HOW I ESCAPED FROM DUBAI 🇦🇪 THE DARK SIDE OF DUBAI NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
Summary
TLDRThe video script reveals the 'Dark Side of Dubai,' where the speaker recounts their personal struggle as a hotel employee, highlighting the city's stark contrast between opulence and exploitation. They describe their experience of having their passport confiscated, working under harsh conditions, and the psychological manipulation they faced, which led to their eventual escape. The narrative also touches on broader issues of human trafficking and the plight of workers in Dubai's construction and service industries, urging viewers to recognize the hardships behind the city's glamorous facade.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The speaker discusses the 'Dark Side of Dubai', highlighting the contrast between the city's luxurious image and the harsh realities faced by some individuals.
- 🗣️ The video is a personal account of the speaker's difficult experiences working in Dubai, suggesting that not all stories are as glamorous as the city's facade.
- 🛂 The speaker's passport was withheld by their employer, a common practice that can make workers feel trapped and vulnerable.
- 🏨 The speaker worked for Hilton in Dubai, but the video is not against the company; it's a critique of Dubai's policies and treatment of employees.
- 💼 The initial job offer was for a low salary but included accommodation and meals, which the speaker accepted for the career opportunity it presented.
- 🕰️ The speaker experienced long working hours, often exceeding 12 hours a day, during the pre-opening chaos of a luxury hotel.
- 🏜️ The accommodation provided was described as jail-like, located in a remote desert area, far from the city's attractions.
- 🤝 The speaker's co-workers, mostly from developing countries, worked under similar conditions, sending their earnings back home to support their families.
- 💔 The speaker felt mentally and physically exhausted, manipulated, and brainwashed by the management, leading to a breakdown.
- 🛫 The speaker managed to leave Dubai during a planned holiday, choosing not to return after realizing the extent of their mistreatment.
- 💼 The speaker's decision to leave resulted in penalties for their manager and co-worker, who were responsible for their return, which the speaker compensated for the co-worker but not the manager.
- 🏗️ The video also touches on the broader issues of labor exploitation in Dubai's construction industry and human trafficking, particularly in the service sector.
- 🔄 The speaker observes a demographic shift in the workforce from primarily Southeast Asian to a significant African presence over the past decade.
- 🌐 The speaker hopes their story can shed light on the issue of labor exploitation and human trafficking, which are global problems, not limited to Dubai.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the video script?
-The main theme of the video script is the 'Dark Side of Dubai,' highlighting the author's personal experiences of exploitation and hardships faced while working in the hospitality industry in Dubai.
Why did the narrator feel the need to escape Dubai?
-The narrator felt the need to escape Dubai due to the harsh working conditions, mental exhaustion, and the realization that they were being treated more like a slave than a human being or employee.
What was the narrator's initial job position in Dubai?
-The narrator's initial job position in Dubai was as a front desk supervisor at the Hilton Residences, part of the Hilton Resort.
How much was the narrator's salary in Dirhams when they started working in Dubai?
-The narrator's salary was about 2,500 Dirhams per month when they started working in Dubai.
What was the policy regarding employees' passports in the hotel where the narrator worked?
-The policy was that employees had to leave their passports with the hotel's HR department. Passports were only returned when employees needed to travel outside of Dubai, and then they had to be returned after the trip.
Why did the narrator decide to stay in Dubai despite the difficult conditions?
-The narrator decided to stay due to feeling manipulated and brainwashed by the management, who made them feel responsible and guilty for their team, as well as being young and not wanting to cause any drama on their first job.
What was the condition for the narrator to get their passport back for a holiday?
-To get their passport back for a holiday, the narrator had to have two co-workers sign a document, taking responsibility for the passport. If the narrator did not return, the co-workers' salaries would be deducted as a penalty.
How did the narrator feel after returning to Italy from Dubai?
-After returning to Italy, the narrator felt relieved and realized the extent of their miserable and brainwashed state during their time in Dubai, leading to the decision not to return.
What impact did the Dubai experience have on the narrator's career?
-The Dubai experience had a significant impact on the narrator's career, leading them to quit the hospitality industry altogether and start their own business.
What other issues does the narrator mention as part of the 'Dark Side of Dubai'?
-The narrator mentions issues such as the poor treatment of workers in the construction industry, human trafficking, and the forced labor of women in massage parlors and prostitution as part of the 'Dark Side of Dubai'.
How does the narrator describe the shift in workforce demographics in Dubai over the past 10 years?
-The narrator observes a shift in workforce demographics from primarily Southeast Asian, Indian, and Pakistani workers to a significant increase in the number of African workers in Dubai over the past 10 years.
