Dubai expatriates race for new jobs after virus layoffs
Expatriates, who make up about 90 percent of Dubai's population of more than 3.3 million, have helped create and operate its mega malls, attractions and five-star hotels, and turn it into a global hub for tourism, banking and services. PHOTO | AFP
The pandemic has set in motion a global economic crisis that one study said could see some 900,000 jobs lost in the UAE.
In a country where permanent residency is not generally offered, even for those who have spent decades in the UAE, as the redundancies begin to mount many are being forced to sell up their things and make a quick exit.
Mustafa, a hipster Pakistani graphic artist, has a month to find a new job or be forced to leave Dubai among an exodus of expatriates whose futures have been up-ended by coronavirus.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- made up of seven sheikdoms including the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi and freewheeling Dubai -- has become a hub for young professionals and a safe haven in a region blighted by political turmoil and poverty.
