"But dear the Middle east is not exactly the place to be"; an inane remark, I recollect, one of my schoolmates made when I shared my plans of Middle East. I conjured the image of a man seeking experiences and knowledge as Paulo Coelho says in the Alchemist "wise men travel the deserts in search of knowledge". My mind was made up. Given the savings and an International experience to boast of, I was toying with the idea of taking up a professional assignment in the Middle East.
Conventionally speaking the whole of North India, thinks DUBAI, whenever one says "Middle East" or "the Gulf". North India by and large has a very objective approach to life, where most of the quests that life throws up should lead to Financial gains. Not that you will not find people who think otherwise, but this is the ideology of the majority there. So the perceived affluence and "lifestyle" of Dubai and its permanence in media, as the dream destination are reasons to be blamed. I was thoroughly impressed with the city Doha, even in my first visit, secretly fondling the craving to spend some years of my Professional life in this city. Coming from highly competitive cities in India like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Indore and also having worked in he cities where life is a celebration like Chandigarh and Bhopal, I found in Doha a picture perfect combination of the urbane modernism with the lifestyle of a Chandigarh / Pune. Now this offer was hard to quell.
But this is not about my experiences in India, but about my innate desire to experiment and learn.
At the onset, I must accord a thoroughly deserved praise, to Doha.
The limited population in a "not that big a city" serves as bliss for authorities. The population mix is as diverse as it can get; with the subcontinent being the majority of the expats. The Qatari population is little short of 50% of the overall population, and it is an affluent community, with one of the highest GDPs in the world. Coming back to the expats, there is good representation of the east - China, Philipines, Indonesia, Malaysia; and the subcontinent - Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan. However these two blocks of expat population is today a serious contributor to Qatar's economy. The first block forms the backbone of the Service sector i.e those operating the Malls and Mc Donalds and the second block, the backbone of Construction and Banking. Initially it was only limited to Construction workers and gardners but now the subcontinent provides Bank Managers and FI Managers in Qatar --- a changing scenario. But it is following the trend already established in U.A.E. (read Dubai).
Putting things in perspective, what I'm trying to establish here is that the opening line of this piece where we encounter the affliction "M.E. - not the right place to be." M.E. has been the next frontier, after U.S. and Canada.
The income levels; tastes; education and lifestyle of expats from the subcontinent is not easy to pen out in a parchment. It is varied and diverse in the real sense of the word. Being in the service sector I have witnessed the sea change in the outlook of Managers towards, how to service this overwhelming group of expats. Epically the subcontinent only offered blue collar construction workers with low income level; but the influx of Management personnel is changing that composition ever so rapidly, that behoves the attention of the people managing the service sector.
Looking at it from the other side, as the EXPAT from the subcontinent......life is certainly easier than the dogged drills of a Delhi or Mumbai. Time consumed in traffic and transition over here is way lower, thanks to the limited city limits. Within its small periphery, Doha offers you decent options for entertainment, gatherings and eating, food being such an important component in our lives today. I have never had the good fortune of watching an International Cricket match in a stadium, but who knows, maybe soon. We get to see the best in class football; tennis and squash, as these are the sports that the region avidly follows.
Daily life is predominantly strung around work and the weekends are all about shopping; meeting up with friends and catching up.
Shopping has been specifically a lovable experience for me. The romance of retail, always gets the better of my abstinence. I neither profess frugality nor prodigal spending. I'm the experimental being who thrives on varied experiences, quite a few of which germinate at the Retail outlets in those opulent malls here. You name it and they have it, from brands to necessities catering to typically regional tastes and preferences. The accumulation is very global, and for me the experience has been mesmerising. Coming from Delhi (India) and getting through the Billing counters in that kind of time, form a big part of my good shopping experience.
What we do see as an area of improvement is the "not the best" public transportation in Doha. I'm sure with the kind of plans being dished out for the coming Soccor World cup, that's in for a quick fix. As of now, your own vehicle is a must for survival.
It takes an expat 3 to 4 hours to reach Delhi, Lahore, Colombo on a straight flight and god knows how many other variations one can work out on hopping flights. The proximity to Dubai and Bahrain adds to the "to cover" list of travellers and professionals serving in Doha. Europe is half a dozen hours away and London will take you an hour or two more. If you fancy the Istanbul Macedonia corridor, through to Greece, Middle East is just the place to kick off your travel. For those from the subcontinent who find travelling and exploring interesting, these are exhilarating details.
For all who have a not so favourable opinion of the Middle East, I recommend a one time travel covering Dubai, Doha, Bahrain. Its a modern world out here in the desert and believe me, you will have a change of heart.