Outlines
🌆 The Dark Side of Dubai: A Personal Account
The speaker begins by revealing the less-discussed darker aspects of Dubai, where he had a harrowing experience that led to his escape. Despite its reputation as a rich city with numerous world records and luxury, the speaker's narrative focuses on his personal struggles, including having his passport withheld and being held in a villa that was converted into a jail. He contrasts this with the well-known glitz and glamour of Dubai, highlighting the disparity between the city's facade and the reality for some individuals.
🏨 The Hospitality Industry's Hidden Reality
The speaker shares his background in hotel management and his journey from Italy to the United States, where he trained at the Hilton Los Angeles airport. After his visa expired, he sought employment and was hired by Hilton in Dubai. However, the reality of working conditions in Dubai was far from the glamorous image portrayed. He describes the policy of passport confiscation, the chaotic pre-opening of a hotel, and the excessive work hours that left him exhausted. His accommodation, located in the desert away from the city, added to the feeling of isolation and the challenging living conditions.
📜 The Struggle for Freedom and the Impact on Mental Health
The speaker details the oppressive work environment and the psychological impact it had on him. He felt trapped, manipulated, and responsible for his team, which led to a severe decline in his mental health. When he finally requested his passport to go on holiday, he was met with a policy that required his colleagues to be responsible for his return, with severe penalties if he did not. This policy exemplifies the control exerted over employees. Upon returning to Italy, he realized the extent of his brainwashing and decided not to return to Dubai, choosing instead to pay the penalty for his freedom.
🏗️ Beyond Hospitality: The Plight of Construction Workers and Human Trafficking
The speaker expands the discussion to the broader issues in Dubai, particularly the construction industry where workers are treated poorly, paid meager wages, and often live in conditions akin to modern-day slavery. He also addresses the issue of human trafficking, especially of women lured into the city with false promises, only to be forced into sex work. The speaker acknowledges that while his experience was traumatic, it pales in comparison to the suffering of many others in the city.
🌐 The Facade of Luxury and the Reality of Inequality
In the concluding paragraph, the speaker reflects on the dichotomy between Dubai's luxurious image and the underlying social issues. He emphasizes that while his story is significant, it represents only a small part of the larger picture of exploitation and human rights abuses. The speaker hopes that sharing his experience will raise awareness and contribute to a broader conversation about the darker realities behind the city's facade of wealth and success.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Dark Side of Dubai
💡Passport Confiscation
💡Human Trafficking
💡Exploitation
💡Mental Health
💡Brainwashing
💡Construction Industry
💡Accommodation
💡Salary Deduction
💡Self-Esteem
💡Career Opportunity
Highlights
The speaker discusses the 'Dark Side of Dubai', revealing a side of the city that is not commonly talked about.
Personal experience of having their passport withheld, leading to a feeling of being trapped in Dubai.
Dubai is described as one of the richest cities in the world with numerous world records and luxurious landmarks.
The contrast between the glamorous facade of Dubai and the lesser-known darker aspects of life in the city.
The story of Princess Latifah, the missing daughter of Dubai's ruler, as an example of untold stories from Dubai.
The speaker's background in hotel management and their journey from Italy to the United States for an internship.
Acceptance of a job offer in Dubai with the Hilton, despite the challenging conditions and low salary.
The policy of confiscating employee passports in Dubai as a control measure, raising concerns about worker's rights.
The chaotic pre-opening period of the Hilton Residences and the excessive work hours that exceeded the contract terms.
The isolation and lack of freedom experienced by the speaker, confined to the hotel and distant accommodation.
The stark reality of living conditions for many workers, including the speaker's co-workers from various Asian and African countries.
The mental and physical exhaustion that led to a breaking point for the speaker, questioning their decision to stay in Dubai.
The manipulative tactics used by management to retain employees, including guilt-tripping and brainwashing.
The complex process of retrieving one's passport, involving co-workers being held responsible for the employee's return.
The speaker's decision to leave Dubai after realizing the extent of their mistreatment and the manipulative environment.
The aftermath of leaving Dubai, including the financial repercussions for the speaker's manager and co-worker.
A reflection on the broader issues of worker treatment in Dubai, particularly in the construction and service industries.
The speaker's hope that sharing their story will shed light on the darker aspects of life in Dubai and contribute to a larger conversation.
