Sad experience

It's not all gold that glitters. This old saying is of course true for Dubai, too - especially in the current economic climate (see one of my old postings). We all hear about people loosing their jobs, everywhere. And I just had a sad and touching experience.

I met someone who has recently lost his job - and while his face was smiling, you could see and hear how distraught he really is - "I have nothing". As a foreigner, loosing a job is in several ways a blow - financially, psychologically as anywhere, but also in terms of the permission to live in the UAE. Because the visa you have is tied to your job, as far as I understood. If it is cancelled, you have about one month - until you have to leave the country.

And it seems officials seek to identify people living in the UAE without a permit. The National today carries a news item on a police initiative aiming to catch those living illegally in the country through more random ID checks. Click here if you want to see how readers of that paper feel about being required to carry IDs at all times.

The person I met now tries hard to find new employment: "I have been at job fairs, but there are so many job seekers. And companies mainly look for certain professionals such as architects or engineers." I keep my fingers crossed for you, man. Don't give up.