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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if these anti Dubai story's are real

55 replies

Ieatcake · 10/01/2018 08:21

Like www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5252417/Estate-agent-jailed-Dubai-sending-WhatsApp-message.html#article-5252417

You can tell the story from the address. They come regularly but there always seems to be a bit more to them that isn't mentioned. Is there a anti Dubai agenda?

OP posts:
LaContessaDiPlump · 10/01/2018 09:45

Leilaniiii

'Slaves' who work in Dubai for a few years go home and build a house and are set up for life.

If they can get their passports back.... I grew up there (1990-2000) and we heard a lot of stories about people being screwed over by their sponsors. I hope it's different now.

And women are treated well in Dubai, it's not Saudi FFS.

My dad used to read us stories from the Arabic language paper about women stoned to death for adultery (or for conjuring jinns) while the men involved got off with a beating. Again, I hope it's changed, but the UAE and Saudi are far more alike under the surface than we credit.

Playing devil's advocate slightly here as it was my childhood home and I have fond memories of it. But it's still racist, sexist and biased AF (I did visit recently and observed that it seemed much like it always had)......

CrazyExIngenue · 10/01/2018 09:46

And I think the car dealer will also be under investigation and his business under scrutiny

I expect he will. I did a lot of research when buying a used car in the UAE and chose not to buy in Dubai because of things like this (cars being re-sold after being written off). It is illegal to do, so likely the car dealer will wind up in a bit of trouble as well.

charlestonchaplin · 10/01/2018 09:47

Well I haven't heard of lots of these laws Crazy. I agree with following local laws but you can only do that if you know what they are, and it is impossible to be fully aware of all the relevant laws anywhere as a tourist.

There were a few more negative Dubai experiences reported on BBC Rip-off Britain earlier this week. One involved a Dubai fan who'd visited several times who was accused of presenting counterfeit money at a bureau de change. He said it was to do with confusion over different (legitimate) Scottish £20 notes. He was arrested and eventually told it was all a mistake. On a return visit he was rearrested and ended up incurring a very high legal bill, £12,000 or £20,000, can't remember exactly.

If I remember correctly, his passport was held after he was released the first time, which was perhaps a clue that the matter hadn't been fully dealt with, but I do think he genuinely believed it was all sorted or else he'd be a fool to come back to the country.

jaffacake2 · 10/01/2018 09:53

I can verify that this is a true story. The wife is a close friend of my daughter who contacted the British embassy to try and help them whilst they were going through their ordeal in Dubai.
They bought a car from a dealer which broke down within a mile of the garage. They spent money in trying to sort out the problem and the dealer refused to engage with them causing them to be thousands in debt. I believe it was an email rather than Whattsapp just stating out of frustration his could the dealer live with himself having done this .
The husband was then arrested at the airport and put straight into jail. The embassy in Dubai was not helping and it looked hopeless over the Xmas period. Thankfully they are now both home trying to sort out their finances. They are a lovely couple and it is scarey this happened but could have been much worse with him still there.

maddnessintheroost · 10/01/2018 09:58

I thought there must be some more to the stories in the papers

midnightmisssuki · 10/01/2018 09:59

We go to dubai to visit friends every year (and its a nice stop-over from our eventual destination) We love it and have never seen/heard/know anyone who has been thrown in jail for said crimes. Our friends have lived there for the best part of 15 years too, and neither have they. I dont disbelieve it, as it is strict and a muslim country, but i think there could be alot more to the story than is reported.

Tiredemma · 10/01/2018 10:06

My Inlaws worked in Dubai. MIL was an accountant for a healthcare company. She questioned something odd on account with one of the execs. Next day she had a text from a colleague advising her to pull a sicky and stay at home as she was likely to be arrested on her entry into work!

justforthisthread101 · 10/01/2018 10:15

I worked there for a couple of months ten years ago. I went to see a doctor while I was there. He was British, married to an Australian (iirc) and they were based there so they could travel easily. But he was telling me what it was like to work there for a UAE employer. Confirmed my thoughts that once I left, I'd have no desire to go back. And I haven't yet.

I've also worked in Abu Dhabi and because it feels more local, it's actually much easier to figure out. The rules are more obvious.

Wouldn't want to live there though.

sashh · 10/01/2018 10:18

There is inequality everywhere, all over the world. 'Slaves' who work in Dubai for a few years go home and build a house and are set up for life. And women are treated well in Dubai, it's not Saudi FFS.

Yes they may get paid a large (relative to their income at home) amount but they did ot sign up to live in concrete blocks and work in 40 degree heat.

Whilst Arab and white women may be well treated a lot of brown women are not.

Fionne · 10/01/2018 10:29

My Inlaws worked in Dubai. MIL was an accountant for a healthcare company. She questioned something odd on account with one of the execs. Next day she had a text from a colleague advising her to pull a sicky and stay at home as she was likely to be arrested on her entry into work!

