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I really can't understand why well-off Westerners continue to work in or visit the UAE, Qatar, etc. You have a choice. Unless you're doing some kind of humanita

by TillE 12y ago

I really can't understand why well-off Westerners continue to work in or visit the UAE, Qatar, etc. You have a choice. Unless you're doing some kind of humanitarian or cultural work which actually requires you to be there, stay the hell away.

b0sk 12y ago
Money and low taxes. Reason why thousands of people from Asia work in the middle-east despite piss-poor conditions. EDIT: Sorry, I didn't read "well-off". Still, more money is the answer.
- _nedR 12y ago
  >>Money and low taxes More like no taxes. From what i heard, they have no sales tax, or income tax (including companies). And a flat 5% duty on all duty (with that even exempted on certain goods such as computers).
  - marincounty 12y ago
    I thought expats(American) were required to pay U.S. taxes? https://americansabroad.org/issues/taxation/us-taxes-while-living-abroad-faq/ https://americansabroad.org/issues/taxation/us-taxes-while-l...
    - maxerickson 12y ago
      They are required to file US taxes. Between the $100,000 foreign income exclusion and the foreign tax credit, many will not owe any tax. http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Foreign-Earned-Income-Exclusion http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Forei... http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/What-Foreign-Taxes-Qualify-For-The-Foreign-Tax-Credit%3F http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/What-...
      - justincormack 12y ago
        There is no tax credit if there is no tax in the country you are in.
aikah 12y ago
Well, it depends on how much one is willing to risk for a given salary. I bet the guy was well paid in KSA. He was just ignorant of that specific risk when going back there or too arrogant to think he would get caught. I know a lot of people that work in Singapore too.A beautiful place but you'd better make sure you know the implications of doing things that would seem harmless in the west. Because being a westerner wont make the justice system more lenient. On the contrary,they tend to make examples out of westerners.
- cesarbs 12y ago
  I'm curious: what kinds of things would those be? I've always thought Singapore was a quite westernized country, but I guess I'm wrong.
  - protonfish 12y ago
    Chewing gum, for one.
    - coldtea 12y ago
      There's actually no issue with chewing gum anywhere in Singapore. It's just that their sale is forbidden. If you have a pack you chew from your travel to Malaysia nothing will happen to you -- but you better not stick it in any public property or throw it down when you're down...
      - coldtea 12y ago
        Downvotes, really? As this is misleading or offensive or something? I've lived in Singapore for 3 years on and off, perhaps those downvoting know better? Check here for information too, if you don't believe me: http://www.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-people-think-it-is-illegal-to-chew-chewing-gum-in-Singapore http://www.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-people-think-it-is-illeg...
  - DanBC 12y ago
    Chewing gum.
subliminalpanda 12y ago
Low cost of living, high salary and no income tax. My sister works as an attorney for a global law firm in Dubai, and the attitude that westerners have there is like they're exploiting a rainforest for its goods. You move there for 4 or 5 years, rack up a huge sum and head back to your country of origin with a huge chunk of change. Although I imagine for Americans this will be more difficult now with FACTA laws.
- level09 12y ago
  >Low cost of living Not really true http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp however, many companies offer housing as part of their packages.
  - mahyarm 12y ago
    But compared to the traditional high tax, high income areas? Like New York, SF or London? http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/mountain-view-california/dubai http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/mountain...
  - enraged_camel 12y ago
    Yeah. My cousin works in Qatar and while his salary is around $50,000, he lives in a 4-bedroom condo on the top floor that overlooks the ocean and his company pays for it.
    - ghostly_s 12y ago
      50k (even cash) is not nearly enough for the tradeoff of life in a regime like UAE to be worth it.
      - level09 12y ago
        Don't really think that guy was getting a 50K package. The salary I can imagine for an American engineer working in Abu Dhabi would be a minimum of 100,000 - 180,000+ USD , and it is tax free (usually comes with additional benefits). Abu Dhabi is a rich city (they got oil) and they usually pay more than Dubai. Source: I live here, and run a startup and work with multiple companies and consultants.
peteretep 12y ago
Because money, obviously
noonespecial 12y ago
A friend of mine teaches at an international school in Abu Dhabi. He's fond of saying that its a thoroughly modern place but its not quite civilized. Don't mistake one for the other.
- subliminalpanda 12y ago
  You have to make the distinction between modern amenities and governance. You get a lot of glitz and luxuries, but you always have to keep in mind that the region is still ruled with a Bedouin mentality (I say this as an Omani national).
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
- leoh 12y ago
  Women might feel safe "walking around" but certain violations of Sharia law just might get them stoned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirat...

by TillE 12y ago

b0sk 12y ago

Money and low taxes. Reason why thousands of people from Asia work in the middle-east despite piss-poor conditions. EDIT: Sorry, I didn't read "well-off". Still, more money is the answer.

