Latest news with #expatcommunity
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Young expats return to the UAE, boosting workforce
The UAE is experiencing an unprecedented influx of young expat professionals who grew up in the country and are now assimilating into the workforce. Many students who opted to study abroad after completing their degrees are looking to return to the UAE. The world-class infrastructure and the exemplary safety the UAE offers make it a much sought-after destination across all age groups. Without a doubt, the UAE is experiencing the return of members belonging to the second-generation expatriate community. Second-generation young expats giving back to the community A young, elegant, and enthusiastic Natasha Zaman talks about growing up in the UAE and coming back after spending about five years in Boston and New York. After completing her high school in Dubai, Natasha spent three years at the prestigious Boston University. Equipped with a degree, Natasha was able to find a job with ease in the vibrant city of New York, where she worked for almost two years. 'After gaining experience in the renewable energy industry, I realised my calling was somewhere else. I wanted to work in a place which was more suited to my interest, and I wanted to be closer to my family,' she says. After working for almost two years in New York, Natasha moved back to Dubai in the summer of 2025. Amongst the many reasons that influenced her decision, safety took precedence over all the other pros of moving back. Growing up in the UAE has meant growing up in an environment that is safe, with first-world infrastructure and a country with plenty to offer to its dynamic young population. As the UAE offers job opportunities across all age groups, Natasha, within a short period of time, found employment at the prestigious Ounass. The workplace allows her to excel in her role, and in a very short time, it has allowed her to understand the dynamics of her job. Natasha has gained in-depth knowledge of the region's consumer demand. Travelling throughout the GCC is very easy, and people show great acceptance for the women's workforce throughout the UAE and GCC. The business model of Ounass offers an unmatched online service, and the ever-growing popularity for its product line has now evolved into pop-ups throughout the UAE. Ounass has an exemplary business model that is hard to replicate. Throughout the GCC, Ounass is a favourite amongst high-end fashion enthusiasts. 'A highly developed team is at the very core of keeping an impressive inventory based on consumer demand. Recently, with pop-ups around the GCC, Ounass continues to provide excellent, timely service to its customers,' Natasha explains. Natasha continues to enjoy her job and looks forward to a great journey in her career with Ounass. Finding one's calling as a young professional 'Living on my own and struck with a family demise changed my perception of life. I realised the importance of family ties and decided to move back to the UAE, where my family lives and a country I consider home,' says Insiya Naim. Insiya left the UAE for the US after completing her secondary school at Jumeirah College. She joined the prestigious Tufts University and earned a BSc in Computer Science and Psychology. While at Tufts, she recalls the days of the pandemic that impacted many lives. Working online and with the time difference between the US and the UAE was challenging. Once the lockdown eased, Insiya finally moved to the US, but the world was still struggling with Covid. 'Having a remote graduation ceremony felt very surreal. Though joined by family and friends, our graduation literally happened in my sitting room while we watched it virtually. This did leave a mark in my life,' she shares. Insiya started work in Boston, and though she enjoyed her work, there was a sense of isolation, and she found it very insular. It was in 2022 that Insiya decided to come back to the UAE. After leading a very independent life in Boston, Insiya's decision to move back was surprisingly not a difficult one. 'Struck with a demise in the family and the Covid years still lurking in my mind, I had a rethink about my life. Though I had a great job in Boston, I still felt isolated. I wanted to belong to a community that would be less focused on self and more on community as a whole. I thought of my parents who live in Dubai and decided to move back to be a part of their everyday life,' she explains. Insiya's life journey has been very fulfilling since she moved to the UAE. After a brief role at Ogilvy UAE, she joined 160over90, part of Endeavor, where she now executes sports sponsorship programmes for global brands. Her favourite part of being back in the UAE is connecting with people from diverse backgrounds and having easy access to travel across Asia and Europe. 'Dubai offers tremendous opportunities to our generation. Growing up in the UAE has been an amazing experience. The cultural diversity and global influences have contributed to shaping my life. The infrastructure, the element of safety, diversity of cultures, and endless plethora of entertainment make the city vibrant and full of energy. It surely is my home where I enjoy living and working,' Insiya concludes.
