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Ok, surprised no-one has put it up here yet. But what does everyone think about the no sharing of villas rule? I can understand if you have loads of families in a villa etc, but surely if the number of people equates to the number of bedrooms, what's the difference?

I reckon DM are off their rockers!

Not sure how they intend to police it really. Its a bit like the new visa regulations, lots of back and forth in the papers and no-one really knowing what the real story is. When you get down to it, nothing has really changed.

There is a lot of tub thumping from time to time, but reality bites and they realise what they have tried to implement is impractical.

In think someone has finally realised that there are a load of new properties nearing completion in shitty towers next to the Marina, and no tenants yet because the rents are too high for a ghetto in the sky. Maybe they think this will solve their empty dish dash pocket syndrome?

No one can afford to solo rent here anymore anyway, so the chance of DM making it reality are slim as there would be a mass exodus of lower to middle management. I wouldn't worry.

Unless you are an Indian batchelor sharing a room in a squat in Karama with 15 others...in which case, start packing!



Knight

True, but it may well be a sign of the bottom falling out the property market. Everyone I know shares and no-one can afford to rent on their own, the whole thing is a joke.

Plus I'd hate to live in an apartment, I also have animals and in all those apartments you can't have animals, so my only option basically would pretty much be to leave. Many of my friends feel the same.

Although some have got to the point where they're having to bribe agents and maintenance guys not to say anything!

Everyone is selling up at the moment. The UK£ is not as strong, the $ is getting stronger and the value for money here is less than other markets. The wise money is walking.

I am with you Chocs, I have to have a garden otherwise the 'Hounds of the Baskervillas' have nowhere to go. I heard they had banned all pets, apart from fish, in JBR now!

Bedsit in International Shitty anyone?



Knight

God I hope the bottom falls out of the housing market. Everyone has been playing Pass the Parcel with property and it is about time the music stops and someone gets burned. Then the prices will drop to more realistic levels.

No sharing of Villas is ridiculous. Lots of them are 5/6 bedroom monstrosities that even a family would have trouble filling up. I saw one in Abu Dhabi for 450K (probably now more like 600K) that was three stories, with 3 or 4 massive rooms on each level. Me and a few others from work were considering getting it and all living there. But one family?!? Maybe if that one family is a man, his 3 wives and 12 children.

Not only do bachelors have to contend with crazy rental prices, they have to find the right area to live- away from families.
There's not even a rule as to how many bachelors are allowed to share a villa/apartment (if they can share in the first place! The lower to middle income bachelors cannot really afford to get a place all for himself), and no rule as to where/what area they are allowed to live.

Why do this country treat bachelors like vermin?

The whole thing is a joke. I mean seriously, do they expect everyone to move out in a month and find somewhere affordable? Not possible. The DM should offer solutions to the problems they cause - morons.

I really pity the people in the lower income bracket, because there is no chance of them finding anywhere. Heck! for me to live on my own, it would take 95% of my salary!

I can see nothing but ruthlessness here.... a take it or leave it attitude.

This is obviously being done as a premptive action to boost the property market.

As DK rightly pointed out, I am not sure how this will be enforced. But obviously the DM/govt wants to influence the demand for property.

My gues is that this will have significant impact on availability of HR and the costs there-on. The reality is that it is much cheaper for organisations to recruit from developing countries. The above decision can put an end to that. This in turn will have a domino effect on business and tourism in general.

But then as they say, water levels soon find equilibrium.

True, but what about those of us already here? Do they seriously want a mass exodus of people who cannot afford to live in apartments? And I'm talking about people from all nationalities and all walks of life.

^ True. Don't they know they need those low-income earning salesladies, store clerks, waiters, bellboys, cleaners, masseurs, drivers, etc to run a country depending on tourism?
Where does the DM expect these human beings to live?
If this goes on, there'll be a lot of empty hotels and resorts...

And yeah, even the high-income earning people would'nt find it practical to stay here anymore.

Pinoy, not just the low income bracket either, middle income will struggle aswell.

I think if this situation continues, people will just get fed-up and leave.

If they reach that point....then it will be like a skeleton city.

They can continue clearing up dirty $$ as there would be more purchases, but without a balanced workforce, it's not sustainable anymore.

With the current inflation, added cost in visas and running the businesses in general....I really wonder....

May be they want 'small' people to go to live in another emirates and to come just for work in Dubai.

Are they trying to make just-millionaires-city that is my question?

It's just not becoming viable for many people to stay here anymore, salaries don't go up and what other country in the world tell you where you can, and cannot live?!

They'll soon realise what a big screw up they're making when no-one wants to come here anymore, and the majority of the work force has left.

btw, is it still true that they're tearing down the entire Satwa area, (i.e., from jafiliya to safa and al wasl to szr - a huge area!) to make way for yet again another luxurious residential district?

The market has peaked and even the powers that be at Emaar are talking about "correction in the market". Thats why i have just sold up - anyone who buys property now is a fool.

arniegang wrote:The market has peaked and even the powers that be at Emaar are talking about "correction in the market". Thats why i have just sold up - anyone who buys property now is a fool.

