1st order: Finding an apartment in Dubai is not an easy venture. Demand surpasses supply, so prices are high. But this was not as astonishing as the notifications I had to read: ‘room for female western executive lady’, ‘for Filipina only in Satwa’, ‘Russian working lady’, ‘north Indian bachelor’, ‘non-smoking, non-cooking, vegetarian Tamil’, just to quote some. Grown-up in the West this slightly left the impression of discrimination.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Cross-culture and housing
1st order: Finding an apartment in Dubai is not an easy venture. Demand surpasses supply, so prices are high. But this was not as astonishing as the notifications I had to read: ‘room for female western executive lady’, ‘for Filipina only in Satwa’, ‘Russian working lady’, ‘north Indian bachelor’, ‘non-smoking, non-cooking, vegetarian Tamil’, just to quote some. Grown-up in the West this slightly left the impression of discrimination.
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2nd order: Now I learnt that housing depends very much on nationality, origin, and income. There are three categories that can be distinguished roughly. Firstly, you are expat European or American, which makes you live in certain areas like Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, or Emirates Hills with the respective prices. Secondly, you are Indian, Pakistani, or Pilipino having an own area, which is again subdivided depending on income. Little houses have been built near the industrial areas for the few higher earners. Thirdly, you are Arab. In this case you are the only one allowed to buy property on long-term. However prices increase dramatically 150 percent within the last months, which makes them move to the surrounding emirates, such as Sharjah. [http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,421531,00.html]
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