Daily Mail
12-08-2025
- Daily Mail
British tourists warned against grotesque beach habit that people say is 'bizarre'
British holidaymakers have been warned against one particularly grotesque act on a Portuguese beach that has been branded 'bizarre' and 'brazen.' Tourists in the coastal city of Albufeira have been ordered to stop urinating and defecating in an area that's not only frequented by UK holidaymakers, but is also home to large British expat community. At Santa Eulália beach, officials have erected an angry sign that reads 'NíO URINAR' in Portuguese, which translates to 'Don't Urinate.' However, below the sign is an extra message in English with the words: 'No poop and pee.' It also features a bold red line running through an image of a male figure urinating and another defacating. The unconventional sign, located near the waterfront, does not explicitly target British tourists, but it appears to be a response to a growing issue in the area. In the first five months of 2024, Portugal welcomed 6.9 million international visitors - of these, two million were from the UK, according to the National Tourism Authority. The vast majority of British travellers head to the Algarve region where the beaches are located. A further 45,000 British expats live there. The Algarve has welcomed record numbers of tourists in recent years, with over 5 million holidaymakers visiting the region in 2024 - marking a 2.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year, according to Portugal's National Tourism Authority. Santa Eulália is a registered Blue Flag beach, which is internationally renowned for demonstrating exceptional levels of safety, cleanliness and environmental management. Speaking to What's The Jam, one holidaymaker quizzed: 'Who would brazenly do a poo on a beach? 'I think most people know that is not acceptable behaviour. I'm not sure why they need a sign to warn people from doing it.' They added: 'But I guess it was there because disgusting people have done it in the past. All in all, it was a bizarre thing to see on the beach.' Meanwhile, British tourists heading to Spain this summer have been issued a warning after a visitor was caught using an 'unauthorised' device - and now faces a fine of up to £175,000. The holidaymaker, who had travelled to Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands, earlier this month, was spotted flying a drone over crowds at the Virgen del Carmen festival, which is celebrated annually in seaside towns across the nation around July 16. According to a statement issued by the National Police, the incident occurred on July 15 during the procession, which sees thousands of attendees participate in lively religious festivities while sending floral offerings to the sea. Police officers stationed at the event traced an 'unauthorised' drone in flight to an owner staying at Hotel Las Águilas in another part of the town. The British tourist was brought in for questioning, where he was found to have violated Spanish drone regulations by not having a pilot licence, insurance or any knowledge of the rules. The case was referred to AESA, Spain's State Aviation Safety Agency, for administrative proceedings after the drone was confiscated. According to Canarian Weekly, violating drone laws can lead to significant penalties, including hefty fines and potential legal action.
Telegraph
10-08-2025
- Telegraph
Why moving to France doesn't guarantee the good life
Have you lived abroad as an expat? Whether you stayed or came back to the UK, we'd like to hear about your experience. Email money@ It starts, as dreams often do, with a holiday. Mornings spent savouring strong coffee and still-warm croissants from the boulangerie; evenings drifting from ice-cold rosé aperitifs to long dinners accompanied by a chorus of cicadas. In the haze that follows, a vision takes shape: living la belle vie francaişe – forever. For many looking to move away from Britain, France is a haven where excellent wine is cheap and a charming pied-à-terre awaits anyone handy with a power drill. Despite new layers of Brexit bureaucracy, thousands are still moving to EU countries each year. At the end of 2024, just under a quarter (23pc) of British-based respondents were considering doing so, according to research by Currencies Direct, driven by the cost of living and property at home and better job prospects overseas. But the analysis also suggests that France is losing its allure among British expats. Spain, Italy, Australia, Canada and America rank as more desirable destinations. According to France's interior ministry, an estimated 8,400 first-time residency cards were issued to British citizens at the end of 2024, down some 10pc from the previous year (9,339) and 24pc compared to 2022 (11,174). While there is much to enjoy about emigrating to France – gorgeous landscapes, rich culture and a high quality of life – plenty of expats have experienced the complex reality. 'We were caught out by French tax, but still want to stay' Andrew and Caroline Lewis, both 60, had always adored the south of France. They both spent holidays there as teenagers. Fast forward a decade, and with six sons in tow, they continued to take trips across the Channel. 