... and the market here is not built on people buying houses to live in, it's people buying houses to resell for profit. Once prices start to fall the whole thing will cave in.

How many people who buy those 2% down, 2.5% in 3 months etc places plan to live in them? Almost none.

I do not think the property will 'sink' on account of demand and supply. There may be a minor correction in prices based on supply coming in by 2009. Don't forget that the prices in Dubai are significantly lower than 'similar' cities across the world.

However, what may prove to be riskier is the current credit crises. The rumblings are already out in the press. In case the banks go tight on liquidity and hence the funding tightens, the demand will nosedive leading to a much bigger crash.

The current drive appears to be designed to sustain the demand

sa4877 wrote:Don't forget that the prices in Dubai are significantly lower than 'similar' cities across the world.

What do you mean by 'similar' and do you have evidence for this? I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just curious.

sa4877 wrote:I do not think the property will 'sink' on account of demand and supply. There may be a minor correction in prices based on supply coming in by 2009. Don't forget that the prices in Dubai are significantly lower than 'similar' cities across the world.

However, what may prove to be riskier is the current credit crises. The rumblings are already out in the press. In case the banks go tight on liquidity and hence the funding tightens, the demand will nosedive leading to a much bigger crash.

The current drive appears to be designed to sustain the demand

and when supply exceeds demand??

and when all those American and Brits have bought off plan within the last 12 months and discover they cant borrow money because the equity in their home has reduced and UK banks are not lending over 75/80 % LTV??

The market has peaked believe me - the only way is down

Yeah, it really does seem like this is a desperate measure on the part of DM. It may force some people out of their share houses and into their own apartments but for the majority it is just not feasible.

Not feasible means either going home or not coming in the first place. This country cannot survive without expat workers.

It seems similar to the Visa craziness that happened a few months ago (ie no visa runs). Some hot-shot thinks it is a good idea and pushes it out to the media then the powers that be slap it down because it goes against everything that keeps this country running. I predict we will see a reversal in a few days.

Or face a land full of hummer owners with no one to pump the gas for them.

hi to all,

what all you guys are discussing regarding people leaving UAE because of cost of living and so forth.....trust me this is never going to happen

there are 15000 expats flying in everyday, just in DUBAI AIRPORT for work. (excluding tourists and temp visitors) what you guys are discussing today has been said 100trillion times since this country was formed. i have lived there for 24 years and for everyone 1 person who leaves 15 more enter.

MIDDLE AND LOW INCOME PEOPLE have to go and live in AJMAN AND OTHER north eastern emirate. cause yes DUBAI is only for the rich.

they passed such a law in ABU DHABI in 1995..no more than 3 bachelors in a single FLAT......and at that time the rents in ABU DHABI were anywhere from 65-75000/yr. people didn't leave they just moved out of MADINAT ZAYED...

no one is leaving dubai...people will just move to cheaper neighborhoods and will commute more (AND JUST princess ABOUT IT) CAUSE EXPATS CAN DO SHIT ABOUT IT . PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG

EVEN IF YOU LISTEN TO H.H SHEIKH MOHAMMED IN 60 MIN all this is for his people. they are great rulers, but for there people, you will never hear a comment about something being done in favor of expats. this country was build by expats and even now 79% of the workforce (corporate) are expats.......but i really feel sorry to say that they don't give a shit what expats have to go through. (again, it is there country)

if people come to there country and a trillion more are hoping to come too, they know that they can do anything and implement any law......all you EXPATS will follow. ITS THERE WAY OR THE HIGHWAY.


ONE MORE THING IF YOU COME IN WITH A MILLION DOLLARS TO INVEST THAT THE LAWS WILL BE BEND FOR YOU...THIS IS TRUE

Interesting comment amz786.

You are probably right, the continuity of the situation does put it in perspective.

As to the Sheiks not giving a shit about expats, that is fine, because most expats don't give a shit about the UAE either. They are just here for the money and they will follow it where ever it is.

It must be very difficult governing a country where a large percentage of the people would not give a toss if the country imploded because they would just go home or somewhere else.

Nationalism may exist in the media, but it does not exist on the streets.

^ For a start, I have already discouraged some of my friends to go here and guess what, they're now in Singapore instead. I let them read about the REAL conditions here.

TRUE TRUE CAPTAIN AUSTRALIA...........

THE REASON EXPATS DON'T GIVE A SH*T CAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING FROM HERE, BESIDES A GOOD LIVING ( MAYBE NOT ANYMORE)

THE LONGEST ANYBODY FROM THIS FORUM MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD BE 10 MAYBE 15 YEARS....BUT THERE ARE EXPATS IN UAE from PAST 35+ YEARS, A SIMPLE ISSUE OF RESIDENCE VISA IS STILL A THREAT TO THEIR GOLDEN LIVES. AT LEAST IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THEY GET A GREEN CARD (OR SIMILAR) EXPATS DON'T TO BE CITIZENS BUT AT LEAST GIVE THEM AN ADVANTAGE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE KICKED OUT IN A HEARTBEAT WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR JOBS.

