The Dark Side of Dubai
 

I read this a couple days ago and it made my jaw drop. Very disturbing stuff, assuming it's all true.

Ugly, ugly stuff.

I've done 10 deployments to the U.A.E. ... this didn't surprise me at all. Even our base had slaves ... aka ... the TCNs. For the non-military folks, Third Country Nationals.

Typical Emirates don't work. All of the work is outsourced to slaves they bring in from the Philippines, Pakistan, and India. I'm sure there are others. If you look in a copy of the Gulf News, you'll see advertisements by employers looking for their slaves (the ones who fail to show for work).

If you break the rules, you are punished severely.

The TCN's are like illegal immigrants in the US as far as pay, bennies, and social status, except that they are legal in the middle east with tight restrictions.

The TCN (not his family) can typically work for 6-8 months on, then go home for 6 months. They can do this for usually ten years, after which they must go home for good. If they ever return, they are subject to SEVERE penalties, including death in some nations. No Ceaser Chavez rable-rousing in the Kingdom or the Emirates.

This type of slavery is widely practiced in the ME, not just in Dubai. Not to slam the Brits, but many of them seem quite comfortable slipping back into the role of colonial masters.

No, they don't get that much time off and of course its usually without pay. UAE law states they must get 30 days off every year. Well, assuming the employer complies with the local law and good luck on taking that to court as a laborer.

Many more reasons why we need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil . . .

I think that was Bahrain or SA. And it's not "time off' for the benefit of the TCN's, the purpose of the breaks is to prevent them from feeling like they belong in the host country (like illegals do in the US).

A friend of mine took a leave and worked for Emerits as a 777 F/O for three years. He is an Iraqi by birth and speaks fluent Arabic. He basically verified all of this and told me that the Locals consider you as a foreigner to be a lower life form. He would never return and was shocked at the behavior the locals towards not only TCN's but all expats.

I know this for sure. You won't find me over there.