Insights: General
Cultural awareness, expat life and practical guides for anyone building a life or career in the Middle East.
Latest Articles
What’s it like to live in Qatar, the world’s richest country?
One of my favourite tweets of recent times was from a Qatari on holiday in the USA. “Why does every petrol station I’m passing seem to be closed?” he asked. You see, we don’t get out of the car to fill up our tanks in Qatar. A pump attendant does it for us, even during
GCC faces teacher shortage as student numbers soar
The total number of students in the GCC education sector is projected to reach 15 million in 2020 but the region faces a shortage of teachers and an overdependence on expats, according to a new report. Alpen Capital said the number is set to increase from an estimated 12.6 million in 2015 as an expanding
Dubai Tourism warns on holiday home regulations
Real estate developers in Dubai have reportedly been asked to warn landlords against short-term lets or they would face fines of up to AED100,000 ($27,000). Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) issued a notice to developers across the emirate, stating: “Your involvement as developers is essential for the ease of implementing the regulation,
Dubai mall operator says Oman investment to hit $1.8bn by 2020
Dubai-based shopping mall developer Majid Al Futtaim has announced that it will boost total investment in Oman to OR705 million ($1.83 billion) by 2020. The company, Oman’s largest non-energy GCC investor, said in a statement that it will increase its investment in Oman by OR515 million by 2020, in addition to the OR190 million invested
Demand for Qatar homes, offices sees slowdown in Q1
Demand for residential and commercial property in Qatar has seen a significant slowdown in the first quarter of 2016 due to cuts in government spending, according to a new report. DTZ Qatar’s latest report said most commercial real estate lettings during Q1 are for small office spaces, which are in demand from the private sector.
Dubai ruler backs plan to build new $816m sports stadium
Designs for a futuristic AED3 billion ($816 million) sports stadium to be built in Dubai have been approved by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The 60,000 capacity Mohammed bin Rashid Stadium will be built in Al Aweer area in Dubai, news agency WAM reported.Sheikh Mohammed
Kuwait mulls plan to deport sacked expats
The Kuwaiti government is reportedly studying plans to immediately deport any worker who loses his job, as officials revealed that around 41,000 expats have been asked to leave the country since January 2015. A source told Arabic daily Alanba that an estimated 26,600 migrants were deported last year as part of efforts to dramatically reduce the
UAE private sector growth slows as hiring stalls in April
The UAE’s non-oil private sector lost some growth momentum in April, with business conditions improving at the weakest pace in three months, according to a new survey. Output, new orders and input stocks all rose more slowly, but the main drag on the sector was a stagnation in employment, said data from the Emirates NBD
International HR Management – How to Get it Right
The glue holding many organizations together is a firm’s human resources department; this adhesive quality rings even more true for businesses expanding overseas, which is why international HR management is the key to success for your team’s global operations. We want nothing more than for your business to outperform your expectations, so we’ve pulled together
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