Re: Are weekend visits to UAE a common thing amongst Pakistan's well to do now?
Yes it has become much easier to fly to Dubai and come back than it was lets say five years back. The frequent flights and the options available in terms of the airlines that operate to and from ME to all the major cities of Pakistan has seen significant increase over the years. A fairly recent addition to this is Air Arabia and from what I have heard the airfare to Pakistan and back is almost Rs 2000/-.
Khair, this doesn't affect the rich and mighty in Pakistan.
As for the property, yes you can own a house, an apt, a shop but there is great uncertainity attached to that as it is subject to the laws. Firstly, there is no gurantee that you or anyone would be entitled for the nationality once the property has been bought . Secondly, lets say the Great Sheikh decides to revoke the law tomorrow, the property for which I 'd be paying all those months would be lost over night.
There is a heightened sense of insecurity in UAE at the moment among the expatriates. We know people who are managing their successful businesses there for 40 or so years, their children were born and brought up in UAE but to this day, they can't call themselves 'nationals' of that place.