Job Discussion Forums

[gulfedout]

Since the recent unrest in Bahrain, the national university there has been using it as an excuse to get rid of failing students and to get rid of staff who don't toe the line or want to sign loyalty pledges.

The expatriate contract has more holes in it than swiss cheese. While there is no mention of 'civil unrest' and how the expatriate professor is protected at such times, there is plenty of mention of 'not respecting local customs' which could be interpreted any way they wish. This clause gives them the right not to pay any end of service gratuity or even flight tickets home. There are reports of former BTC staff even being told they owe money to the college because they left during the uprising in March on British Embassy advice. A professor who was caught up in the University riot there returned to the UK as was diagnosed with PTSD. The University refused to accept his NHS sick certificate and held him in breach of contract.

If you really must work for them, tread carefully. Leave any morals or sense of service to your students at the airport. The contract you will sign is not worth the paper it is written on and all the cards are in their hands. Do you really want to go out and work in a country with such instability with the chance to having to leave pennyless or even falling foul of laws such as the 'travel ban' or even arrest on suspicion of being sympathic to anti regime protesters?

[scot47]

Those with any morality at all will avoid Bahrain as a place to work or a place to visit. As vile as was Franco's Spain.

[desertdawg]

How does one who's worked in KSU (as I have myself) feel able to make such a hypocritical statement?

[Middle East Beast]

[veiledsentiments]

I think Scot is referring to the present situation of killing demonstrators and holding trials for doctors and nurses who treated some of those wounded. Thus far the Saudi authorities have been a bit more... subtle? Though they haven't had large groups of anti-government demonstrations. (that we've heard of anyway)

VS

[Middle East Beast]

Yes, VS, but the Saudis sent troops to Bahrain to commit some of those atrocities.


MEB

[veiledsentiments]

True... an ugly business all around. But I think it was the trial of the doctors and nurses that I found so bizarre and over the top. Let's face it... killing demonstrators is a sadly widespread practice in much of the world.

I just wonder if things would have played out differently if Sheikh Issa were still alive. I must admit that I am not really familiar with current Bahraini politics.

VS

[desertdawg]

Very "funny" watching telly recently. A Qatari being interviewed was very keen to talk up his country's contribution of jets and pilots to the NATO effort in Libya. He didn't see any problem when asked about the march of democracy in his own country.

The politics of the whole Arabian Gulf are questionable to say the very least.

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I for one am not proud of having sold my soul. But I don't cast aspersions on others. Even when I was in the ivory towers of Arabian "academia".

The reality of the Arabian Gulf is you goes for the money. Any claims to moral or educational high ground are false. Real job satisfaction is a rare commodity

I took my blood money from BAE. I've been in touch with some of my original trainees. A few are working internationally after having gained externally accredited professional qualifications, including those in English.

Working for the Ministry of Higher Education in Oman, I was lucky to have had some great students. A very small percentage of whom I believe will have gone on to make a go of their lives in the open job market.

But these are exceptions to the rule. Where I work now, the Government basically runs a welfare system (as another poster said elsewhere). Maggie would be proud as you have to clock into "work" to qualify. Once the oil money is gone, well... So many grand schemes have been curtailed or abondoned.

The Arabs are very canny characters and can see the error of their kid in the sweet shop ways of the past. Real, directed investment is now needed especially in the geographical areas which have so far been neglected. Channelled to the least fortunate groups of people and actually doing some good. Not just creating a facade of shiny buildings, grass and trees. Unsustainable in the long term in what is a desert.

To single out the despots in one place is pure ignorance. I don't mean to diminish what has occured, but repression behind closed doors/high walls with silent victims is even more frightening. Don't even get me started on Syria. Another fine export of the milk snatcher's Britain.

Sorry for the off topic rant. I welcome the Arab spring and hope it bears fruit in the continuing years to come. But it is an economic and human rights movement rather than democracy. Perfectly illustrated in Qatar. Why should they complain when they have everything? Why change illegal laws when they are given international recognition such as the World Cup?