Dubai Forums Dubai Discussions Dubai General Chat

hi there
I have been reading Dubai forums and other forums for a while, decided to join today.

Is it me, but has there been a mass exodus from the UAE? Roads are quiet, shopping malls are quiet, so many people you hear about leaving cars outside banks and finance houses in Abu Dhabi, stories in the newspaper of 1000 Visas being cancelled a day..

According to a recent report by UBS, Dubai will witness an 8 percent drop in population in 2009.

Are landlords going to be forced to come down with their exhorbitant rentals? See dubizzle... 2 bed villas have dropped to as much as 140k a year and agents have dozens of empty ones on their hands. For a change, the agents are actually calling back customers, as they are trying to rent out their villas, where as before, there were none available or the demand was so high you had to chase people.

Is the UAE finally becoming a normal society where people can afford to live, drive to work in normal traffic, and actually start to expect customer service because those in the service industry have all their jobs under threat and will now be forced to actually work for a living? Are the days are coming where you enter a car showroom and actually get spoken to, as sales people will feel the NEED to sell cars?

Has the bubble finally burst? What's your opinion?

All Quiet on the Western Front...

and not even one post from Banglaboy...

malls are still full, there is traffic as usual, prices might have come down for real estate but rent wise, rent has gone up. i was paying 35,000dhs am paying 45,000dhs.

ppl have been asked to leave various banks and real estate companies and construction companies.

but apart from that dont see anything different.

its only the beginning. i guess this year will tell a lot. but do remember this is world economic crisis.

I am noticing a definite difference in traffic.. less congestion in certain areas. Rents have definitely come down in general, check the papers. You are right, it is only the beginning. Sit back and watch...

About 5000 villas are about to become available close to JLT.. and there are 100s in Arabian ranches which have been empty for over a year. Landlords in AR have offered 12 cheques to people in desperation to rent out their properties.

The consequences of years of greed are coming to a head....

dubaiskeptic wrote:I am noticing a definite difference in traffic.. less congestion in certain areas. Rents have definitely come down in general, check the papers. You are right, it is only the beginning. Sit back and watch...

About 5000 villas are about to become available close to JLT.. and there are 100s in Arabian ranches which have been empty for over a year. Landlords in AR have offered 12 cheques to people in desperation to rent out their properties.

The consequences of years of greed are coming to a head....

i think in sharjah its different. my contract expires in march 2009 and i have been told the rent has increased. :S so lets see what happens. life goes on.

rudeboy wrote:i think in sharjah its different. my contract expires in march 2009 and i have been told the rent has increased. :S so lets see what happens. life goes on.

tell your landlord to b@gger off! There will be so much available for you to pick and choose from. Good luck - stick to your guns with these people.

dubaiskeptic wrote:I am noticing a definite difference in traffic.. less congestion in certain areas. Rents have definitely come down in general, check the papers. You are right, it is only the beginning. Sit back and watch...

About 5000 villas are about to become available close to JLT.. and there are 100s in Arabian ranches which have been empty for over a year. Landlords in AR have offered 12 cheques to people in desperation to rent out their properties.

The consequences of years of greed are coming to a head....

Welcome

Your observations mirror many others who are noticing the same things. The average visa cancellation is 1500 a day and peaking @ 2000 some days. Its no wonder the roads and malls are quieter.

Rents have no way to go but down despite what those in denial say to the contrary.

dubaiskeptic wrote:I am noticing a definite difference in traffic.. less congestion in certain areas. Rents have definitely come down in general, check the papers. You are right, it is only the beginning. Sit back and watch...

About 5000 villas are about to become available close to JLT.. and there are 100s in Arabian ranches which have been empty for over a year. Landlords in AR have offered 12 cheques to people in desperation to rent out their properties.

The consequences of years of greed are coming to a head....

Actually, every single JLT tower that is not completed is currently on hold so it'll be a while before that happens. I think we'll be seeing a lot of halfway finished buildins sitting around until the developers are flush again...... which will be a loooong loooooooong time.

They're just about to release hundreds of villas and apartments in Mirdiff in the new development.

