Heading home?3.62 million expatriates in Dubai
864,000 nationals
8% population decline predicted this year, as expatriates leave
1,500 visas cancelled every day in Dubai
62% of homes occupied by expatriates 60% fall in property values predicted
50% slump in the price of luxury apartments on Palm Jumeirah
25% reduction in luxury spending among UAE expatriates
Sources: arabbusiness.com ; Times database
I have not heard anyone, over the last few years, say anything unkind about Dubai, that once sleepy hollow fishing village and oil-absent desert that was, in just 5 years, transformed into a miraculous citystate or megacity of the future so it seems... everyone just loves to visit and then not wanna come home. But that's not fair, really... well to me especially...hahaha cos I haven't got the chance to visit it when I was told it (Dubai) wu juz awesome.... The last time I ever set foot on Dubai soil was when MAS stops for an hour or so enroute to London. I only remember it was bloody scorching hot and some stuff displayed at the airport duty-free shop then..hmmm. But yesterday' report on timesonline.co.uk seems to be sending a chill down the spine. I know of some frens who are working in Dubai rite now. They probably would have a different story to tell. If you like to know what the hell is going on, read more here.
Yesterday's The Malaysian Reserve Daily has nothing much else except about profit drops, missed estimates, falling shares, auto bloodbath, Proton cutting one-third of its sales outlets, Bursa 2008 net profit drops 57%, pananasonic sees RM15 bil loss - to cut 15000 jobs, Titan announces VSS - will cut 20% of workforce...bal bla bla...very depressing news. Not much encouraging or news of hope...mostly despair, fear and to some perhaps crumbling down owh well, tumbling down (like humpty dumpty on the wall) yeah...the whole sky seem to be falling down over their heads.
Why then do you think I stayed away from blogging for 2 weeks? (evil wink). I guess its now a global inertia (the tendency of a body to stay at rest or continue its state of motion...newton's law...or have you forgotten?). Despite all that folks, please, please do have great weekend...perhaps it would be alot more fun watching ole tarzan movies, huh?....
2 comments:
hi din (shud i call u din?? hehe)
i do not know u in personal
but 1 thing for sure...i like your writing
instead i bookmark your address
we havent talk or meet before
but last time i was a staff in heitech
anw keep going on with the writing
wonder what is your thought on our huha politics nowaday
tq, very nice of you to bookmark my url. since ur actually not so anonymous, i am taking this liberty of publishing your comment. yes u can call me din (hehe). my mum and the older folks at kampong arab and kampong jawa calls me oden. Kinda like it cos it sounds like one of the Viking Gawds (LOL)(evil wink). My fingers are always rattling and struggling to resist making political commentaries on the local scene but I made a vow, to only air or pen my political views only after I am no longer gainfully employed or that I am relieved of all fiduciary responsibiliities (whatever that means hahaha LOL).
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