Mistreatment of Expat Employees in Dubai

So here is the story, yesterday I went to my guitar class at around 1800hrs, and on my  walking way to the center, I started hearing laud screaming / yelling voices, and when I arrived I saw this tall blonde lady screaming at one of the center’s front desk ladies, and since everyone was letting her do her yelling, screaming and throwing of files all over the place, I automatically assumed that she was the owner or the manager, or some higher power, she was yelling in such a non- professional way at that girl, who was Asian, I would say Philippino, well she was just standing there, with her eyes on the ground, she looked so helpless, I felt so sorry and so afraid, the second front desk lady saw me and came to me apologizing and explaining that it is holiday and the teacher won’t come (silly me thought that the teacher would be there even during the last week of the year), on the back ground there was still that screaming oh my God, it was the loudest I have ever heard, I walked back home and the sound of the yelling question ringing in my head “ ANSWER MY QUESTION” . I thought to myself, whatever that girl did, shouldn’t have turn on that kind of behavior from the higher power, no one deserves to be humiliated or treated that way,  whatever happened can be solved, the only thing in this life that cannot be taken back is death, and I am sure that, that girl didn’t kill anybody.

Well this whole story made me think of one thing, we are all expatriates in this country, are we all risking to have such a treatment if one day we make a mistake?  Will we be discriminated for holding a different nationality? Will we always be the outsiders, the infiltrated and the others? Will we have all our rights protected? There will be always a higher power over everyone, will this higher power be fair or unfair? Will it be humanitarian and caring about the next, or not?

Is there a law that protects me and you, that we are not aware of?

MB

Who is me in Dubai?

I just moved to Dubai, I look back on those first days, and think to myself what did I do, and where I am going.

The reason behind the moving, is that one day I woke up and found myself unemployed, saw my future plans broken, and since my father is heading one of the Libyan Companies in Dubai, I decided to move with him, and try my luck in Dubai.

In the past days, I went for 2 different interviews, and both called back with the same reply, “you are just to qualified, we wouldn’t want to ruin your career”, in my head raised a huge, massive question mark “?WHAT”, I was willing to just take any job, but I wasn’t quite ready to beg for it, and what does “to qualified” mean anyway?, I was the one who applied for the job, so I am ok with it …dah !!!. I wanted to do this the normal, mortal way, no recommendations, no close relative or friend involved, but you know what I came to realize, it is not the way it works.

All the above happened within the first and the second week, half way through the third week, a great Idea popped to my head, why don’t I just open my own business, do what I know how to do, but this time, I will be my own boss, and my business will carry the human rights flag, will give support to all the charity foundations and free medical practice around the area, my business will not discriminate by, gender, race, religion or color.

The last couple of days, I spent night and day, brain storming, working on a business plan, creating my own logo, working on my website and preparing the ground that I will be working on, I am few steps away from being ready to face the crowd, and start running.

Ironically, just now that I got my motivation back and won the fight against discouragement, here it comes an unknown position in a Libyan company, it seems big and the pay would be good but, what about my dream company.

Now I am in a dilemma, should I go for my own business and risk being broke in few months if it doesn’t work out the way I planned, or should I go for this other position that will guarantee an income, and would secure my future in Dubai, I need help choosing!

Some probably thought “take the job and keep my business on the side, right?” yeah I thought that too, what if I neglect one or the other, that wouldn’t be fair.

What should I do?

MB