As the steady flow of people leaving Britain to seek a new life abroad continues, certain regions in the Middle East have become amongst the most popular destinations for those looking to find a new life in warmer climates. The U.A.E, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have become particularly popular destinations for British nationals and the large expat population in these areas allow for Brits to settle in painlessly, and become part of a community on arriving. This article will explore the three countries above; giving a brief insight into the climate, culture and work prospects for British nationals looking to move abroad. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is the largest country by landmass in the Middle East; which is rich in history, culture and tradition. The country has strong ties with the West, and has a large number of American and European non-citizens residing there. The largest city in Saudi Arabia is Riyadh, with a population of 6.5 million people. Due to the Western influence on the city, there is a great interest in sports such as football and golf in the region. The city is also home to the impressive 68,000 capacity King Fahd Stadium. Work prospects in Saudi Arabia are limited to industries where there is a lack of skilled local workers, although there have been attempts in recent times to diversify the Saudi economy. Currently, there may be opportunities for UK nationals within sectors such as education, IT, healthcare, engineering and construction. It’s important to bear in mind the sheer heat in Saudi Arabia – temperatures can reach highs of 54°C, with an average summer temperature of 45°C. Taking the time to get acclimatised to this extreme weather is important, but take into account the majority of non-citizens can work tax-free in the country and Saudi Arabia starts to look like an increasingly attractive place to start a new life abroad. U.A.E The U.A.E is an interestingly formed country, as it is split into seven emirates – each ruled over by a Sheik. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are by far the most densely populated emirates in the country, with a combined total of 68% of the population dwelling in these two areas. Incredibly, 73% of the entire population is made up of non-citizens, which makes the country amongst the most diverse in the world. There are approximately 100,000 British nationals that live in the country, mostly skilled professionals who have found paid work in the territory. The U.A.E also is home to a growing number of European and American migrants. There are also opportunities for British manual workers in the country, due to the great demand for real estate as a result of the rapid economic growth and rising population. Temperatures in the U.A.E average 41°C during July and August, with winter lows of 23°C, and the country experiences usually experiences just 3cm of rain per year. The city skylines are stunning and urban areas enjoy particularly low crime rates, making the country one of the most desirable places to live in the Middle East. Turkey Although Turkey has been an associate member of the E.U since 1963 and could become a fully fledged member of the E.U as early as 2013, it is a part of the Middle East and bears similarities with other countries in the region. Turkey is a secular state, with no definitive state religion, but 96% of the country consider themselves to be Muslim. The Turkish government tends to be of the view that any menial work in Turkey, such as waiting tables and bar or restaurant work, should be solely for Turkish citizens. There are areas where migrant workers are needed – particularly within the education sector where there is a significant short fall of workers. Also, there are some large multinational organisations that employ foreign nationals based on the type of skilled worker they require. The weather in Turkey tends to vary from coast to coast, with the west enjoying a Mediterranean climate, becoming hotter as you move eastwards. Turkey has become an increasingly appealing option for British nationals looking to work abroad, predominately due to the hospitable nature of its residents and great climate. Undoubtedly, there are enormous opportunities in the Middle East for workers in almost any sector. Whilst it will always take time to adapt to a new culture, the long-term rewards of relocating to this unique region will far outweigh any initial doubts you may have. There’s never been a better time to discover a new way of life in the Middle East. Submitted by Kirsty Collingwood, Marketing Manager at Crown Relocations. Crown Relocations is an international movers company and global mobility specialist that manages every step of the journey from visas to property management, finding schools to packing up.

It is the generally accepted that ceremonies which mark important transitional periods in a person’s life are ‘rites of passage’. More often than not, they involve ritual activities and teachings, bterapiaberles designed to take a person from one role in his or her life on to the next level.

