To think that people who admire Dubai's low crime rate often miss the fact that it's partly due to nearly 90% of the population being temporary workers?

[Carla786]

Some people might remember a week or so ago on AIBU there was a thread about whether the OP should move to Dubai. Many posts praised the low crime rate & compared it favourably to UK.

I was critical of this for several reasons. Checking facts later, I realised that nearly 90% of Dubai residents are Expat workers or migrants who've held in a restrictive system (the kafala system has been strongly criticised for being essentially indentured servitude, and there have been reforms but it still seems concerning).

It's unsurprising crime, especially violent crime, would be low when most people are either temporary expats or people who've likewise been sourced specifically to come and work (and are held in a punitive system), and whose families often depend on the remittances they're sending back.

Obviously the harsh criminal code in Dubai (though there have again been some recent reforms) plays a role, but the population makeup alone makes comments on Dubai's superior morality/crime control etc very questionable.

I myself think policing and crime need serious reforms in the UK but people comparing it to Dubai favourably are comparing apples to authoritarian oranges.

Here's one link on the population stats, there are many others.

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/dubai/jobs/relocating

We don’t hear about it because it’s all very hush hush. My brother in law has been working in Dubai for the past 6 years, he’s head of a chain of restaurants. Last year a waiter was arrested while at work, he had borrowed some money but wasn’t able to pay it back on time so the person called the police. Til this day bil and other colleagues have no idea what happened to him. When they contacted the police they were told they’re unable to share any information.

He also heard about a woman who was raped, she reported it and ended up in prison.

I wouldn't go there for a gold clock

I'd rather have a wet week at work

I was watching a tiktok about Turkmenistan and someone pointed out that they had a terrible human rights record and i commented that although I know nothing about the country, I would still bet my house that they were correct.

I , obviously had pushback because how could I make such a claim and admit I know fck all , in the same sentence.
Well, reasoned everywhere looks spectacularly clean, the vehicles on the road are all exclusively white and the streets are empty 🤔.
People don't just fall in line like that by themselves , I just used my pattern recognition.

I agree 💯, something is off when you never hear about crime.

Are there people who admire that statistic? Surely most people know that it’s virtually a police state. That some people choose to ignore that is another thing.

So more immigrants equals less crime? We need some of that here.

You couldn’t PAY me to go to Dubai. The most miserable, soulless place I’ve ever visited on earth.

It's like Las Vegas but with fewer Americans. That's not an endorsement BTW.

Exactly. Of course some people like taxi drivers are naturally honest and would return a customer’s wallet, but when you have a high population of workers terrified of repercussions and/or being deported, combined with a high surveillance state then crime will be low.

I never quite understand people who are desperate to go live in dubai. Or people who go planning to earn the money for 5 yrs then return, but don't. Do they get stuck there?

Yeah. I never understood what the OP was saying at first, but got it now.

Dubai has 2 types of migrants. The ex-pat type, Typically well off,

And the migrant workers. Low wage, working in conditions near to bondage. Confined to work site etc.

Same here! Went to Dubai years ago, could not wait to leave. The longest week of my entire life! Hated every minute…I found it so tacky and gaudy and deadly dull…

There was a story of sex worker left dumped at the side of the road in Dubai with a broken spine. In return for getting her medical bills covered she was required not to discuss the case. They clearly have their own methods of hushing up serious crime. I've seen people discussing this case saying 'what did she expect as a sex worker' but no one should be treated the way she was, and it's definitely a reflection on how women in Dubai are either seen as respectable or not and treated accordingly.

It's all smoke and mirrors. I expect a lot is hushed up.

Dubai is not a real place, it‘a a machine. One that classifies and tags every resident by their role and value within its system. Your daily reality in Dubai is shaped by the category you fall into and what you can offer to the system, whether that’s expat teacher, business executive, or labourer. For many Western expats, particularly teachers, Dubai offers generous benefits and a lifestyle that far exceeds what they could afford back home.

But the reality of living in Dubai often means being trapped in a cycle of debt, fear, and silent despair. Many expats (based on my observation and lived experience) struggle with eating disorders, mounting debt, and a quiet depression. The fear of returning to a lower standard of living at home keeps people stuck.

Publicly, Dubai promotes itself as a safe, orderly place with low street crime, and you will never hear a bad word mentioned about Dibai from residents or the media (as Dubai is huge on policing what gets said online about it), but there’s a darker side of organised crime. While many expats boast about day to day safety, they overlook or deny the existence of systemic exploitation and hidden abuse.

I lived there for seven years, I found Dubai to be a city devoid of soul, where people stay trapped by visas, debt, and the fear of leaving behind material comforts. It’s a place full of quiet desperation beneath the surface glamour.

But people will continue to move there. The tax advantages, high salaries, and top service standards pull people in, and they will continue to defend their choice despite the challenges.

Because the government of Dubai spends millions on advertising. Simple as that.

I lived there as a child in the 70's. Even then you did not argue with the police. You were taken away and never heard of again

Every person I know who lived and worked in Dubai was having an absolute ball including several family members - we visited many times. That’s why they don’t come back. Absolutely ludicrous to assert that majority are living lives of “quiet despair” 😁.

Dubai do not always publish crimes

And they will continue to defend their choices.

The point is that inviting people to work there shouldn’t mean impunity to commit crime. Something this country could learn from.

You say that like it’s a bad thing.

No, this is not true.

As you and other MNetters will continue to defend your preferred beliefs around countries you disapprove of, and other people’s choices to work and reside there.

It’s a strange MN obsession is Dubai bashing..