It should become a renters market, but not for a few months yet when the bite really starts taking effect. For those looking to rent now, the agents are dropping their commission rates but the rental price remains high as they know they have you for at least a year and, even if they drop in the next 3 or 4 months, they have you on contract to be paying over the odds.



Knight

Too right!

Also, any signs of the Emirates becoming a less-transparent place to do business may only make it harder to rebuild the Dubai dream.

Real Estate corruption scandals, greedy landlords, favouritism in obtaining just a drivers licence and also the attitude of the immigration officials are just a few things to turn off expats from living here. There has been a crackdown on corporate crime, with dozens of Dubai executives arrested without charge.

There are loads of double dippers as well. People who hold jobs with one company and also do work for others without legal visas or permissions...

The unfair judicial system (take the example of the guy who "accidentally ran over a woman TWICE with his hummer) is also another negative aspect of living here. There seem to be rules for some, but not for others.

Those of us who have lived here a while (like myself) are watching the Emirates become a corrupt society. Drug trafficking, prostitution and increasing cases of murder. Over 280 deaths on the road last year due to car accidents and countless other things one could list.

This is all well and good, but the infrastructure/administration of the Emirates is not coping with the growth and the law does not provide black and white clauses. There are too many grey areas, check out the labour law as an example.

Moan!

PS: I heard today that 1400 westerners have laid off from Laing O Rourke in Abu Dhabi, plus 20000 labourers. All those villas will be up for grabs.

maximusprime wrote:

dubaiskeptic wrote:I am noticing a definite difference in traffic.. less congestion in certain areas. Rents have definitely come down in general, check the papers. You are right, it is only the beginning. Sit back and watch...

About 5000 villas are about to become available close to JLT.. and there are 100s in Arabian ranches which have been empty for over a year. Landlords in AR have offered 12 cheques to people in desperation to rent out their properties.

The consequences of years of greed are coming to a head....

Actually, every single JLT tower that is not completed is currently on hold so it'll be a while before that happens. I think we'll be seeing a lot of halfway finished buildins sitting around until the developers are flush again...... which will be a loooong loooooooong time.

i am referring to the villas, not the towers. There are some completed and handed over villas about to be released

PS: I heard today that 1400 westerners have laid off from Laing O Rourke in Abu Dhabi, plus 20000 labourers. All those villas will be up for grabs.

So how many new homeless cars are now at the airport?? LOL

well, just yesterday got the news that 3 close friends working for a consultant were laid off as a fallout of nakheel cancelling projects. have to wrap up within a month.

From what I hear, a majority of people are going to leave at the end of the academic year. I definitely know that there is an abnormal no. of requests for Transfer certificates at some schools.

You'll probably see a much bigger impact from april onwards.....

dubaiskeptic, I doubt your numbers, but the Laing O Rourke story is true.

michaeldubai wrote:well, just yesterday got the news that 3 close friends working for a consultant were laid off as a fallout of nakheel cancelling projects. have to wrap up within a month.

From what I hear, a majority of people are going to leave at the end of the academic year. I definitely know that there is an abnormal no. of requests for Transfer certificates at some schools.

You'll probably see a much bigger impact from april onwards.....

dubaiskeptic, I doubt your numbers, but the Laing O Rourke story is true.

Your 3 close friends were probably working for Burt Hill right?

Rents have certainly dropped in AR.

A 3 bed 4 months ago was 300k now 220k (some for 200k)

Where are you getting your information from? and for which type of villa?

Getting my info from friends who also live (as I do) in AR. A couple of have got leases coming up for renewal, and obviously my friends have started to look at the rental rates, as I will be doing for my renewal in May

Not sure on the type of villa (3E, 4M etc), but they are certainly 3 beds, mostly in Alreem 1 and Alreem 3

Re: Laing O Rourke - numbers obtained first hand from someone who works there.

Rentals... check out dubizzle...

dubaiskeptic wrote:Too right!

Also, any signs of the Emirates becoming a less-transparent place to do business may only make it harder to rebuild the Dubai dream.

Real Estate corruption scandals, greedy landlords, favouritism in obtaining just a drivers licence and also the attitude of the immigration officials are just a few things to turn off expats from living here. There has been a crackdown on corporate crime, with dozens of Dubai executives arrested without charge.

