140mt UAE conversion fit out project

[swabbie]

Hi Russian

I am with an international maritime company superyacht division as senior project engineer and project manager (I'm the only PE/PM thats how I get to be senior) building custom and semi production for int'l clients.

As to yacht industry in UAE its only production line yachts built in Dubai, Ajman, Shajah etc, eg; Gulfcraft althought a drive thru Al Jadaf Dry Docks industrial sheds in Dubai will give you an fair example of wanabes building GRP hulls to 80ft with no GRP engineering, tank testing models or NA design.

There are only 3 dhow yards left in the Creek and they'll be gone in a year or so to hi rise development.
Palm Marine just 2 weeks back went down the gurgler for the finasl count. I'm told the whole organization would be flat out finding its back side with both hands even with diarrhea.

I know of IMTECH but nothing about them. Several companies in UK both yacht and grey boat builders are looking for E/M designers, VT, Babcock, Palmer Johnson plus several US companies, Trinity, Westport.

Every Subsea/off shore engineering support company is looking for people offering big, big bucks as the oil/gas search hots ups.

If you have a big back yard start building jack up platforms, OG industry can't get enough and name your price...

Send your em address to shaun@orlops.com if I hear of something I'll send on.

[oceanreef]

did same thing throught their logistics company in brisbane australia.
advert said top end accom and flights, leave etc.
had interview in abu dhabi with GM.
no accom, no return flight. ask to see the accom first.
if you decide to work for them ask the right questions. you will be told you will get everything but will not. it is the way things are done in UAE.
be warned.
they will say its tax free, but use that for their own advantage not yours.

[Russian]

Thanks again Swabbie and also Oceanreef.
The information you have given me is really helpful.
I have tried to get work in UK but the work permit thing always gets me.
They just dont seem interested when you say that you need one.
Is the orlops email address , your email address ?
I might just stick with subsea industry if it all gets too hard to find work in super yacht industry.
Also , Oceanreef , was the company you went through for Abu Dhabi , The Sunkissed Group ?
I dont understand how they can promise you the world and give you nothing ?
Why would anyone stay and work for them if they are lied to ?
Thankyou both.

[oceanreef]

Russian,
Honestly, unless you actually know someone in UAE to steer you in the right direction I would stay away from here unless you are contracting yourself out under your conditions. There is a misconception that people up there earn a lot of money. Its just not the case. As long as there are people from the sub continent, SE Asia etc who will work for what is tanamount to slave labour The locals here will go for quantity over quality work/ers. You will not find many yacht builders here who have any western expat supervision. Those that did have expats soon got rid of them because they wanted to make changes. Those changes cost money and would benefit in the long run but locals dont see it that way and they do not like western expats telling them how to do things. I have worked there and still go back and forth but under my terms and fees as owners project manager.
Do not be swayed to the tax free situation here. Local companies use that to their advantage and pay you less. Accomodation is absolutly out of control (4bed house is roughly AUD100,000/annum with upfront 1, 2 or 3 cheques), cost of living is rising and good schooling is expensive (roughly AUD3,000/ term. 3 term/annum) Petrol is cheap and so is the alcohol. I will admit it is a good lifestyle and there is plenty to do and see (on your 1 day off)
I lived in UAE for a ruling family sheikh (my salary was then was USD4000/mth. It was my choice to stay) for 3 years and have been an expat for 15 living in Europe, US and SE Asia on Superyachts. I am in Perth like you and have done work for Oceanfast, Austals and others as commisioning captain and owner project manager.
Stick to the Oil and Gas it pays much better even after tax.
This only my opinion and you may find others who will say different. By all means give it a go but, just be prepared if you want to be in UAE
Oceanreef

[oceanreef]

Russian,
Honestly, unless you actually know someone in UAE to steer you in the right direction I would stay away from here unless you are contracting yourself out under your conditions. There is a misconception that people up there earn a lot of money. Its just not the case. As long as there are people from the sub continent, SE Asia etc who will work for what is tanamount to slave labour The locals here will go for quantity over quality work/ers. You will not find many yacht builders here who have any western expat supervision. Those that did have expats soon got rid of them because they wanted to make changes. Those changes cost money and would benefit in the long run but locals dont see it that way and they do not like western expats telling them how to do things. I have worked there and still go back and forth but under my terms and fees as owners project manager.
Do not be swayed to the tax free situation here. Local companies use that to their advantage and pay you less. Accomodation is absolutly out of control (4bed house is roughly AUD100,000/annum with upfront 1, 2 or 3 cheques), cost of living is rising and good schooling is expensive (roughly AUD3,000/ term. 3 term/annum) Petrol is cheap and so is the alcohol. I will admit it is a good lifestyle and there is plenty to do and see (on your 1 day off)
I lived in UAE for a ruling family sheikh (my salary was then was USD4000/mth. It was my choice to stay) for 3 years and have been an expat for 15 living in Europe, US and SE Asia on Superyachts. I am in Perth like you and have done work for Oceanfast, Austals and others as commisioning captain and owner project manager.
Stick to the Oil and Gas it pays much better even after tax.
This only my opinion and you may find others who will say different. By all means give it a go but, just be prepared if you want to be in UAE
Oceanreef

