My answer is 'no' but I always wondered what and why would some one go over there.
The person I interviewed wants to remain anonymous so we'll call him Agent X, he worked in Proximity Dubai for the last 2 years and is returning in May.
Why did you move to Dubai?
Most people back home thought it may be for the money. I left just as freelance wages were soaring and the demand for Flash Developers in London was at an all time high. Creatives in Dubai ad agencies are very rarely paid more than that in London, and don't be fooled by the tax-free status, as Dubai pays less anyway. Not forgetting that the Municipality enjoy finding ways to squeeze money out of you such as Salik, housing fees, extortionate rent water and electricity. More importantly(!) the insane tax on alcohol - you couldn't even buy a bottle of Fosters (aka piss) for less than a fiver, and the average entrance is usually £20!
But life isn't all about money, in London I found myself often working with South Africans and Australians who would tell stories of beautiful weather and hitting the beach. Hearing that - after a rainy weekend followed by a dreary morning commuting to work on the Thameslink - left me in little doubt that a change was needed. Initially I hadn't considered Dubai until I got an invitation to an interview. The offer of relocation seemed too tempting to refuse!
What were your expectations?
Apart from the intense heat, I tried not to have any. Figured it'd be more of a surprise that way.
Were the realities drastically different?
My first thoughts were that the ATL work was extremely disappointing. Practically all billboards simply feature a massive property developer logo, or MUPIs with images of steaming pizza, burgers or fried chicken. Where were the music artists, the TV promos, or other elements of Arabian culture that marketers wanted me to discover? On the plus side, the women were stunning! haha!
What's your view on the local market as it stands?
To be honest, it could be better. There are huge gaping black holes of disorganisation which have seemingly sucked much of the creativity away from the work. Many of the problems stem from clients not being 100% committed to working "with" their agencies. Instead there is a supply and demand culture apparent in every aspect of Dubai life - you want something done, there's a guy who will do it for next to nothing - and it seems that many client-side marketing departments expect the same.
Reading between the lines, a typical scenario consists of the client saying:
"We've got a bag of peanuts for you. Don't ask me to sign too many scamps off as I've got lots of other meetings in neighbouring countries. Just get it done in a quarter of the time you'd normally require. Oh and don't be too experimental as I need to cover my ass, wouldn't want to risk that next pay cheque would we?". The layouts they do actually sign off are only later turned on their head by a CEO putting in far more than his "2-fils" worth.
There are rare cases where the clients are not part of the problem, but somehow good intentions get put aside allowing agency politics or external suppliers to creep in throwing the workflow into disarray.
Did you go over there to cause a change or to learn?
Before arriving, I was unaware whether a change was even needed. Subsequently, I have endeavoured to cause a change and have managed to cast a few ripples. But after a year or so, I realised that the areas so desperately needing change have their roots buried far deeper than the reach of any single Flash Developer, or Creative Director even.
Any regrets on moving over?
You may be surprised to find out my answer is "no". Even though there is a lot to be desired work-wise, the lifestyle side of things have been and continue to be a great experience.
Top tips to survive out there?
- Don't get caught with your y-fronts/knickers round your ankles on the beach.
- Don't give in to the soaring temptations of road rage.
- Forget your love for drugs and porn, especially if you're a DJ.
- Stick to manly clothes if male!
- Overall, enjoy the lifestyle, watching a modern city grow at such a rapid rate, and everything else Dubai has to offer whilst the fascination lasts.
Top places that you have found whilst out there?
- Jazira Beach and Al Maya island have seriously great beach parties and BBQs. You'd quickly forget that you were in a conservative arab country.
- The Lodge is a massive open-air club, a lot of booze-fuelled fun has been had.
- The desert - fun to go camping in with a boot-load of Heineken and lots of food for a BBQ. There are real camels roaming around too!
- Faraya, Lebanon has great ski slopes in the winter. The indoor slope at Ski Dubai is not bad either (considering it's in a shopping centre in the desert).
- If you like cars, Al Diyafah Street or Jumeria Beach Residence (JBR) on a Friday night. Expect to see the latest GTR plus some seriously pimped out rides. It's a full on show!
- Also Dubai occupies a location with great access to other parts of the world, for example The Maldives, Thailand, India, Egypt, etc. So lots to explore.
However, it will still be a long time before you regularly see stunning creative work come out of the UAE. Despite world firsts in architecture, internet infrastructure is far behind the UK, with the fastest home connection being 4Mbps for about £100 per month (neighbouring countries are far worse off). Ultimately meaning the MENA region has the same filesize restrictions you would have found in the UK circa 2002. Twitter have only recently been unblocked by the government, and many sites such as Flickr still remain fully censored. If it's gonna happen, it'll probably happen in Europe or the US first.
THE END
I'd like to thank "Agent X" for his time and a brilliant first interview of the year.
