Underneath the gloss, Dubai is an emerging market and the same norms do not always apply. I wander if the recruiter was Dubai based and had met/interacted properly with the client or was a UK based person with no understanding of the local unwritten rules (the most important thing when recruiting here). With a less robust legal system, you are often reliant on good will. Recently a guy moved over here to take on a senior role with a very well known international System Integration Consultancy. The project was signed off and he was to be a key part of it. The day before he was about to sign his mortgage papers (he had decided to buy a house), he was told that the project was cancelled. As many of these companies are growing from limited beginnings (even if they are known brand names) the opportunity to be redeployed is not as strong as in Europe. By the way.... I knw the local market pretty well and I am not sure I can think of a "major real estate consulting firm". Real estate is a massive market but the power is in the hands of a few high profile/high worth (often royal) people. There is not much you can do to police them and, even with a signed contract, they have a habit of changing their minds - this would inevitably effect a consulting firm advising the real estate company. The consulting firm may have thought it had won the project only tohave the rug pulled from under its nose.....but I am sure your recruiter was able to tell you all this and spell out the risks involved in moving into this particular sector in Dubai.....
