Truemors
Many people are lured by the high tax free salaries that westerners can achieve by moving to work in Dubai but such moves are not just a one-way deal. The attractive salary and luxury homes require that you agree to live by the cultural morays and legal system of the host country and these are not always what some westerners expect and some fall foul of the law such as the two Britons that face a six year sentence for indecent behaviour on a beach. Is it just a case of that you shouldn't expect to have your cake and eat it at the same time or are there some real human right's issues underlying such cases. Carole Cadwalladr explores this theme in an article for the Observer Magazine.
The Meadows is a gated enclave with a uniformed security guard and lush green landscaping, and Clare is a British expatriate wife whose husband is a contractor. To all intents, they're living what looks very much like the good life: there's a pool in the back garden, year-round sun, and in the living room Sky News is on.
'Oh yes, it looks good, doesn't it? But we've all made a pact with the devil to be here. You get the tax-free salary, but in return you have to give up all your rights. There's no accountability, no transparency, no rule of law. There's no legislative body. Very few employment rights. It looks like a modern country, but it takes more than a few skyscrapers to create one of those. Scratch the surface and it's a different story. And if you're a silly young girlie who gets into trouble, then forget it.'
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