I just don't understand how they do it?

I just don't understand how they do it?

Author
Discussion

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,779 posts

188 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
No income tax, no VAT, No money back no warranty.

Middle eastern countries!

I spend a fair bit of time in Qatar and Dubai and I'm continually amazed at how they run at such a level with low or no tax regimes.

Now I know there's no NHS and you pay to go to school - fair enough - but roads, streets, police, fire service, government buildings, immigration, public transport.

It's all there. All runs seemingly better than here and cheaper

Salaries are way higher (wife earns three times what she'd earn in the UK) yet I stay in a five star hotel and I mean vastly superior to a London 5 star for £80 a night, eat a gourmet steak meal (with wine yes) for £50 and a bus or train fare is pennies as is a hair cut, taxi ride or pizza

How do they provide all this yet allow people to earn tax free?

Should we be looking at this as a viable model for the UK?

Dracoro

8,897 posts

260 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Built on slave labour?

Many "import" people from other countries to build all this (no rights, hand in passport, promises of money etc.)

Need to look behind/under the scenes to see I would suspect...

southendpier

5,624 posts

244 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
slaves from Bangladesh?

Biker 1

8,144 posts

134 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Err.... They have rather a lot of oil revenue!

Dracoro

8,897 posts

260 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all

fflump

2,335 posts

53 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Even local government get royalties from oil companies which abrogates the need to raise income through taxes.

GT03ROB

13,775 posts

236 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
  • wealth from oil & gas revenues
  • small national populations
  • work performed by non-nationals who the state has no liability for
  • vast sovereign wealth funds
As an example Qatars population is only around 10-15% nationals. The other 85-90% are effectively providing wealth for Qatariis st little cost to the state.

Earthdweller

16,022 posts

141 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Drill baby, drill

Condi

18,796 posts

186 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Thankyou4calling said:
How do they provide all this yet allow people to earn tax free?

Should we be looking at this as a viable model for the UK?
Don't you think you need an answer to question 1, before considering question 2? For someone who has visited, you seem incredibly naive about how the countries actually work...


Anyway....

How? Oil money, basically. That and what is basically slavery for most of the jobs.

No rights at all unless you're a UAE Citizen. However, the majority of the workforce are immigrants and earn very little. Have no protection at all from the state. If they lose their job they are kicked out. The system is very much open to abuse from their employer.


Should we look to replicate it here? Absolutely not.


EDIT - also, you might remember they chopped up a journalist with a circular saw, inside an embassy because they didn't like what he wrote. Clearly sanctioned by the highest powers of government. Nobody ever charged or prosecuted for the offence.


Edited by Condi on Monday 28th April 16:47

ro250

3,208 posts

72 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
I've not been but I was always under the impression that eating and drinking (in particular) out was incredibly expensive in the likes of Dubai? This is the first time I've ever heard someone say it was cheap.

98elise

29,729 posts

176 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Condi said:
Thankyou4calling said:
How do they provide all this yet allow people to earn tax free?

Should we be looking at this as a viable model for the UK?
Don't you think you need an answer to question 1, before considering question 2? For someone who has visited, you seem incredibly naive about how the countries actually work...


Anyway....

How? Oil money, basically. That and what is basically slavery for most of the jobs.

No rights at all unless you're a UAE Citizen. However, the majority of the workforce are immigrants and earn very little. Have no protection at all from the state. If they lose their job they are kicked out. The system is very much open to abuse from their employer.


Should we look to replicate it here? Absolutely not.


EDIT - also, you might remember they chopped up a journalist with a circular saw, inside an embassy because they didn't like what he wrote. Clearly sanctioned by the highest powers of government. Nobody ever charged or prosecuted for the offence.


Edited by Condi on Monday 28th April 16:47
Agreed, how can someone who's been there not realise how they get their money?

All you need is an abundance of oil and a ready supply of workers with few rights smile

M1AGM

3,485 posts

47 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Thankyou4calling said:
I stay in a five star hotel and I mean vastly superior to a London 5 star for £80 a night, eat a gourmet steak meal (with wine yes) for £50
Where is that?

Wheel Turned Out

1,473 posts

53 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Thankyou4calling said:
How do they provide all this yet allow people to earn tax free?

Should we be looking at this as a viable model for the UK?
As has been mentioned already, even a cursory read up on some of the background of these governments and how they built their wealth should answer your first question.

To answer your second - no, we bloody well shouldn't.

Shnozz

28,968 posts

286 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
98elise said:
Agreed, how can someone who's been there not realise how they get their money?

All you need is an abundance of oil and a ready supply of workers with few rights smile
Bizarre

valiant

12,288 posts

175 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Add in autocratic government where democracy is an unknown word and the rulers can change things at a whim…

119

11,806 posts

51 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Shnozz said:
98elise said:
Agreed, how can someone who's been there not realise how they get their money?

All you need is an abundance of oil and a ready supply of workers with few rights smile
Bizarre
Indeed.

And is impressed by staying in a 5 star hotel over there for £50/night.

hehe

Having said all that, i am detecting troll thread.

s1962a

6,376 posts

177 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
Saw a video of a guy living in Dubai who says he leaves his keys in his ferrari, and no one is gonna nick it, and also gives the pros of cons of living there. This guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT7xlxMYKUM

How do they get virtually negligible levels of crime like theft? We should replicate that here given our almost lawlessness when it comes to theft.

TeaNoSugar

1,388 posts

180 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
OP “spends a fair bit of time in Qatar and Dubai”, yet has no idea how they have so much money? Yeah right. It’s just wind up.

Even Thankyou4calling isn’t this ignorant.

ro250

3,208 posts

72 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
s1962a said:
Saw a video of a guy living in Dubai who says he leaves his keys in his ferrari, and no one is gonna nick it, and also gives the pros of cons of living there. This guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT7xlxMYKUM

How do they get virtually negligible levels of crime like theft? We should replicate that here given our almost lawlessness when it comes to theft.
Is that a serious question? Just look up their laws - it's something like 2 years in prison for theft.

TTwiggy

11,793 posts

219 months

Monday 28th April
quotequote all
s1962a said:
Saw a video of a guy living in Dubai who says he leaves his keys in his ferrari, and no one is gonna nick it, and also gives the pros of cons of living there. This guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT7xlxMYKUM

How do they get virtually negligible levels of crime like theft? We should replicate that here given our almost lawlessness when it comes to theft.
Easy. Create a situation where a small number of 'citizens' can afford a new Ferrari every month, while everyone else is under fear of evisceration just for looking at someone's car in a suspicious manner.