'We couldn't afford hotels, so we'd drive the car down with everything we owned strapped to the roof for two weeks' camping,' Andrew says. Alongside Andrew's construction business, they bought and sold houses in London, always hoping there would be enough left over to buy somewhere in France – but paying for the children's schooling got in the way. When their youngest finished his studies, they finally had the funds to start searching. They viewed 250 properties over the next few years. Nothing felt right, until they found an 18th century farmhouse in Quissac, a village in Occitanie. It was 'a pile of stones': no windows, no doors, half the roof gone, and reeking of the 5,000 hunting pheasants living on the land. A week later, they spotted a cock pheasant in their Wimbledon garden and took it as a sign. After lengthy negotiations with the owner's children – under France's strict inheritance laws, all heirs must agree to a property's sale – they bought the 32-bedroom property, La Deveze, and its surrounding 200 acres. The renovation took three years while they commuted between Quissac and London. They moved full-time in 2018 although it was far from finished. 'We lived with holes in the floor, bats everywhere, and no heating,' Caroline says. 'I remember watching Downton Abbey in the dark, freezing, thinking: this is the life!' They worked with French builders on major jobs but handled the finishes themselves, including replacing the roof with 22,000 Roman-style tiles. Then Covid hit, halting Andrew's business and forcing them to sell their London flat. As newly classified French tax residents post-Brexit, they were hit with capital gains tax in the UK – since it wasn't their main home – and again in France, with no allowance or taper relief. 'We'd only owned La Deveze for two years, so the French tax was high,' Andrew says. 'On top of the money pit that we were still trying to make liveable, it really caught us out.' Despite setbacks, the Lewises have found their rhythm. They have transformed the property from hosting holiday rentals and yoga retreats into a bespoke wedding venue, with 28 bookings lined up for the next calendar year. A return to the UK looks unlikely – especially with a new dream project in the Côté d'Azur. 'It's been abandoned for nine years, with a view straight over the Bay of Cannes,' Andrew says. 'Maybe we're being stupid, but it would be the perfect bolthole for us to relax in between weddings.' 'Making friends with the French was tough' The French countryside has been luring Britons for years, with TV shows like Peter Mayle's series A Year in Provence and Channel 4's Escape to the Chateau capturing the hearts and minds of expats looking to leave behind their daily grind. The result is that parts of rural France have quietly become 'Franglo-Saxon'. According to Insee, France's national statistics agency, the top three regions with the highest British presence – Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, and Île-de-France (which includes Paris) – are home to around 78,000 British expats, roughly the population of Shrewsbury. In many cases, their arrival is slowing rural decline and boosting local economies. But for anyone keener on authenticity, the sudden appearance of fish and chip restaurants and corner shops peddling PG Tips and Marmite could feel they're trading one British bubble for another. Ann Tams, 74, and her husband Chris, 72, experienced this first-hand after buying a riverside townhouse in Couiza, just under an hour's drive from Carcassonne, in 2006. 'Properties in France were still relatively cheap – we paid £80,000 and used it as a holiday home,' she says. Their summers were spent hiking and playing tennis; winters meant trips to small, nearby ski resorts. But it was moving to Algiers for three years for Chris's job that piqued their appetite for adventure. By 2011, fluent in French and ready for a change, the couple made the leap and moved to France full-time. Looking for more space and a bigger garden, they sold the house in Couiza and relocated to Ginoles, a small spa village just outside Quillan, near the Pyrenees. That, Ann says, was their first mistake. 'It was much harder to integrate as it was full of Brits who just wanted to stay British; not speaking French and sticking to their own groups, which wasn't what we came for.' The couple threw themselves into village life – attending fêtes, sports clubs, and community events – but deeper friendships remained tricky. 'Making friends with the French was tough, as they're not unfriendly, just very private,' she says. 'It took us five years to be invited to our neighbour's house across the road, even though we'd invited them numerous times.' Disillusioned by the isolation and climate-related decline in ski conditions – and pulled home by the desire to spend time with ageing family members – they put the house on the market in 2016. It wasn't a speedy French exit however, as the property took three years to sell. 'We hit a slump in the market and lost money, eventually selling it to another British couple,' she says, adding that she was grateful they had kept hold of their home in West Sussex. Now the couple are preparing to move to Dumfries and Galloway, not far from their daughter in Glasgow – 'our 10-year itch,' as Ann puts it. They haven't returned to France since selling the house. 'August in Ginoles was unbearable, and winters were freezing, so we're enjoying a more temperate climate now,' she adds. 