# Is this normal?



## devildog (Jul 26, 2011)

The company that is employing me told me that they expect me to arrive in Abu Dhabi on Saturday....But up to now, I still have not been provided any traveling details as far as plane ticket. Is this normal for a company to puchase your ticket the day before you travel? This is scarry because I still have to move out of my apartment, resign my job, etc....I can't do anything that would change my life without a plane ticket......

Do companies in the UAE work very slow?


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

It's normal for UAE companies to act very slow and sort things like this out. The reason for this is usually the untrained secretary/admin assigned the task of booking your flight doesn't really care much for their job, let alone the stresses you are experiencing with this life changing experience. The person above them doesn't care much for their job either so can't really be bothered to see if the secretary/admin person has fulfilled their instructions. Their boss is sat in Costas or on Facebook for hours on end so you don't even register to them and are lost in the ether.

That said, one day before you are due to travel is a bit much by UAE standards. Get on the phone and see what is happening. You'll probably be met with a 'meh, what are you stressing about?' attitude but it will do you well to kick their *ss.


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## devildog (Jul 26, 2011)

This is just not good. And I am afraid to resign my job nor relinguish my apartment. Although I have a job offer which I have signed, it still does not mean anything when I have to wait in thin air. Usually, i expected them to purchase the ticket in advance, forward me the information where we both are sure of the date of travel which would motivate me to do what I have to do in the States before leaving..............


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

tell them you need your ticket at least one week in advance to prepare yourself. Is not inter -state travel we are talking about here.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Pretty much everyone I know had at least a month or so to prepare to move to the UAE. For me it was six weeks from the job offer to arriving in Dubai. 

If your instinct about the company is bothering you, trust it. Companies in the UAE aren't to be played around with. A lousy start usually ends in tears down the road.


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## devildog (Jul 26, 2011)

That is what I am afraid off. They did inform me on Sep 12, 2011 that my expected travel date is Sep 24, 2011. Since Sunday, i was told by an HR staff that they would forward the travel details to me, but nothing as of yet. How do I make all my arrangements in 48 hours before leaving.....I still need to pack my crap from the apartment, get health insurance for my spouse, etc......I can't count on the job offer to do these things because the job offer is not quaranteed.............Thank God I still got my job........


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

TallyHo said:


> If your instinct about the company is bothering you, trust it.


This ^^^^^^^^^


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

I completely agree on trusting your instinct on this one. Tell them there is no way you are travelling now on Saturday and do not make any moves (job wise or apartment wise) until you are happy with the arrangements the new company is offering you. If a company is behaving like this from the start, they are not to be trusted.


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## Kawasutra (May 2, 2011)

dizzyizzy said:


> I completely agree on trusting your instinct on this one. Tell them there is no way you are travelling now on Saturday and do not make any moves (job wise or apartment wise) until you are happy with the arrangements the new company is offering you. If a company is behaving like this from the start, they are not to be trusted.


That´s true and apparently you can throw the contract in the bin.


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## gbh242 (Aug 30, 2011)

devildog said:


> That is what I am afraid off. They did inform me on Sep 12, 2011 that my expected travel date is Sep 24, 2011. Since Sunday, i was told by an HR staff that they would forward the travel details to me, but nothing as of yet. How do I make all my arrangements in 48 hours before leaving.....I still need to pack my crap from the apartment, get health insurance for my spouse, etc......I can't count on the job offer to do these things because the job offer is not quaranteed.............Thank God I still got my job........


I feel your pain I have the same job offer with the same company as you and they just sent me my ticket 48hrs before I'm supposed to leave. I hope they get their stuff together. Have you been contacted by your manager or team leader yet?

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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Happened with me too. And I work for the GVT. Believe it or not, the company not only did not send me the ticket in the last moment but they just provided the name of the hotel without any map or directions. I was supposed to be picked up by a driver. When I landed I had to go through immigration because I got a paper copy of my "working visa"...upon arrival I had to wait three hours because the agents could not find my original visa. Once they found it, the driver was not there. He had given up on me (learned that after the fact).

I was pissed. I was lucky that the cab driver knew my hotel.

Do not expect the same level of service that you are used to. Make some calls to your company and remind them what you need.

Good luck


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## gbh242 (Aug 30, 2011)

Canuck_Sens said:


> Happened with me too. And I work for the GVT. Believe it or not, the company not only did not send me the ticket in the last moment but they just provided the name of the hotel without any map or directions. I was supposed to be picked up by a driver. When I landed I had to go through immigration because I got a paper copy of my "working visa"...upon arrival I had to wait three hours because the agents could not find my original visa. Once they found it, the driver was not there. He had given up on me (learned that after the fact).
> 
> I was pissed. I was lucky that the cab driver knew my hotel.
> 
> ...


Ugh! Well the problem is they did not tell me the name of hotel they just said that a driver from Elite would meet me at airport and take me to company villas, where I would stay for 3days filling out forms and medical check then I would be transferred to City Maxx in Dubai where I would remain for a couple weeks. I guess this is just how they operate. Have you had any trouble getting paid? I heard that could also be an issue

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## Guest (Sep 21, 2011)

gbh242 said:


> Ugh! Well the problem is they did not tell me the name of hotel they just said that a driver from Elite would meet me at airport and take me to company villas, where I would stay for 3days filling out forms and medical check then I would be transferred to City Maxx in Dubai where I would remain for a couple weeks. I guess this is just how they operate. Have you had any trouble getting paid? I heard that could also be an issue
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


This company that you and the OP are going to be working for sounds pretty dodgy

If you do go to Dubai, under no circumstances give your employer your passport for them to hold onto


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## devildog (Jul 26, 2011)

I got my ticket to the same time they sent you yours.....I have communicated with the Team Leader but there are lot of things that are BLANK...I will treat this AS A DEPLOYMENT instead of a job.....ADOPTING THE MILITARY MENTALITY........I leave in a few hours.....


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## gbh242 (Aug 30, 2011)

devildog said:


> I got my ticket to the same time they sent you yours.....I have communicated with the Team Leader but there are lot of things that are BLANK...I will treat this AS A DEPLOYMENT instead of a job.....ADOPTING THE MILITARY MENTALITY........I leave in a few hours.....


Me too I guess I will see you soon at the company villas!

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