Anyone else in Dubai on holiday? AIBU to be panicking with all the flights cancelled?

[tiantian1005]

Not sure when we can go home..anyone has managed to for example drive to nearby countries and fly from there?

To be honest what interests me most is calling out deliberate misinformation or unfounded conspiracy theories.

The tactic from those posters sharing them is that if they repeat the same unsubstantiated misinformation and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories enough times then maybe some of it will stick in people's minds or create doubts.

This is insidious, it harms informed rational debate, it creates polarisation of views and it needs to be called out.

Not that invested tbh

Not at all ime. Expats retain their original nationality(although over time they may become eligible for local one too) , immigrants move with intention to seek citizenship. Many expats do not stay in the host country longer term but move about or return home when contracts/visa end.

Surely everybody in the UAE is an expat as they don't allow citizenship. Some, of course, are slave labour.

When I have looked at threads about people moving abroad, particularly ones about countries like Dubai, posters always talk about wonderful expat community, which includes a variety of nationalities (so not just talking about your own nationality). But the buildings they live, work and play in are built by immigrants (or slave labour).

Someone upthread talked about someone who has been an expat for 30 years, which is why I raised the question, as I always assumed an expat was in a country for probably less than 5 years, it wasn't seen as a permanent or pretty permanent move

Not sure I agree. I have never heard anyone calling themselves an expat except a Brit.
I have lived in the Uk for 30 years. I am married a Brit, work here and probably won’t return to my home country as my children live here. I have no intention of seeking citizenship and think of myself as a foreigner living in the Uk. I would not call myself an immigrant or expat , but expat to me is a very a British term.

I'm Australian and call myself an expat. I have lived here since 2010 and do not have dual citizenship. We are going back to Australia in 2028. I spent the bulk of my post university years working abroad and we all called ourselves expats. Because you are there for a job, not to settle. At this point in my life here in the UK I'm more likely to be an immigrant tbh though. Although I'm leaving again soon with my British DH and dual cit Dcs.

It's absolutely untrue that people don't want immigrants. Many many people have come to the UK (and other countries) over many years and made great lives, benefitting themselves and others.

Right up until now, I would have called myself an immigrant. I have lived here half my life but I am from another European country.
However, if this is how you and others view immigrants, then from now on, I am an expat.

I meant for booking a future holiday there in say, 2027/28.

Wanted to post similarly. Where I live immigrants and their families outnumber non immigrants (and half the second group have grandparents who were immigrants anyway) AND I ONLY SEE THIS AS POSITIVE. My children have been lucky to go to school amongst so many different cultures. Individual identities tend to be multiple eg equally British and country of origin. Or "third culture kids" whose identities are British and then a different culture for each of their parents.

These are people from all over the world, contributing to our society at every level. If there is a stereotype, it tends to be that people who have gone to the effort of moving their life to a different country tend to have a better work ethic which is also passed on to their children.

You cannot generally acquire citizenship in any of the gulf states. There are longer term visa schemes now but you will never be a citizen. So essentially even if you have lived there for years you have to renew your visa and have a job. There are a few exceptions now like golden visas etc.

If you look at UAE newspapers you realise that they use it for everyone. Expat or resident.
I don't understand why people think it's only Brits are using "expat".

You cannot generally acquire citizenship in any of the gulf states. There are longer term visa schemes now but you will never be a citizen. So essentially even if you have lived there for years you have to renew your visa and have a job. There are a few exceptions now like golden visas etc

People can apply for citizenship in Oman after 20 years in the country and the list of those who’ve acquired it is published in the press every year. Foreign wives of Omanis can apply after 5 years but I’m not sure of the situation regarding foreign born husbands of Omani women. Oman will also award citizenship to expats who they think have served the country well. To be a citizen you do not have to change your religion to Islam but you do have to give up your original passport. The authorities know people will probably get their old passport back but things are sewn up pretty tightly to ensure if people travel on their original passport in the Gulf the Oman authorities would know. Oh and you must also be able to speak, read and write Arabic as part of the process and be able to support yourself in Oman.

I would take a guess and say Oman isn’t alone in giving nationality to expats.

just to add - I googled Bahrain out of interest and it also gives citizenship but it takes about 25-30 years.

@Cluckingchicken would the nannies etc who serve the expats who come from other countries call themselves expats, be called expats in the newspapers, feel part of the expat community? What about labourers etc, are they also part of the expat community?

When the World Cup was held in Qatar, were the migrant labour who built (rather than managed) the infrastructure deemed to be expats?

@CreamolaFoam26

that’s why I said generally.

so the people who acquire citizenship are largely going to be the exception. There are always a few exceptions. Eg. I know there are some Pakistanis who serve in the Qatari military. They can acquire it.

Regarding the “slave labour”, there is a massive difference between trafficked labourers and prostitutes vs those coming from poorer countries for a few years to get some cash together so they can eg return back to their village in India or back to the Philippines to miles a house and live modestly thereafter.

That was meant to say to save to build a house or send money back or save for a dowry etc.
If Dubai pays better in construction than eg Mumbai or Lahore, then some people will consensually travel there to work and save and it may even be seen as prestigious to get a job there back home. It does not help when people impose their own values and worldview on others especially not those who have never travelled to third world countries to understand what situations many people in this world are born into.

@Araminta1003 the latter you describe are no different then from people going from UK to work in Dubai. So when posters talk about the wonderful expat community in Dubai are the people from the Philippines etc working as nannies, labourers included in that wonderful expat community, are they treated the same as a person calling themself an expat from the UK? Or would an expat from the UK see them as immigrants rather than expats?

Yes they are called expats and or resident in the newspapers too.
Everyone is there for work, settling for ever without something like ILR is hard, doable, but hard.

@CandidLurker I’m sorry but you did not come across as someone speaking in general. You were speaking as someone who was clued up on the situation - when you weren’t. There’s been a lot of it these last few days and it’s too much now.

so the people who acquire citizenship are largely going to be the exception. There are always a few exceptions. Eg. I know there are some Pakistanis who serve in the Qatari military. They can acquire it.

And no. They won’t be the exception. They are people who have worked in Oman for 20 years and fill the requirements to be able to apply. It’s nothing to do with where they worked. Though I suspect the Pakistanis you’ve mentioned getting it were given it for exceptional service to the country. It happens in Oman also and is different to applying for citizenship under normal circumstances.

@sittingonabeach - not relevant how Brits view things. It’s subjective and to do with high status back home or not. Lots of Brits do go to Dubai temporarily to save money, just like Indian construction workers and IT and housemaids and nannies. Latter often sending money back for education of their own children who they have left with grandparents in a village.

My friends DS and his wife are in Dubai and managed to grab a flight to Manchester tomorrow which has now been cancelled. She is very worried.

Except that is rarely want happens - sponsors take passports for the majority of the labourers and thus they are trafficked as they cannot freely leave. Maids are the same.

The majority of lowly paid people in Dubai do not have access to their own visa or passport as they are held with their Emirati sponsor (or with their family sometimes) but very rarely with the person themselves.

Except that is rarely want happens - sponsors take passports for the majority of the labourers and thus they are trafficked as they cannot freely leave. Maids are the same.

@MyOpenGoldKoala If lowly paid workers from overseas are basically held prisoner in Dubai, then surely this information must spread around their home countries with low paid workers telling their fellow countrymen the reality of working there.
Are they not deterred by this?

Oh my lord in heaven.