And Its not as if the police couldnt have gone to the house to get her, or do whats the norm and ask the person concerned to report to the police station. Nope, she could only be arrested at work. Hmm

Snowysnowysnow · 10/01/2018 10:46

There is inequality everywhere, all over the world. 'Slaves' who work in Dubai for a few years go home and build a house and are set up for life.

Seriously? You cannot be that blinked. Some people land on their feet and wages promised to them and can save up. I'd argue you're looking at 10 years at least for most low paid workers to save up enough for a house though (and 10 years is not 'a few'). Maybe less with no recruiters to pay back home and limited other financial obligations but that's still several years of hard work, living many to a room, working outside in 40-50 degrees in the summer and getting to see your famik once two years.

If people sign up for that, with full knowledge and the money is worth it for them then fine.

However, a lot dont get what they sign up for, don't get paid, live in horrific conditions and have their passports held. There's also a horrific attitude to low paid workers, they're just considered lesser than others.

There are fantastic things about Dubai and the UAE (I live here) but you need to stop kidding yourself that all those guys in overalls are blissfully happy knowing two years graft and they can go home and build a house.

Snowysnowysnow · 10/01/2018 10:48

Although, I agree there is very biased reporting in a lot of the UK press and they're normally only reporting half the story. More sensational that way!

spangles1963 · 10/01/2018 17:49

I wouldn't go there if you paid me. I don't like their use of 'slave labour' for the building of hotels,and I don't like their treatment of women.

DreamyMcDreamy · 10/01/2018 18:04

I don't want to comply with their rules and don't agree with their treatment of women and extensive use of slave labour so I just won't go

Exactly the same. It's a place I''ll never be visiting either because being a woman, why would I?

Original poster
Ieatcake · 10/01/2018 20:17

I thought lots of the workers once they got over there regretted ever doing it due to the conditions and they can't get back as their passport is taken off them until they work for a long time just to pay back over inflated transport costs?

OP posts:
KenAdams · 10/01/2018 20:39

Leilaniiii I'm not ignorant and don't expect anyone to care that I won't go there but excusing the country for what it does and blatantly ignoring things that go on there on relation to their treatment of women is part of the problem.

MadMaryBoddington · 10/01/2018 20:58

The embassy in Dubai was not helping

If you break a country’s laws, you must face the consequences. There is nothing the British consulate can do, beyond putting you in touch with a lawyer and visiting you in prison.

It is your responsibility when you travel abroad to make yourself aware of the local laws. It’s no good getting arrested for something you may think is ridiculous and then complaining that you didn’t know the rules, and that the British Embassy won’t help you.

Mrsknackered · 10/01/2018 23:20

Meh. I don't really know. Obviously anything the DM posts has racist intentions.

However, I went to Dubai and hated it. But that was nothing to do with the laws! It's just so new and built up.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 10/01/2018 23:27

Can’t pay me to go there.

CrazyExIngenue · 11/01/2018 05:16

And Its not as if the police couldnt have gone to the house to get her, or do whats the norm and ask the person concerned to report to the police station. Nope, she could only be arrested at work. hmm

There is no rumor mill like the rumor mill in Dubai. I expect your in-laws co-worker was exaggerating the situation, which happens A LOT here. Grin

Fionne · 11/01/2018 05:31

There is no rumor mill like the rumor mill in Dubai. I expect your in-laws co-worker was exaggerating the situation, which happens A LOT here. grin

You can just imagine it. 😂

Coyoacan · 11/01/2018 05:43

I haven't a clue about Dubai, but at times the media does emphasise the negative about another country for political reasons. I live in Mexico and there could be lots of negative news items about this country every day if anyone cared. Back in the 1970s, the Mexican president at the time offended a very powerful country and there followed nearly a year of horrible news items in the international media which badly affected tourism to the country until he finally recanted.

GnusSitOnCanoes · 11/01/2018 06:18

leatcake in answer to your initial post, the common thread in these stories comes often in the form of a lady called Radha Stirling who has an UK firm called 'Detained in Dubai'. It claims to offer support to expats arrested in the emirate, but seems - as far as I can tell - to mainly flog stories to the Daily Mail. She is quoted in almost all of these (it's good publicity for her; she has a commercial interest in this editorial line). She's not a lawyer but positions herself as 'an expert' on the UAE.

Crazy is bang on re: the rumour mill. Grin

Lalliella, if you genuinely don't think there is slave labour in Dubai, I can only think you're either new, don't venture out of Jumeirah much, or genuinely believe the hype. There are many things to admire about the UAE, but the situation for domestic and blue-collar workers is not among them.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 11/01/2018 06:31

This is really going to damage their tourism as people will not want to go there.

Good. You’d hope it would make them think twice about their antiquated laws, but you just know it won’t.

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