Transcripts
and yeah man this is the Dark Side of
Dubai that nobody talks about and they
wouldn't give me my passport and so at
some point I really had to escape that
was the only option
Dubai that's where I am right now and
this city is considered one of the
richest cities in the world it has super
cars everywhere has some of the most
amazing and incredible skyscrapers in
the world it has a crazy amount of world
record it has the Burj Khalifa which is
the tallest building in the world it has
Dubai Mall which is the biggest shopping
mall in the world it has burjalara which
is this crazy insane seven star hotel it
has the biggest fountain show in the
world and on and on and on there are so
many amazing incredible things in this
city here in Dubai everybody focuses on
the rich side on The Shining side on the
facade of Dubai but very few people know
about the Dark Side of Dubai actually
there are more Dark Side of Dubai one of
them being for example the daughters of
the shake which I'm not gonna talk in
this video but you can research on
YouTube and you will find a lot of
videos and a lot of information I'm
making this video because it could be
the last video I make
so uh I'm in a villa I'm I'm a hostage
and this Villa has been converted into a
jail all the windows are board shut I
can't open any window
for three years the world has heard
nothing from Princess Latifah
the missing daughter of one of the
world's richest men Dubai's billionaire
ruler Muhammad bin Rashid al-maktoum but
that's not the topic of this video
because in this video I want to share my
own personal experience my own personal
Dark Side of Dubai that I lived exactly
right here 10 years ago and so this is
not something that I heard about or some
stories or some general information this
is like first-hand experience that's
something that I lived on my skin and I
want to share with you in today's video
foreign
[Music]
first of all let's start from the
beginning Let me Give a Little Bit of my
background so you really understand what
happened here in Dubai so I study hotel
management back in Italy and after that
I got an amazing opportunity to intern
and train in the United States I got an
internship contract at the Hilton Los
Angeles airport and I had one of the
best year of my life in Los Angeles I
was working at the front desk as a
trainee and even though I was an
internship I was getting around 1 700 to
2 000 per month then after one year my
Visa expires so I had to leave the
United States and I started to like
looking for a job I was looking for
different position in the hospitality
industry all around the world and I saw
some great openings in Dubai in
particular was the Hilton in Dubai that
was looking for stuff and because I was
just working for Hilton in Los Angeles I
thought that would be perfect to just
apply for the same company but in Dubai
and before you know it they actually
hire me they offered me a contract for a
pre-opening of a brand new five-star
luxury hotel in Dubai VR there was
already an existing Hilton Resort in jbr
but just across the street they were
about to open a big tower which was the
Hilton residences so this is the Hilton
Resort and I used to work here Hilton
residences so yeah guys that's what I
used to work for one year of my life in
2012.
now I want to clarify that this video
has nothing to do with Hilton have
nothing against Hilton I actually love
Hilton Hotels but this video has more to
do about the policies in Dubai and how
they treat employee in Dubai not only in
the hospitality industry but also in the
construction industry and in so many
other Industries so nothing against
Hilton even though it was an exciting
opportunity the salary and the package
and the offer was actually terrible they
were offering me about 2 500 Dirhams
which back then in 2011 2012 there were
about 400 450 euros so very very small
salary but on top of that they were also
offering me the accommodation the meals
and I thought you know I'm just 23 years
old let's not focus about the money
right now but let's just take it as an
opportunity for my career to focus on my
career to put this experience on my
resume because it's gonna be great I'm
gonna get a great experience and the
position was as a front desk supervisor
so I can grow from there to duty manage
so I saw the perspective and I decided
to sacrifice the salary for the career
opportunity so I was like all right
let's go and then it was October 2012
exactly 10 years ago because right now
I'm filming this video here in Dubai and
it's October 2022 and that's amazing to
be honest it's it's crazy but I arrived
there in Dubai I was shocked to see
everything around like wow I arrive at
the hotel I introduced myself and on the
first day that's when the real issue
happened because I went to the HR all
the paper or the introduction the
training blah blah blah and then they
asked me to give them my passport and at
the beginning I didn't really give it
too much thought today all right here
you go they will use it for some
documents and then they will give it
back to me but then at the end of the
day they didn't give it back to me and
the day after I went back to the HR
office and the manager told me you know
the policy here is that every employee
leaves their passport with us don't
worry we have a safe we keep all the
passport there you don't have to worry
about anything but that's part of our
policy we keep your passport and then if
you need to go outside of Dubai maybe
you have to go to Italy for holiday or
you have to go somewhere else then don't
worry you can come here we will give it
to you and then you can bring it back
and that to be honest was a huge red
flag but at that time remember I was
like 23 years old it was my first day so
everything was new I didn't really want
to make drama I didn't want to like
