OMG the horse lampshade is taking over the world!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-533557/Is-Heathrows-T5-really-ready-off.html

Robbie Williams Shopping at Mina Mall !!

....well, maybe?!

Remember this from a few posts ago (2XL Mina Mall).....





.... well take a look at this from Robbie’s wedding (picture used entirely without the express permission of Hello magazine)......





Well, well well...... Stranger things have happened!

UAE Football League (UFL)

Last night I went to my first UFL game since living here. The only live football I have seen since being here was at the FIFA World Club Cup final between Barcelona and Estudiantes, so this was my first taste of UAE football. 

The biggest club in Abu Dhabi, Al Jazira, have recruited a British CEO - Phil Anderton. He is keen to engage the club more fully with the local population, especially the many many thousands of expat football fans who, like  me, have never been to a local football match. There has been a lot of promotion of the club in the last couple of weeks, with the club offering a free half season pass to the matches. On arrival at the first game this could be exchanged for a free full season pass. So last night, I duly went along to watch Al Jazira vs Al Nasr (Dubai) at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, which has a capacity of 45000 and was one of the FIFA venues for the Club World Cup. The club is owned by HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (who is also owner of Manchester City FC) and HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Although there was only a few thousand people in the stadium, there was a good atmosphere and everyone was enjoying themselves. The standard of football was more Beazer Homes League than Premiership, but nonetheless it was entertaining. Al Jazira won 3-0, with the last goal coming in the final few moments. 

I will definitely go again, although the matches are at some odd times due to the heat. Last night the game kicked off at 10pm and their next home game kicks off at 8am on a Thursday morning - mind you, the next day Al Ain kick off at 05.35! I'd love to see them play Al Ahli, who are now managed by David O'Leary and have Fabio Cannavaro as club captain.

Below is a link to some pictures and video from last night.

Al Jazira vs Al Nasr

Emirati employment

I was reading another blog today which was written by an Emirati working as manager in the banking sector. He was discussing the banks rejection of an Emirati’s application for a gold card. The issue was around his existing debt and not his monthly earnings :-

“The man makes a good living, and he works in a govt entity that is arguably the best place to work in the WORLD. He had just joined 4 months ago, and makes 34K. This is his FIRST job, and once he passes the 6 month mark he will be making around 48K. I know this. Its all right there.”

This just shows how pampered these guys are. So, after 6 months in his first job he will be earning the equivalent of c£100k tax free (the figures quoted are in Dhs per month) and with a job for life. He might not even be any good at his job!

I worry for this country. I don’t know how it will ever truly be run by locals if they are not incentivised to perform or progress and not just given hugh sums of money on a plate for doing even the most trivial job. There is certainly no incentive for Emiratis to work in the private sector when such salaries and job security is available in the public sector. The government’s answer to this seems to be to offer subsidies to those employed in the private sector to bring them up to the level of the government jobs. So then you will have a low grade Emirati employee earning a salary 3 times his boss’s boss’s boss! Like that’s ever gonna be sustainable.....

Tortured Maid

Follow the link to this story about a Sri Lankan maid who was tortured by her Saudi employers. What kind of sick bastards do this kind of thing. Although this case may be maybe extreme, the mistreatment of maids is not uncommon in the Middle East.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11094968