INTERESTING FACT: IF YOU ARE AN EXPAT AND HAVE A JOB OR BUSINESS IN UAE, AND HAVE DEPENDENTS. GOD FORBID IF YOU DIE, YOUR FAMILY WILL HAVE TO GET THEIR VISAS CANCELLED BEFORE THEY CAN GET YOUR DEAD BODY RELEASED. AFTER THATS DONE DEPENDENTS HAVE TO GO BACK TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY APPLY FOR A NEW VISA, COME BACK AND SETTLE THE FINANCIAL OR ANY PENDING ISSUES.

WOW TALK ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS.....................

I BET NONE OF YOU KNEW THIS...........LOL GET A HANDBOOK OF LAWS, YOU WILL BE AMAZED WHAT KIND OF PLACE YOU LIVE IN

pinoy1 wrote:btw, is it still true that they're tearing down the entire Satwa area, (i.e., from jafiliya to safa and al wasl to szr - a huge area!) to make way for yet again another luxurious residential district?

Yes, its started already. Most of the old villas from the back road behind SZR to Satwa Road have gone already and they are digging the foundations for the new monstrosities.

A summary of this thread:

The old way in Dubai was you came here as an expat because they needed your skills and were willing to pay for it. The cost of living was low so you could afford a better lifestyle than in your home country....AND YOU COULD AFFORD TO SEND MONEY HOME OR SAVE IT FOR RETIREMENT!

This galls the locals because they see it as you doing well off their backs. So the new plan is: You come here, we pay you, then we take the money back off you and keep it.

Its the same in the property industry. They have invested that money that you would normally have taken out of the country in building towers that they can then sell to your countrymen for what seems to be a good value price. The only reason they are good value is because the labour cost here is so low. They are buying materials in such bulk that they can drive the unit price to the lowest...or they buy the supply company and do it at cost.

What has causght people out is the flipping of properties. All the stuff sold off plan is 'flipped' possibly 5 or 6 times before the actual building is completed. They person who buys first doesn't care that the final specification or the quality of the fittings is much lower than originally claimed. He is long gone with his profits. Its the bod at the end of the chain who gets well and truly shafted. Paid over the odds for a half cocked, half finished, shoddy piece of crap because he thinks he is 'Living the Dream'.

There is no 'Dream' here anymore. Its a nightmare now. If you want to live in what will become a 'ghetto in the sky' in the next 5 years, then buy here.

A friend of mine has bought a property in Arabian Ranches (for the same price as he could buy a decent detached house in the UK) and its falling around his ears. Its only 4 years old!!! EMAAR will not fix it as it only had a 1 year warranty. There was no survey done (they don't have that here) and the place had been patched up by the previous owner to cover the faults. He can't get rid of it as he has only been there 3 months and his family is just getting settled. If he did want to sell he will lose a lot of money or he will have to pay for the repairs himself. His is identical to 1000 other properties there.

Anyone remember the song 'Little Boxes'? The lyrics were something like:

Little boxes
on a hillside
little boxes
made of ticky tacky
and they all look very pretty
and they all look just the same.



Knight

Know the song? I love that song and have heard dozens of covers of it from watching the awesome show Weeds, where MILF got its definitive example.

Interesting story about the quality of housing DK.

I look around at the workmanship of houses, shops, wiring, plumbing, footpaths, etc and think that you would have to be mad to buy anthing here to actually live in. Buying to sell is fine, especially, as you said, if the property is not even finished yet so no one can see the dodgy finish.

I looked at quite a few apartments before I found the one I am in and I was constantly amazed at how crappy they are when you look up close. I looked at one newly finished building in the Marina and the workmanship was awful. No light fittings, half-arse paint job, seals done by drunken blind man, balcony splattered with set concrete. There was no bloody way I would want to rent there.

I spoke to an owner of a unit in the building who had been trying to rent a 2 bedroom for 140odd for over 4 months. He was a pom and was obviously left holding the bag after the 6+ previous owners took their profits.

Even if you identify the problems and try to get them fixed, where would you find a decent plumber, plasterer, painter, electrician to fix it? Most likely Ahmed will rock up with 4 Pakistanis in tow and say he can do the lot, then leave it in worse state than it was.

Very interesting read guys, thank you.

We were seriously thinking of selling up in the UK and buying over here. But since the UK market slumped we cant sell and we are now renting both in both countries.

We'll see the lie of the land when we arrive (yes, we are one of the 15,000). Perhaps we'll have to review after a couple of years. I'm certainly not buying now.

Fortunately my wife doesnt want to share with anyone so that topic is not a problem.

I just checked with a mate of mine 'on the inside'. Yes there are approximately 15,000 new bodies arriving every week.

But there are 20,000 leaving every week...

200,000 have just been or are about be made homeless in Satwa. The majority are lower income Iranians, Pakistanis, Indians and Philipinos. The large majority cannot afford any alternative accommodation now and have elected to return home.

Will the last person to leave Dubai, kindly turn out the lights!



Knight