start to complaining with the HR and
also everybody around me was doing the
same thing so all the stuff they were
giving the passport so I was like maybe
it's a normal thing and it's Hilton you
know I can trust them it's a big
Corporation they're not gonna do
anything with my passport and I thought
you know what that's fine let's just
focus on my job it's the pre-opening of
this hotel there's a lot of work to do I
have to learn a lot of things so that's
okay for me and so I started to work
slowly day after day day after day and
to be honest it was a mess it was a
nightmare because the hotel was about to
open in less than two weeks and nothing
was ready there was still construction
going on nothing was organized was a
total chaos they were still hiring stuff
people coming people going it was a mess
to be honest and my contract's supposed
to be eight hours a day 6 days a week
and then one day off but has never been
like that and I end up working 10 hours
12 hours even 16 hours per day just
because it was a mess and I was a
supervisor so I was responsible for it
so I was just working all the time I was
extremely tired I had one day off and
that day off there was always something
coming up they were always scheduling
something some team meeting some
activities to do with the stuff so
basically I was stuck in that hotel
seven days a week I feel so many mixed
emotions right now I feel a little bit
sad because I went through some hard
time while I was working here it was
really tough foreign
[Music]
and when I was not working it's not that
I was just going outside enjoying the
amazing Dubai enjoy the luxury enjoyed
the nightclub enjoy The Nightlife enjoy
the beach and all the amazing things of
Dubai not at all because there was a
minivan outside the hotel that would
bring the stuff including me to our
accommodation and our accommodation was
not in the city center of Dubai but was
in the middle of the desert 25 minutes
away in the middle of nowhere literally
there were just desert all around so I'm
here chilling in jbr behind you can see
the Hilton where I used to work and this
one in front of me is the bus the mini
bus then used to bring me from the hotel
back to the accommodation and right now
in the evening time it's bringing some
stuff from the hotel back to the
accommodation
so many memories man
and it was this accommodation that to be
honest looked like a jail with security
and the gates at the entrance so you
arrived there with a minivan you go back
to your room nothing to do it was pretty
depressing to be honest
[Music]
and then the same minivan in the morning
would bring me from the accommodation
back to the hotels and so yeah it was it
was really intense really hard and I was
also one of the very few Europeans there
most of my colleagues and most of the
staff were from India Pakistan
Bangladesh Myanmar Philippines a lot
Egypt different countries in Africa as
well and basically all my co-workers
they were earning less than me because I
was kind of a supervisor and I had a
private room while they had a shared
room and they were also earning less
than me but they will take all this
money let's say 300 per month and they
will send them back to their family in
the Philippines in Vietnam in Cambodia
in India in Sri Lanka so all my
teammates basically they were not living
they were just working taking the money
and sending back home and some of them
they were doing this for 10 20 years and
so I kept going for a few months but at
some point I really had it enough and I
broke down I was really like devastated
like mentally physically I was
completely exhausted and you're probably
wondering Gabby why don't you just quit
take your passport and go back to Italy
and yes that's true I will think the
same way right now but you have to
understand that back then I was very
weak mentally my mental health was
terrible my self-esteem was terrible I
was very manipulated by the management I
was also very brainwashed and they would
make me feel like guilty that I was
responsible I was a supervisor I was a
role model people were looking up to me
I have to give a good example and I was
believing all those things it's it's
crazy to be honest and my mental health
was getting worse and worse and worse so
I decided to stay I stayed for six more
months I almost completed the year and
around the ear Mark which is the time
that I supposed to get the holiday I was
ready to get my passport back go on
vacation in Italy and then come back to
work in Dubai and within myself I
thought maybe this is a great
opportunity to get my passport just
leave for vacation and then don't come
back anymore and actually so many people
do like this I went to ask for my
passport to go on holiday and here is
the crazy thing because they sit me down
and they put a paper in front of me the
HR department and the HR manager told me
the policy here is like this I can give
you your passport you can go on vacation
but in order to give you your passport
two of your co-workers they have to sign
and they will be responsible for your
passport so if you don't come back and
you don't bring me back the passport
they will be in trouble and they will be
responsible for it so do you see how
they structure is so it's not only about
you but they also make other people
responsible and I had my manager and my
co-worker to sign this paper it's
mandatory that they have to sign this
paper if you want to get your passport
back and if I don't bring the passport
back after one month's holiday the hotel
will deduct their salary for one month
so both my co-worker and my manager they
will not get a salary for entire months
as a penalty of signing my document and
for being responsible of me not coming
back can you believe that that's that's
insane and so the end of the story is
that I got my passport back I flew back
to Italy and the moment I arrived in