'Living elsewhere makes you appreciate the UK, even the weather!' Endless admin kills the joie de vivre For all its pastoral promise and slower pace of life, France isn't always the sun-drenched paradise it is imagined to be. And time spent in the country doesn't necessarily make its foibles easier to ignore. For Roy Carpenter, 59, the has rose tint faded the longer he has stayed. Carpenter has lived in Lyon for almost 30 years. He is originally from the US and works as a professor of American civilisation at the Université Grenoble Alpes. He came to France for love, married a French woman and stayed after the divorce. He is now married to Shona, 63, a Scot. Even with a level of French far above the average Anglophone, he was treated as an outsider to start with. 'The best thing was when they would say 'gosh, you're alright for an American',' he laughs. He's long been intrigued by the British – and to some extent, American – love affair with France. 'After two weeks in the sun, everyone wants to move here,' he says. But behind the joie de vivre lies endless admin and a frustrating aversion to queuing, according to Carpenter. Beyond the clichés, he finds France to be far more conservative than many outsiders realise. 'In the States, people think it's socialist and liberal, but it's not,' he says. 'Even the Left-wing parties, until Macron, were more conservative than the Conservatives.' Change, he adds, comes slowly, if at all: budgets don't add up, protests are constant, and even teenagers take to the streets over pensions. The national mindset, he believes, is summed up in a phrase: ' Oui, mais pas comme ça' – yes, but not like that. 'They want change, just never the way it's proposed.' Carpenter sees France as fiscally cautious to the core. 'They don't want you to take on debt,' he says, recalling how even a simple student loan for his son came wrapped in layers of red tape – insurance, insurance to insure the insurance, and invasive financial questions. 'As his guarantor, they asked why I'd spent €300 the previous February. I thought, why do you care?' He also notes that debit cards are king, and mortgage lending is approached with extreme caution, with terms rarely over 10 years. After a long-standing health issue, he was repeatedly refused a loan for his own house. With retirement on the horizon, the couple plan to swap France for Scotland or America, although they worry about the financial leap they'd need to make and missing out on decent healthcare as they age. Their mixed feelings are a reminder that for many expats, moving to France – despite the gastronomy, the sun and the fêtes – is no guarantee of the good life.
CNA
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Getting to know the Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW
CNA938 Rewind Play In 'Made in SG' Melanie Oliveiro learns more about the online community Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW, a space where expatriate women - who have resided in Singapore for more than 3 years - interact with each other. Anju Cawthra, director of SSEW, will talk about its earlier days after its founding in 2017, and how members regularly engage in conversations, share information, and cultivate lifelong friendships. Jinny 'CJ' Kim, an SSEW member & supporter, will talk about the key experiences she's had since joining the community. CNA938 Rewind - Discover the Power of the Mind at ArtScience Museum's 'Mirror, Mirror' and ArtScience Cinema In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro speaks to two ArtScience curators about immersive experiences and screenings that the public should check out at Marina Bay Sands' ArtScience Museum. Victoria Chua talks about 'Mirror Mirror: Journey Into the Mind', an 8-room immersive and interactive exhibition that explores the boundless creativity of the human mind. Jerome Chee talks about ArtScience Cinema's screenings including 'Video Diaries', a trio of short films by local filmmakers as well as the VR experience 'Nana Lou' 18 mins CNA938 Rewind - vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2025: Celebrating French culture and 60 Years of France-Singapore Relations In 'Culture Club' Melanie Oliveiro finds out what else is happening at the ongoing vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2025, which celebrates French arts and culture. Emilienne Baneth-Nouailhetas, the French Embassy in Singapore's Counsellor for Culture, Education and Science, will discuss what's new at this year's vOilah!. Linda Tay, senior director of Programming at Gardens by the Bay will highlight the 'Les Art in Nature' programme. Shridar Mani, co-artistic director and company manager of The Opera People will talk about 'Les Épopées' and 'Médée', to be staged at the Esplanade. 27 mins CNA938 Rewind - Getting to know the Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW In 'Made in SG' Melanie Oliveiro learns more about the online community Seasoned Singapore Expat Women or SSEW, a space where expatriate women - who have resided in Singapore for more than 3 years - interact with each other. Anju Cawthra, director of SSEW, will talk about its earlier days after its founding in 2017, and how members regularly engage in conversations, share information, and cultivate lifelong friendships. Jinny 'CJ' Kim, an SSEW member & supporter, will talk about the key experiences she's had since joining the community. 31 mins
