DUBAI - It took Sarah Sissons less than a month to call an end to 25 years in Dubai. The 39-year-old moved back to Australia in May with her husband and daughter. She first came to the Gulf business hub as a teenager, when her father was a pilot for Emirates, and never really left.
The impact is starkest in Dubai, whose economic model is built on the presence of foreign residents who comprise about 90 per cent of the population. With the global economy in turmoil, the decision to leave isn't straightforward. Dubai residents who can scrape by will likely stay rather than compete with the newly unemployed back home. The International Labor Organization says more than 1 billion workers globally are at high risk of pay cuts or job losses because of the coronavirus.
Dubai's main challenge is affordability. The city that built its reputation as a free-wheeling tax haven has become an increasingly costly base for businesses and residents. In 2013, Dubai ranked as the 90th most expensive place for expatriates, according to New York-based consultant Mercer. It's now 23rd, making it the priciest city in the Middle East, though it slipped from 21st place in 2019 as rents declined due to oversupply.
Sarah Azba, a teacher, lost her job when social distancing measures forced schools online. That deprived her of an important benefit; a free education for her son. So she and the children are returning to the US, where her 14-year-old son will go to public school and her daughter to college. Her husband will stay and move to a smaller, cheaper home."Separating our family wasn't an easy decision but we had to make this compromise," Ms Azba said.
Weak demand means recovery will take time. Unlike some Middle Eastern countries, the UAE isn't seeing a resurgence in Covid-19 infections as it reopens, but its reliance on international flows of people and goods means it's vulnerable to global disruptions.
Source: News Formal (newsformal.com)
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