Conventionally speaking the whole of North India, thinks DUBAI, whenever one says "Middle East" or "the Gulf". North India by and large has a very objective approach to life, where most of the quests that life throws up should lead to Financial gains. Not that you will not find people who think otherwise, but this is the ideology of the majority there. So the perceived affluence and "lifestyle" of Dubai and its permanence in media, as the dream destination are reasons to be blamed. I was thoroughly impressed with the city Doha, even in my first visit, secretly fondling the craving to spend some years of my Professional life in this city. Coming from highly competitive cities in India like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Indore and also having worked in he cities where life is a celebration like Chandigarh and Bhopal, I found in Doha a picture perfect combination of the urbane modernism with the lifestyle of a Chandigarh / Pune. Now this offer was hard to quell.
But this is not about my experiences in India, but about my innate desire to experiment and learn.
At the onset, I must accord a thoroughly deserved praise, to Doha.
The limited population in a "not that big a city" serves as bliss for authorities. The population mix is as diverse as it can get; with the subcontinent being the majority of the expats. The Qatari population is little short of 50% of the overall population, and it is an affluent community, with one of the highest GDPs in the world. Coming back to the expats, there is good representation of the east - China, Philipines, Indonesia, Malaysia; and the subcontinent - Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan. However these two blocks of expat population is today a serious contributor to Qatar's economy. The first block forms the backbone of the Service sector i.e those operating the Malls and Mc Donalds and the second block, the backbone of Construction and Banking. Initially it was only limited to Construction workers and gardners but now the subcontinent provides Bank Managers and FI Managers in Qatar --- a changing scenario. But it is following the trend already established in U.A.E. (read Dubai).
Putting things in perspective, what I'm trying to establish here is that the opening line of this piece where we encounter the affliction "M.E. - not the right place to be." M.E. has been the next frontier, after U.S. and Canada.
The income levels; tastes; education and lifestyle of expats from the subcontinent is not easy to pen out in a parchment. It is varied and diverse in the real sense of the word. Being in the service sector I have witnessed the sea change in the outlook of Managers towards, how to service this overwhelming group of expats. Epically the subcontinent only offered blue collar construction workers with low income level; but the influx of Management personnel is changing that composition ever so rapidly, that behoves the attention of the people managing the service sector.
Looking at it from the other side, as the EXPAT from the subcontinent......life is certainly easier than the dogged drills of a Delhi or Mumbai. Time consumed in traffic and transition over here is way lower, thanks to the limited city limits. Within its small periphery, Doha offers you decent options for entertainment, gatherings and eating, food being such an important component in our lives today. I have never had the good fortune of watching an International Cricket match in a stadium, but who knows, maybe soon. We get to see the best in class football; tennis and squash, as these are the sports that the region avidly follows.
Daily life is predominantly strung around work and the weekends are all about shopping; meeting up with friends and catching up.
Shopping has been specifically a lovable experience for me. The romance of retail, always gets the better of my abstinence. I neither profess frugality nor prodigal spending. I'm the experimental being who thrives on varied experiences, quite a few of which germinate at the Retail outlets in those opulent malls here. You name it and they have it, from brands to necessities catering to typically regional tastes and preferences. The accumulation is very global, and for me the experience has been mesmerising. Coming from Delhi (India) and getting through the Billing counters in that kind of time, form a big part of my good shopping experience.
What we do see as an area of improvement is the "not the best" public transportation in Doha. I'm sure with the kind of plans being dished out for the coming Soccor World cup, that's in for a quick fix. As of now, your own vehicle is a must for survival.
It takes an expat 3 to 4 hours to reach Delhi, Lahore, Colombo on a straight flight and god knows how many other variations one can work out on hopping flights. The proximity to Dubai and Bahrain adds to the "to cover" list of travellers and professionals serving in Doha. Europe is half a dozen hours away and London will take you an hour or two more. If you fancy the Istanbul Macedonia corridor, through to Greece, Middle East is just the place to kick off your travel. For those from the subcontinent who find travelling and exploring interesting, these are exhilarating details.
For all who have a not so favourable opinion of the Middle East, I recommend a one time travel covering Dubai, Doha, Bahrain. Its a modern world out here in the desert and believe me, you will have a change of heart.
3 comments:
Very nicely done, it takes a lot of courage and determination to make it happen not just in any foreign country but especially countries where laws and regulations are very personal to the society. It all depends on one's experience, perception and attitude towards their final goal and that is what makes it even more interesting to surge yourself to the unknown and make it all happen. Keep an open mind and peace and solace will follow. Great Job!
Well written bro...the mellowness of the mental state and your fond words have aptly defined the spirit of you in and Dubai...
Keep posting...
Dada thanks a lot for the encouragement, I really count on you for that. I so agree to the fact that "laws and regulations are very personal to the society".
Sukant, thanks for the kind appreciation.
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