An Opportunity Called Dubai

By Hugh & Colleen Gantzer

There's a new boom in the Gulf. And it's exploding in Dubai, reputedly the most forward-looking of the Emirates. The old gulf boom saw oil revenues being poured into construction. The building boom, however, created prosperity out of temporary jobs. The new boom, that we learnt about during a recent visit to Dubai, could well have an even deeper, more widespread, and far more permanent impact on the tourism scene in our land. When the new boomers return to India they will not only enrich India with their savings but, more importantly, with their skills and attitudes honed by exposure to international standards.

Consider The Facts.

According to Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, manager missions, government of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, "In 1991 we had approximately seven hundred thousand hotel guests. The number has grown to almost five million. We are working to receive fifteen million by the year 2010" To achieve that ambitious target they estimate that they will have to add another 20,000 hotel rooms to their existing thirty thousand.

Those fifty thousand hotel rooms will need their full complement of staff all the way from managers, and chefs to bellboys and doormen. Also trained personnel, for the ancillary services for their residents, like chauffeurs, transport operators, ground handlers, agents, and multi-lingual guides. Moreover, those fifteen million visitors will demand restaurants, cruises, sports facilities, outdoor activities, shopping and medical care to mention just a few of the support facilities. This is where we come in. Indians have been part of the Dubai scene for five thousand years and will continue to be one of the preferred expatriate nationalities well into the foreseeable future. There are not enough citizens of Dubai to fill all the appointments needed. But, obviously, the government does not want its little nation to be swamped out by foreigners whose children might then take over the Emirate. So it welcomes hordes of foreign workers but it ensures that they remain 'foreign'. Meanwhile, it chooses its most promising young people and gives them the best education abroad so that they can return and take over from the expatriates. Even so, the supply of local, trained, personnel, is not likely to meet the growing demand for skilled workers and managers for very many years to come.

Dubai is in the midst of a massive expansion of its tourism and trade infrastructure. It is increasing its coastline by creating artificial offshore islands. Two, shaped like giant palms lying in the sea, will have 60 luxury hotels, 4,000 beachside villas, 5,000 shoreline apartments, marinas to berth 400 yachts, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities, health spas, dive sites and cinemas. Another 250 man-made islands will be built in the shape of a map of the world. And this is in addition to the many major developments coming up inland.

In the wings of the great employment boom are possible investment opportunities. These too, seem to be rather attractive, but our hoteliers would be well advised to enquire into the details of the buyer land rights before committing themselves. Perhaps that is why the Taj Dubai is the only representative of any of our major hotel chains. But, as we said, the job market for travel and tourism related employment is burgeoning and will continue to grow exponentially. The point is, will we be able to compete with the other 125 nationalities who have also targeted the attractive employment opportunities of 21st century Dubai?