There are loads of double dippers as well. People who hold jobs with one company and also do work for others without legal visas or permissions...

The unfair judicial system (take the example of the guy who "accidentally ran over a woman TWICE with his hummer) is also another negative aspect of living here. There seem to be rules for some, but not for others.

Those of us who have lived here a while (like myself) are watching the Emirates become a corrupt society. Drug trafficking, prostitution and increasing cases of murder. Over 280 deaths on the road last year due to car accidents and countless other things one could list.

This is all well and good, but the infrastructure/administration of the Emirates is not coping with the growth and the law does not provide black and white clauses. There are too many grey areas, check out the labour law as an example.

Moan!

PS: I heard today that 1400 westerners have laid off from Laing O Rourke in Abu Dhabi, plus 20000 labourers. All those villas will be up for grabs.

well Those of you who have lived here a while (like yourself) are the ones who made the Emirates becoming a corrupt society.


still there is a good side of this recession left !

uaekid wrote:
well Those of you who have lived here a while (like yourself) are the ones who made the Emirates becoming a corrupt society.


still there is a good side of this recession left !

Of course, there are no Emiratis with low morals are there?

I forgot, the real spelling of Dubai is Utopia

uaekid wrote:

dubaiskeptic wrote:Too right!

Also, any signs of the Emirates becoming a less-transparent place to do business may only make it harder to rebuild the Dubai dream.

Real Estate corruption scandals, greedy landlords, favouritism in obtaining just a drivers licence and also the attitude of the immigration officials are just a few things to turn off expats from living here. There has been a crackdown on corporate crime, with dozens of Dubai executives arrested without charge.

There are loads of double dippers as well. People who hold jobs with one company and also do work for others without legal visas or permissions...

The unfair judicial system (take the example of the guy who "accidentally ran over a woman TWICE with his hummer) is also another negative aspect of living here. There seem to be rules for some, but not for others.

Those of us who have lived here a while (like myself) are watching the Emirates become a corrupt society. Drug trafficking, prostitution and increasing cases of murder. Over 280 deaths on the road last year due to car accidents and countless other things one could list.

This is all well and good, but the infrastructure/administration of the Emirates is not coping with the growth and the law does not provide black and white clauses. There are too many grey areas, check out the labour law as an example.

Moan!

PS: I heard today that 1400 westerners have laid off from Laing O Rourke in Abu Dhabi, plus 20000 labourers. All those villas will be up for grabs.

well Those of you who have lived here a while (like yourself) are the ones who made the Emirates becoming a corrupt society.


still there is a good side of this recession left !

That is a hell of an accusation.

what do you mean ?

uaekid wrote:what do you mean ?

I have lived here for a while, which means, according to you, that I have helped to make this a corrupt society, well sir I disagree!

sage man it seems you are only aiming at me and not on the other posts !!!when he said it became a corrupt society, that is not a problem for you ? you guys make 80% of this society, don't you ?

uaekid wrote:sage man it seems you are only aiming at me and not on the other posts !!!when he said it became a corrupt society, that is not a problem for you ? you guys make 80% of this society, don't you ?

I have nothing to do with the corruption here and never have had

sage & onion wrote:

uaekid wrote:sage man it seems you are only aiming at me and not on the other posts !!!when he said it became a corrupt society, that is not a problem for you ? you guys make 80% of this society, don't you ?

I have nothing to do with the corruption here and never have had

I'm sure you didn't and you wont sage you just got in the middle of a cross fire

uaekid wrote:

sage & onion wrote:

uaekid wrote:sage man it seems you are only aiming at me and not on the other posts !!!when he said it became a corrupt society, that is not a problem for you ? you guys make 80% of this society, don't you ?

I have nothing to do with the corruption here and never have had

I'm sure you didn't and you wont sage you just got in the middle of a cross fire

I wasn't caught in a crossfire, you made a blanket statement to cover all Expatriates, that's why I commented.

want a bigger shovel uaekid?

kanelli wrote::lol: want a bigger shovel uaekid?

he's gone to the coffee shop!