But ‘rites of passage’ as a phrase often gets bandied around and, more often than not, it is associated with a person who, through his or her own determination and wit, coloradowebimpressions rises from a humble background to become successful. Since time began, there have been people who have risen from little to acquire much – they have had a dream to propel them on and up. uniquenewsonline

To quote the American author John A. Appleton: ‘I have heard it said that the first ingredient of success is to dream a great dream.’ And his words are not far off the mark. People who aspire to greatness have dreams: they have vision – and they won’t let obstacles step in their way in pursuit of their goals. repcohome

In our contemporary world there are many people who can lay claim to have had ‘rites of passage’ – sportsmen for example, who have not been born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths but who have risen from humble (and loved) beginnings to achieve greatness. Basically these are the people who started with nothing and made something of their lives and careers, not necessarily through luck but through graft and determination to be the best. optimalremodel

Let’s take David Beckham as one such person from the sporting world. In the world of entertainment we have seen many people come from being a nobody, to being ‘discovered’ and propelled into stardom – Oprah Winfrey is a shining example. Harry Potter’s author, J K Rowling came from being a single parent on the dole, living in a run-down area, while she wrote her epic chronicles. She is now a multi-millionairess. aslremodeling

And in the realms of business, we have people like Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus who is from equally humble beginnings. He may now be mixing with the elite and calling some of the world’s more influential people acquaintances and friends, but, if he hadn’t had a dream and vision while he was growing up, he wouldn’t today be heading an iconic brand and at the top of his chosen career. 7mgg

To put it in a nutshell, when Dany was born in Turkey in 1971, his parents were certainly not prosperous. His father was an electrician, his mother a hotel cleaner. They say that it was this beginning which made him hungry for wealth and status. Perhaps this is true, but, as you know, being a motoring journalist who has followed Bahar’s career for some time now and got to know the way he ticks, I reckon there is more myth behind this supposition than fact. manguerose

His family moved to Switzerland in the mid-’70s, when he was young – they were immigrants who wanted to better their lives and, in turn, give their children a more prosperous start in life. His father ran an electrical shop while his mother went from cleaning hotels to running a pensione in a Swiss ski village near the Italian border.

His mother personified the immigrant’s ambition – she made her own way up and this rubbed off on her son. On the way, Bahar’s parents split. That’s a difficult one for any offspring to take on board, but Dany got through the trauma, changed his surname to his mother’s maiden one and studied hard.

OK, so here we see humble beginnings – and rites of passage, as they say, happen at a transitional stage in one’s life. This is most certainly what happened to the young Dany for he went on to show dynamism from an early age.

As a student and a talented linguist, he found work in the nearby Hotel Conrad’s sports and fashion shop before moving on to study marketing at St Gallen. While following a commercial apprenticeship in a sports shop, he became involved with an inline skating marathon in nearby St Moritz. He spotted an opportunity for sponsorship and persuaded Benetton to back the event to the tune of 600,000 Swiss francs. It was a win-win situation – Benetton saw the vision, Dany did the deal. The marathon was a huge success.

He went on to study finance and, when his studies were complete, moved to Rome where he continued to rise in the field of sports marketing, before switching over to finance. He then set off for Dubai where he worked in IT investments. He was spotted by Fritz Kaiser, who ran a wealth management firm and persuaded to move to Lichtenstein to work in his organisation. This took him into the peripherals of Formula 1. As an asset manager with Kaiser, he met Dietrich Mateschitz, the Austrian-born co-founder of Red Bull.

Dany cites Mateschitz as being one of the main influencers of his career. He was lured across to Red Bull and became Mateschitz’s right-hand man, operating out of Switzerland and turning the energy drink into an iconic international brand. One of his first moves there was to negotiate a deal for Red Bull Racing to use Ferrari engines. This paved his way to the next step of his career – he moved over to Ferrari in 2007. Rites of passage…

The rest is history, in 2009, he was invited to join Lotus and two years on, he’s in the midst of re-branding and re-launching one of Britain’s best-loved and most admired automobile brands.

That is a brief ‘potted history’ of a man who has experienced the rites of passage – he’s dreamt but lived the dream through hard work and gut feelings to be where he is today. He said to me some time back: “I started at the bottom and worked my way up, over 20 years. You experience and learn a lot that way.”

And learn he certainly has, He’s taken every transitional move in his career as a propeller to the next level – and he’s still only 40. I wonder what the rites of passage holds for him next…?

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