then bye bye acne ka na forever. Most of the dermatologist dito ganun ang way na binibigay for acne.

[gt76]

^^Sister ko acne free na sya after almost 10 months, if you are interested, here is the contact no. 04-3988853 look for Carol (she's filipina secretary sya don).

[ebosh]

mga sis! totoo ba na may economy crisis ngaun dyan sa dubai?   

[mahalskie20]

Sis jk_1234 and gt76, thanks so much. I'll definitely call her next week.