Visa issue key to boosting UAE market - experts

Posted by: Property Guru Saturday, 6 June 2009 2:59 PM[UAE] - UAE

Thanks for agreeing with me. I don't agree with your comment of going to a cheaper place after termination. be it from bombay or canada. You forgot to consider the basic point. If I own a property in Bombay or Canada and if my CEO fired me. I would simply stay in MY property and look for another job. My family don't have to move and my kids don't have to leave PUNE or CANADA. They don't have to leave their friends, teachers. In any big city, if the housing is taken care of what else is needed. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION THAT IF I LOOSE MY WORK. EVEN IF I HAVE LOT OF WEALTH, I CAN'T STAY HERE. WHAT IF I HAVE LOT OF MONEY AND I DON'T NEED ANY GOVERNEMENT ASSISTANCE AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO WORK AND SIMPLY WANT TO INVEST MY MONEY. THE ONLY WAY IS TO MAKE A COMPNAY THEN. SO IF I CAN MAKE A COMPANY, WHY DO I HAVE TO BUY A PROPERTY WHICH CAN'T ASSURE MY STAY IN THE COUNTRY? EVERY ONE WILL THEN RENT ONLY. THE QUESTION IS WHEN I AGREE TO PUT ALL MY WEALTH OR A GOOD PORTION OF WEALTH IN FORM OF AN IMMOVABLE PROPERTY IN A COUNTRY, DOES IT NOT MAKE ME A SERIOUS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY. WHY AM I SO UNDERSIRED THAT I HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY EVERY SIX MONTHS ?

Posted by: robinson Friday, 5 June 2009 7:44 PM[UAE] - u,a,e

dear friends i am here in dubai for the last ten years . dubai is keep on growing . but familys those who are in the middle class are suffering here. every year the rents is going high in dubai but according to our experience in our work place our salarys are not increceing so naturally you will look for another job in this time the visa rules will really hurt us a lot ,, i am good example for that . so many will go back to their country

Posted by: Omar Thursday, 4 June 2009 10:47 PM[UAE]

I fully agree with property guru. Consultant, yes, Dubai is not doing well like before and has many changes but people are still alive. Mart, NO, i dont work in real estate + if you think Dubai is so bad, why are you still here my Friend. Barack Obama is taking Dubai as an example of human prosperity so better to listen from such a smart man Harvard Graduate!

Posted by: Omar Thursday, 4 June 2009 10:41 PM[UAE]

I want to ask you a question: Let's say you are from Pune, India and you work in Bombay for a big financial co and your CEO terminated you! What would you do? Go to Pune or a cheaper place. What about if you had gone to Canada and they terminated you. You would move to a cheaper place, look for a job, reduce your costs to the minimum and... Do the same in UAE my friend. Simple!I agree about visa facilities but let's face it, most good companies that have good relationship with its executives have not cancelled visas until they find another job! I dont think a company in DIFC that you worked for during several years would cancel your visa!!

Posted by: Property Guru Thursday, 4 June 2009 10:13 AM[UAE] - UAE

I am in the property business in UAE for past 8 years and despite crash and huge losses by many including many, I have no compliants. I strongly believe people who invested in greed, they lost and who invested in Dubai are fine. However, the u turn or nowhere turn in visa policy is more depressing than the losses. No we have no answer for any investor "Why dubai or UAE". The basic reason for my buying property in Dubai in 2002 was not that I was a genious and I knew it will appreciate. I used to work in private sector and with uncertainty and sudden job loss the whole family life was disrupted. Because I decide to quit or loose my job the whole family has to pay the price by leaving the country, kids school etc. I bought only because I saw it a method of having "shock absorber". Even if I went out of job for few months, I would have switched to my property visa that did not allow me to work. I was not complaining even if this did not allow me to work as when you have work you don't actually need this visa. I guess the government is confused between VISA and citizenship. No expat property owner is looking forward to become citizen and get the previlages. If we can earn to invest in UAE, we can earn enough to look after our lives. We don't need free housing, pensions and all what citizens get. All we need is a right of continuous stay for a reasonable period. 3 years renewal is good enough. So why can't you simply give a residence visa with "no civil rights". By civil rights I mean a UAE passport and what ever comes along with it. IF you find a person is having any criminal/ security and safety threat due to his actions in the country just don't renew or cancel his visa. We have those rights in our own countries, why duplicate them? Even god has given us life at lease with death as a certain cancellation time. Who wants to or can stay in this world forever anyways?