阿联酋经济下滑 失业增加

Lisa Charbel is due to give birth in four weeks. Her husband has lost his job, so much for the dream life in Abu Dhabi.

If I can get on a plane tomorrow, I'll go home.

Lisa and her husband Joseph arrived in the United Arab Emirates from Australia less than a year ago. They expected to stay at least five years. Now they face going back home, out of work, and out of money.

Everything you can see, if you are not somebody who wants to work, come and get here.

The Charbels are like hundreds of other expatriate couples in the UAE, caught up in the global economic crunch. The slowdown not as severe here as other parts of the world, but jobs in the region are drying up. Construction is slowing; oil prices have slumped; and the real estate boom appeared to be waning. Leasing signs are more visible. House prices have slumped 25 percent in Dubai since September last year. The UAE Economy Ministry is reportedly setting up an emergency committee to deal with the global slowdown. Shirley Morrison heads an expatriate relocations company. 15 years in Dubai, she says these are the toughest economic conditions she has seen.

People are losing their jobs. Clients that are relocated in December have lost their jobs. Three weeks after they moved in, their telephones hadn't even been connected. And they were calling me and saying."Shirley, you've got to help me."

Each person who loses a job loses money, not just the salary and benefits, but everything they have outlaid to set up and the cost of going home. It regularly runs into the tens of thousands of dollars.

On average, I mean, look at all these. I mean, nursery schools, schools, relocation. The, the... You know a lot of companies won't pay your goods to be moved out.

In desperation, cars have been dumped at the airport as expats made quick exits. Look inside, half finished cups of coffee, children's toys, no time to clean the car. From here, these abandoned cars will be taken to auction and sold to the highest bidder, that is if there is anyone still around willing to buy them. The Charbels are selling their two cars, right now making an inventory of everything they own simply too expensive to ship at home. Their advice to any potential expats: think hard before you come.

Unless you've got the reading in you contract that you are gonna be fully employed for two to five years, I would not get on that plane.

The voice of bitter experience. Stan Grant, cnn, Dubai.