Many European expats who returned home after living in Dubai are now relocating back to the Emirate having found that life back home is much harder than they remembered.
According to UK newspaper The Telegraph, recent trends indicate that having experienced life in the sun enjoying tax-free wages and a high standard of living, many European expats are finding it difficult to reassimilate in their native countries. Many former expatriates are finding that the grass really is greener overseas and are returning to Dubai as opposed to remaining at home as initially planned.
According to the paper, a decline in jobs, reduction in salaries and lack of career progression in the home countries is leading to an exponential growth in the number of expatriates who are returning to Dubai from the eurozone. However, many of them are finding that the availability of jobs in the region is not what it once was, and that the job environment is increasingly competitive.
Konstantina Sakellariou, marketing and operations director at Stanton Chase, told the news provider: “The economy in Dubai and, in general, the UAE, is not showing such growth to accommodate the number of people wishing to relocate. As such, companies have the luxury to be selective.”
Those looking to return to Dubai from the eurozone will find that prior knowledge of the way business operates in the region and first-hand experience of the local culture will provide some returning expats with an advantage, although the government in the region is actively encouraging companies to hire local staff. Furthermore, those expats that do wish to repatriate in Dubai may find that the packages on offer are not what they once were, according Sakellariou: “The price of housing has dropped over the past few years, so this may have influenced the allowances, while at the same time, given the slower pace of growth and the bigger supply of talent, the companies are in a stronger negotiation position than before.”
