People are being laid off everywhere -yes even here in Muscat where figures of authority have reiterated that nothing is wrong with the state of the economy. May be there isn't. Quite possibly there isn't - not just yet. Companies are doing what they have always done in times of 'recession' - use it to weed out the non-performers or people made redundant because a business line didn't quite pan out the way it was expected to. Towell Auto is supposed to have laid off in excess of 40 people - business is low as we know with all the auto companies. The Zubair group is not renewing contracts of well-fed staff, Oxy has laid off over 100. Oxy's story started with reports of 30 villas in Shatti coming up for rent and then, as it always does in Muscat, the news gathered momentum and 'substance'. How much of this is true? Some of it certainly - perhaps not all.

The question though that one really needs to ask these 'much-respected' companies is instead of giving away hundreds of thousands to the football players, since you are crying about a slowdown couldn't you have reinvested this cash in your lines of business? Then, may be, just may be, those guys you sent home would still have a job. Don't get me wrong - the football team deserves all it got and more possibly - but not from these people. Muriya gave away homes - and I am thrilled especially for Ali al Habsi - come on guys - how about delivering to the people who put in their hard-earned cash in to your project which is nothing but a few holes in the ground now?

The media is doing its job as brilliantly as ever - publish huge pictures and articles about such magnanimous gestures and faithfully carry press reports of how no on is in trouble. Well done - we know we can depend on you to present the facts!

Last day of 2008

Someone left a post on a UAE-based financial website talking about the recent retrenchment that’s going on in Dubai. It talked about all the positive effects of a recession and included stuff like ‘people will start to realize nothing last forever including living here and they must plan to return to their country some day…’ to ‘Traffic flow will be easier as more will leave the country.’ What is scary is that there are more people out there than you know who think this way.
I can tell you what would happen to us here if they sent expats back (not overpaid execs with huge corporations but the Municipality guys) - there would be mounds of rubbish everywhere. Talking about waste - heard about how much top execs at a desperately-seeking-take-off project are getting? Upwards of 20000 rials a month!
Does Jumeirah Jane sound better than Muscat Mary or I am just being paranoid? Met this young, cute Muscat Mary the other day who let everyone know within 20 minutes of conversation who she was, the position she held in some women’s thingy. See, that’s what I mean- Jumeirah Jane would have done it in five.
So no New Year celebrations for Dubai – I hate those self-righteous idiots who say how wonderful this is since life is not only about profit and business. Through your glow of white light, are you unable to see all those people out there who wanted to enjoy this one night? Who might have been working really hard all year, who might be away from family, who just want to go out and forget their troubles and bring in 2009 with a bang! Come on guys, it’s wrong and in my mind while I find it hard for a country as apolitical as Dubai to do this, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. One more reason to give tourists to stop travelling. If Dubai can stop partying, anything can happen!
Well happy new year to all of us – be it in front of the TV or with your dog.