Italy I was able to kind of zoom out and
step back and realize how miserable I
was how brainwashed I was how
manipulative the entire situation was
and how much I was treated as a slave
and not as a human being or not as an
employee and and so I decided not to
come back to Dubai anymore and sure you
know the hotel kept one month's salary
from my manager and one month salary to
my co-worker as a penalty I pay out of
my pocket the salary for my co-worker
because I really care about him but for
my manager I didn't pay because he was
the one really manipulative and that
kind of forced me to stay there was
really brainwashing me a lot so I'm
actually happy that he lost one month's
salary and so that's it that's my story
on how I escaped Dubai I still have a
lot of mixed feelings because this
morning for example I was walking right
there in front of my hotel around the
hotel and all this emotion will just
come up
[Music]
foreign
[Music]
so many memories man
and to be honest looking back I'm so
happy that I was able to escape to run
away because here I was really really
miserable and that experience actually
traumatized me so much that I decided to
quit completely in the hospitality
industry I didn't work in a hotel
anymore because it was just too intense
for me I changed career I start my own
business and right now my life is so
beautiful I really really love my
lifestyle I really enjoy what I do and
also I don't want to say that everybody
has the same experience as me some
people are really happy in Dubai
especially if you have a higher position
or maybe you have a great salary you
know you can have an amazing life in
Dubai and also I don't want to say that
everybody working hotels has the same
experience as me because if you think
about it if hundreds of thousands of
people come to Dubai every year to work
in hotel there is a reason you know they
probably make more money here than back
in their home country so this was
probably more like a personal issue of
mine but let's talk about the real issue
in Dubai right now because my story and
my experience compared to what I'm about
to tell you like piece of cake it's
actually Paradise there is no issue at
all but the real issue in Dubai is in
the construction business which has a
lot of people that are really really
treated as a slave not only they kept
their passport but they pay them very
very little money and they sleep inside
the construction site almost like a
homeless and they're treated very very
poorly and then as I said early there is
a lot a lot of human trafficking a lot
of tricks and this happened also a lot
with girls especially in massage parlors
in spas and in the prostitution field a
lot of girls they received this nice
offer in Dubai a nice opportunity they
arrive in Dubai they keep their passport
and then they're forced to work in a
massage parlor to offer like sex
services and basically they're a sex
slave in Dubai and this also happen a
lot unfortunately here so to be honest
the hospitality industry is not that bad
compared to other Industries such as the
construction industry and another thing
that I noticed is that there are many
African people here mostly like working
here I I see a lot of Staff members from
Africa while 10 years ago was mainly
like Southeast Asian Indian Pakistan Sri
Lanka they are still here but I see way
way more African so that's an
interesting shift over the past 10 years
the facade is this luxury lifestyle
everything is perfect Everything is
Beautiful Everything is just
extraordinary everything is just
mind-blowing everything is just a world
record everything is very shining every
corner in Dubai but then behind the
facade behind the scenes on the back
side of Dubai there are a lot of stories
of struggles a lot of stories of slavery
a lot of stories of human trafficking a
lot of bad stories I hope that by making
this video today I share just my story
which is a small part which is just a
little voice I know there are situations
that are way worse than me but also my
own small experience I was traumatized
and it was a terrible experience and I
don't pretend to have the solution
because this is a very common issues
worldwide actually you know that these
things happen all in Thailand in Vietnam
in Cambodia in Africa and South America
as part of our society also back in the
days with slavery with colonialism so
it's always been there now it's probably
taking a different shape and it's also
evolving compared to the past but it's
still here it's still happening and
that's something that we have to see
acknowledge and I hope that by sharing
my little experience I can shed some
lives on this topic and on this issue as
well that's it for this video guys thank
you so much for watching it thank you so
much for listening to me and to hear my
story and to hear how I escape to buy 10
years ago as I said now I'm in Dubai I'm
leaving soon I really hope that by
making this video Dubai will not ban me
will not put me on The Blacklist maybe
they will not allow me to come back here
anymore I don't know it can be but I
don't really care if they ban me I can
still survive without coming to Dubai
for the rest of my life that's fine
thank you again so much for watching let
me know actually in the comments below
what do you think what's your opinion
maybe share your story if you have a
similar story and that's all big hug
from
bye-bye
[Music]
تصفح المزيد من مقاطع الفيديو ذات الصلة
Should you move to Dubai as an entrepreneur for 0% taxes, lifestyle, networking?
I-Witness: 'Kapit sa Patalim', dokumentaryo ni Atom Araullo | Full Episode
EL SUEÑO AMERICANO ES UNA PESADILLA 🇺🇸
DIGITAL NOMAD - oczekiwania vs rzeczywistość (wróciłem do Polski)
The Human Cost of Tea: India's Exploited Plantation Workers.
ЧЕСТНО про ДУБАЙ
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)