is it happening?
how much it is happening?
what are some of the examples?
who is moving back: ex patriots, or other skilled immigrants?
share your thoughts on this, if you like.
Best,
Dushwari
Re: brain drain reversal into Muslim countries?
It is definately happening. People are moving back (although only a very small fraction) as the environment improves in muslim countries. The potential there is huge taking a longer term view. This is the time to get your foot in the door.
Btw. A lot of the oil producing countries will have to diversify their economies in the future to knowledge based economies so that will open up a lot of opportunities as well.
Re: brain drain reversal into Muslim countries?
Speaking of brain drain, a lot of Muslims who grew up in UK/Canada/US find it hard to move back to their parents home country, due to lack of infrastructure and opportunities. True, some are, but for the most part it's hard. But I have noticed that a lot can come to a compromise with places like UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, etc. Are these countries aware of this, and are they doing something about it? I know those countries have their own share of problems and restrictions.
During the last 5 years, majority of the people I know who had been living in the middle east for 30+ have moved to other countries around the world. Most to US, Canada or Pakistan.
Some people I know from UK and Pakistan went to UAE, hearing about all the hype that the place was booming and had opportunities and all that. They invested in the infested place but it was not too late before they realised their mistake. So they went back to where they had come from.
Similarly, some of the people came to UAE from US and Canada hearing all the hype and to their disappointment, suffered loss in (business) investment. Majority have moved back to where they came from. And some are still puzzled at what they did and why.
All of the above were 'Grass looks greener from the other side' cases.
Some of the people from Pakistan I know researched for buyging property in UAE instead of blindly throwing their money in the well. Coming to know about the clever policies (for the govt. ofcourse), they rather went & bought properties in UK.
No doubt there are exceptions who make profit and get out but those are too few like there are in any other place. They were clever enough to catch an opportunity, to be at the right place at the right time but again those cases are few. These rare cases Im talking about have the ability to make most at any given place or circumstances. So, that was more about their own capability than anything else.
By the way, the much hyped bubble about the booming UAE is bursting slowly as more and more people get to discover 'not so known to common people' info and with more people waking up as the word of mouth spreads.
Re: brain drain reversal into Muslim countries?
thanks for sharing your reflections on this issue of brain drain reversal into Muslim countries.
no matter what country one goes to live and earn in, everyone is partly responsible for what state the country and its social, economic and political situations are like. given that, and knowing that people belong to same faith, why is it so difficult to view Arabian peninsula in any positive light?
would experience have one believe that where ever there is readily available comfort, that is where one needs to be? and while one does acquire that, at many levels some big picture losses are incurred.
of course it all can't be encompassed within the strife of one person's good will or good intentions to hold on to one's group on the basis of common faith or nationality even.
individual differences are a reality. what suits one family or individual may not suit another.
the only way is to be open minded to life's experiences and go in with a sense of personal zeal to improve the life condition where ever one decides to stay, be it Pakistan, UK, USA, UAE or any other country.
another aspect to look at perhaps even more carefully is that of how much global one needs to become.
should you totally become money-oriented and leave behind everything that you knew?
or make use of the argument which is used often that 'times have changed', since its allows for the justification of how migrant Muslims exist and survive today?
other people from various other nationalities do the same too. the struggles of immigrants are the same for all in many ways. but they are also distinct for Muslims, given the history of the causes of migration i.e., why so many Muslims have to leave their home countries to come get studies in other countries, then look for jobs in these countries, & eventually settle there.
this particular sacrifice which migrants make - and it gets bitter with the reasons why one left one's country of origin - has to be the main motive for them to gain a foot hold in the new country, and that becomes the reason for them to work as much harder on maintaining a connection with where they came from.
any thoughts around that?
Re: brain drain reversal into Muslim countries?
[quote]
no matter what country one goes to live and earn in, everyone is partly responsible for what state the country and its social, economic and political situations are like. given that, and knowing that people belong to same faith, why is it so difficult to view Arabian peninsula in any positive light?
[/quote]
I don't agree. You only have an effect if you get to have a say.
Also, people have different experiences. Some will have positive experiences, other will not. It's like that every where.
Re: brain drain reversal into Muslim countries?
but having a say comes when you have done something to cause that say to be heard.