[oceanreef]

Russian
Yes it was.
Basically the work relations laws are there but, don't do much good. If you confronted them in Brisbane you would have a better chance of getting something out of it whereas in UAE they would just ignore you. True.
Contract are really nothing here and they will change to their advantage at the drop of a hat. You have no recourse.

[swabbie]

Do you read what you write!!

Sunkissed or maybe Sunstroke

You guys just weeks back were touting for staff to work in UAE for one of the worst offenders of expat employers rights and now you put your hand up and advise that imported labour will have no recourse in disputes.

So you figure it's alright to send people into these situations and take your commission.

Recruiters need to take more responsibility

[oceanreef]

I think you might be getting confused on who is writing what.
Sunkissed is a Logistics Company from Lebanon with offices elsewhere and tied up somehow with the Swift 141 project. The Brisbane (Aust) office was advertising for the Project Managers for the Swift 141 on Seek.com. I am in no way connected with them nor wish to (now) be associated with them.

[Russian]

Thankyou Oceanreef for all the good tips.
Very much appreciated.
I would never go to a place without sorting out the right money and conditions anyway first. The accomodation in jobs I have seen , is usually supplied , whether it is any good or not , I dont know. I have a friend I used to work with at Oceanfast , that is now at Evolution Yachts in Henderson as a mechanical/piping engineer , he said he knew someone who worked in the UAE on luxury yachts , you wouldnt be him would you ?
Regarding the contracts , are they not worth the paper they are written on ?
Swabbie , I also dont know what you mean regarding Sunkissed ?
I enquired about luxury yacht positions in Abu Dhabi through their Brisbane office (kitchen) as they had advertised on www.seek.com.au for interior fit out draftspersons , but I am mechanical/electrical , so nothing came of it. I am also not connected with them.

[oceanreef]

Russian
I know quite a few guys from Evolution, old Oceanfast and Austals etc.
There were a few guys in UAE from Evo whilst I was project managing a couple of new builds up there, so its possible.

[Russian]

I know quite a few there as well (Evolution)
Regarding the UAE , do you think there are any yacht companies worth working for , or are they all dodgey ?
Do they usually get non-western work force for drafting/design ?

[oceanreef]

The only yard (commercial though) with any hint of CDF in UAE at the moment is Seaspray in Hamriya Free Zone.
After several years of problems relating to the original owner (Australian) they have reorganised the complete management structure with new financial input as well. Several Western expats are in place there now with a Matrix management system. GM and several PM's are from QLD.
Visited there recently and very good structure now compared to a few years ago. No contacts though so you will have to check out the net.

Platinum Yachts are building Sheds in Maritime City but won't finish for a little while yet. They have a couple of 75mtrs on the books from Sam S. but I dont know what their infrastructure is like. They dont have a website as its all under DP World umbrella
Otherwise the rest are Local owned with the usual SE Asia and Sub Continent
management.
Regards

[swabbie]

Sunkissed down under
Hi Russian
My comments were directed at a Sunkissed recruiter operating down under (unsure if the kitchen table was in NZ or Qld) the reason, a friend of mine contacted same about PM for interiors on Abu Dhabi based project, I think we all know the project, and friend wasn't happy about answers so requested I get the intel.

Long and short was I coudn't get a quality answer either.

Oceanreef re. Platinum are or seem to be moving away from yachts to building marinas and yacht maintenace. Considering their build history good move plus they had a huge internal Sub continent nationals mafia that plays the blame game. Re. the Cosmos and Dubai yachts debarcle.

Palm Marine are tottering at the edge of financial lights out if not done so already with 70% expat (kiwis) staff laid off in last month.

There are some good guys with alota heart trying hard in UAE to build good yachts but it aint easy...

[oceanreef]

Platinum have signed to do up to 3x 75mtr yachts designed by SSD and are building 2x 150mtr sheds in new maritime city in Dubai. They are not interested in doing anything under 70mtr now.

[Russian]

Have Palmer Johnson started am operation in UK ?
If so , how do you contact them please ?
I looked on their website , but it seems to be USA only.