_nedR 12y ago
>>Money and low taxes More like no taxes. From what i heard, they have no sales tax, or income tax (including companies). And a flat 5% duty on all duty (with that even exempted on certain goods such as computers).
- marincounty 12y ago
  I thought expats(American) were required to pay U.S. taxes? https://americansabroad.org/issues/taxation/us-taxes-while-living-abroad-faq/ https://americansabroad.org/issues/taxation/us-taxes-while-l...
  - maxerickson 12y ago
    They are required to file US taxes. Between the $100,000 foreign income exclusion and the foreign tax credit, many will not owe any tax. http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Foreign-Earned-Income-Exclusion http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Forei... http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/What-Foreign-Taxes-Qualify-For-The-Foreign-Tax-Credit%3F http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/What-...
    - justincormack 12y ago
      There is no tax credit if there is no tax in the country you are in.

aikah 12y ago

Well, it depends on how much one is willing to risk for a given salary. I bet the guy was well paid in KSA. He was just ignorant of that specific risk when going back there or too arrogant to think he would get caught. I know a lot of people that work in Singapore too.A beautiful place but you'd better make sure you know the implications of doing things that would seem harmless in the west. Because being a westerner wont make the justice system more lenient. On the contrary,they tend to make examples out of westerners.

cesarbs 12y ago
I'm curious: what kinds of things would those be? I've always thought Singapore was a quite westernized country, but I guess I'm wrong.
- protonfish 12y ago
  Chewing gum, for one.
  - coldtea 12y ago
    There's actually no issue with chewing gum anywhere in Singapore. It's just that their sale is forbidden. If you have a pack you chew from your travel to Malaysia nothing will happen to you -- but you better not stick it in any public property or throw it down when you're down...
    - coldtea 12y ago
      Downvotes, really? As this is misleading or offensive or something? I've lived in Singapore for 3 years on and off, perhaps those downvoting know better? Check here for information too, if you don't believe me: http://www.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-people-think-it-is-illegal-to-chew-chewing-gum-in-Singapore http://www.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-people-think-it-is-illeg...
- DanBC 12y ago
  Chewing gum.

subliminalpanda 12y ago

Low cost of living, high salary and no income tax. My sister works as an attorney for a global law firm in Dubai, and the attitude that westerners have there is like they're exploiting a rainforest for its goods. You move there for 4 or 5 years, rack up a huge sum and head back to your country of origin with a huge chunk of change. Although I imagine for Americans this will be more difficult now with FACTA laws.

level09 12y ago
>Low cost of living Not really true http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp however, many companies offer housing as part of their packages.
- mahyarm 12y ago
  But compared to the traditional high tax, high income areas? Like New York, SF or London? http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/mountain-view-california/dubai http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/mountain...
- enraged_camel 12y ago
  Yeah. My cousin works in Qatar and while his salary is around $50,000, he lives in a 4-bedroom condo on the top floor that overlooks the ocean and his company pays for it.
  - ghostly_s 12y ago
    50k (even cash) is not nearly enough for the tradeoff of life in a regime like UAE to be worth it.
    - level09 12y ago
      Don't really think that guy was getting a 50K package. The salary I can imagine for an American engineer working in Abu Dhabi would be a minimum of 100,000 - 180,000+ USD , and it is tax free (usually comes with additional benefits). Abu Dhabi is a rich city (they got oil) and they usually pay more than Dubai. Source: I live here, and run a startup and work with multiple companies and consultants.

peteretep 12y ago

Because money, obviously

noonespecial 12y ago

A friend of mine teaches at an international school in Abu Dhabi. He's fond of saying that its a thoroughly modern place but its not quite civilized. Don't mistake one for the other.

subliminalpanda 12y ago
You have to make the distinction between modern amenities and governance. You get a lot of glitz and luxuries, but you always have to keep in mind that the region is still ruled with a Bedouin mentality (I say this as an Omani national).

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

leoh 12y ago
Women might feel safe "walking around" but certain violations of Sharia law just might get them stoned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirat...