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If ease of attracting international founders is a concern, my recommendation would be Dubai. Unbelievable facilities which are turn key in their own business hu

by arihant 10y ago

If ease of attracting international founders is a concern, my recommendation would be Dubai. Unbelievable facilities which are turn key in their own business hub, a tax free environment to incorporate in, if it goes there. Foreigners can own property, which just makes sense for a future hub. One of the easiest tourist visas to obtain for vast majority of nationalities, with cheap flights. Near EU, other Asian countries, and Africa. Thailand and Singapore could be other options, but they are far from EU.

nonane 10y ago
What about the internet there? Isn't it censored and relatively slow and expensive? VPNs are legally banned (1). Last I checked, FaceTime + WhatsApp audio were completely blocked in Dubai. Skype was blocked when on mobile data (but available on PC-to-PC). 1 - http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/using-vpns-what-uae-residents-need-to-know-1.1872123 http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/using-vpns-what-uae-resid...
- arihant 10y ago
  Those restrictions do not apply in the business district, AFAIK. There is a lot of encapsulation that Dubai provides international businesses from their local restrictions.
  - devoply 10y ago
    Don't ever want to work in a place where you can be thrown into jail for months for getting pregnant out of wedlock.
    - arihant 10y ago
      But you do want to work in a place where you get shot based on color of skin? You can see why making blanket statements based on a piece of news you read from another continent is not the right way to judge an entire country. Besides, my recommendation was for conducting YC interviews, not exactly living there. A 2-day YC tour conducting interviews in Dubai would enable founders from 3 continents to participate more heavily.
      - devoply 10y ago
        > judge an entire country. I am not judging an entire country. I am judging their legal system, their sense of ethics and morality. There is a difference between a loose canon cop or idiot killing someone because of racial reasons and a whole ethical and moral and legal system which do not conform to my sense of morality. I would avoid the entire Middle East for this reason.

by arihant 10y ago

nonane 10y ago

What about the internet there? Isn't it censored and relatively slow and expensive? VPNs are legally banned (1). Last I checked, FaceTime + WhatsApp audio were completely blocked in Dubai. Skype was blocked when on mobile data (but available on PC-to-PC). 1 - http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/using-vpns-what-uae-residents-need-to-know-1.1872123 http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/using-vpns-what-uae-resid...

arihant 10y ago
Those restrictions do not apply in the business district, AFAIK. There is a lot of encapsulation that Dubai provides international businesses from their local restrictions.
- devoply 10y ago
  Don't ever want to work in a place where you can be thrown into jail for months for getting pregnant out of wedlock.
  - arihant 10y ago
    But you do want to work in a place where you get shot based on color of skin? You can see why making blanket statements based on a piece of news you read from another continent is not the right way to judge an entire country. Besides, my recommendation was for conducting YC interviews, not exactly living there. A 2-day YC tour conducting interviews in Dubai would enable founders from 3 continents to participate more heavily.
    - devoply 10y ago
      > judge an entire country. I am not judging an entire country. I am judging their legal system, their sense of ethics and morality. There is a difference between a loose canon cop or idiot killing someone because of racial reasons and a whole ethical and moral and legal system which do not conform to my sense of morality. I would avoid the entire Middle East for this reason.