No End to Expats’ Woes in the Gulf

The economic boom in India is a much discussed topic these days. However, all is not well for expats from India who are working in the Middle East. Today, Indian companies offer huge pay packages to employees and thus changed the scenario of migration to UAE and the Gulf. An Indian worker would prefer to stay in his own country and earn almost the same amount earned by the expatriate workers in the UAE. The decline in value of the dollar and dirham have further aggravated the woes of expats who are having a tough time in sending money back home and making their ends meet.
The very concept of migration to the UAE has changed these days and UAE is no more a dream destination for workers from countries like India and Sri Lanka. With the cost of living rising to an all time high, UAE and the Middle East at large has lost its earlier charm when jobseekers would try their best to get there and work. The problem is much more than just inflation and at present expats finds it really hard to save and have to survive in their pay cheques. Few years ago, an Indian expat coming to UAE would expect about four times more earning than in India, but that’s not the case anymore. As the U.S. currency and dirham declines against the euro and some of the major currencies, the pay differential has been reduced to 40 percent and this eroded the advantage of working in the UAE.
Today, Indian companies and employers are providing workers with all the facilities to live life comfortably. Thus, it’s increasingly becoming tough for employers in the Middle East to hire workers from India. “Indian workers who have been working in the gulf for many years become isolated and separated from their families and this affects them mentally too. The work situation is not in line with human nature. DSS is planning to undertake a study to examine the long term effects of working in the Middle East. As a company that has sent 120,000 people to better opportunities overseas, DSS feels responsible for ensuring successful reintegration”, said Mr. Samir Khosla, Vice-Chairman of Dynamic Staffing Services.