Guys, there is a “spot poll” on ArabianBusiness.com which asks which is the best ME city to do business in; Bahrain is currently #2 at 27.9% after Dubai at 46.7%.
Could you please go there and vote (for Bahrain of course!)
Come on.. it’s a good gift for our lovely country on her Independence Day! Go on and do it!
update 16 Aug, ’07 – poll has closed now with Bahrain topping 60%, WE WON! Congrats Bahrain and thanks to everyone who voted for our fair isles.
Comments
Hehe… you may criticize your government every day, but if Dubai’s in front 😆
Patriotism, you see! Bahrain FIRST and foremost.
And even if we do criticise, it is always with the thought of making it even better than what it currently is.
Hello hello :3
Its just coming up to almost 50% now, we’re in first place.
Who are we kidding… Dubia IS better. With all the corruption and political mismanagement, there is no comparison.
Yeah we have a lot of work to do, but put a positive attitude on and hopefully things will get done!
Happy Independence Day (this is the footer on all my email messages today, do the same to yours 😀 )
Way to go guys! Let’s keep it up!! 😎
You got my vote Mahmood . Bahrain always first
no frickin way! how did we surpass dubai? the votes have been rigged guys! damn, it feels like our parlimental elections all over again
I think its all the traffic referred from here XD
You’ve got some influence Mahmood!!
come on guys, you’re all bloggers too, so add a request in a post for your readers to go and vote for Bahrain too!
Happy Independence Day Bahrain 😀
My vote took Bahrain to 51.1 while Dubai hovers around the same percentage as Bush’s approval rating. Hmmm.
SPOT POLL
What is the best Middle East city to do business in?
Abu Dhabi
3.2%
Bahrain
52.6%
Beirut
4.0%
Cairo
0.0%
Doha
2.4%
Dubai
31.5%
Jeddah
0.8%
Kuwait City
2.8%
Muscat
0.4%
Riyadh
2.4%
Total votes: 2385
To vote .. or not to vote! That is the question 🙂
SBG, siktay oo vote bala dala3.
53% and counting!
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I DID VOTE… WALLA I DID!
You two are still together? Oh God, catfights galore… I pray for Ammar 😈
Esraa just trapped a bee between the window and the mesh!! Also, we are off to Best Buy to buy some computer toys to do our own podcast. Look out for it mate!
I’m looking forward to it! Have fun.
Its over 59% 🙂 I am so proud.
Yes Sir!
Carry on guys, thanks very much for your support, please keep at it. I have no idea when they will close the poll so let’s not let our guard down just yet. It’s only over when the webmaster sings!
my vote is reserved for Abu Dhabi
😆
That site is a bloody joke. The poll has been replaced by another one now and I can’t find the final results. Last I checked we topped 60%.
Ah well. WE WON! CONGRATS BAHRAIN!
This in Bahrain Tribune HeHeHe
Yalla Bahrain
Kingdom top business destination in ME: Poll
KVS Madhav
Senior Business Reporter
Which is the best Middle East city to do business in? The question posed on a popular Middle East business website in an impromptu poll set off a flurry of clicks across the region and more than half of the voters plumped for Bahrain!
Of the nearly 3,000 votes polled till late yesterday on the website, http://www.arabianbusiness.com, Bahrain garnered 54.2 per cent votes while Dubai, dubbed the glitzy El Dorado of today’s global investors, secured 30.8 per cent votes, a reflection of the dwindling investor sheen, meltdown in property market and more importantly, growing disenchantment of its residents over rising rentals and dipping salaries.
Beirut received 3.5 per cent votes, Abu Dhabi 3.1 per cent, Kuwait 2.4 per cent while Riyadh and Doha polled 2.1 per cent each. Both Muscat and Jeddah secured 0.7 votes and Cairo 0.3 per cent.
The spot poll focused on the business do’ability’ in the Middle East cities, touching upon factors that make businesses, life, careers and the city itself tick. How easy is it to live there, what is transport infrastructure like? How established are the rules of doing business? Is the business environment bureaucratic? Is real estate expensive? Is it a city at peace? Is there an available pool of skilled labour?
“Dubai is gradually becoming a cocktail of Hollywood and Disneyland! It may lose its cutting edge as a professional destination unless work conditions, salary levels and housing needs are addressed urgently. Already the flow of professionals from some countries is ebbing,†one voter commented.
“Dubai is a phenomena that is ahead of the rest. Those countries blessed with a more favourable social and climatic environment specialise in shooting themselves in the foot. They are not hospitable to those of a different religious culture,†another said in defence of Dubai.
As Dubai took centrestage of discussion, Bahrain stood way ahead in the poll, just like its steady climb atop the Middle East business Everest away from the high profile humdrum of Dubai.
I cannot tell a lie.
Dubai is a much (MUCH) better city to do business in
Doha is a city with much (MUCH) more potential (And money)
comparatively, Bahrain is on a pace maker.
Red belt all I can say regarding Dubai is better for now, and Doha no chance in a million years it’s all gas 😆
Adel, Have you been to Doha?
Yes, Qataris are no where as professional as Bahrainis are, nor is there any professional business like culture.
But as someone who enacts change, let me tell you change comes from above. And the Qatari Royals are planning an immaculate transformation. Mark my words. I saw the small details, and it shows promise.
Bahraini Royals are planning too and the projects in progress are nothing compared to what is planned and some are quite innovative. Be optimistic Bahrain has everything on it’s side but we are too pessimistic, even all the difficult politics here compared to the perceived stability on our neighbors side is to our favor.
you might be right about pessimism. But I think It is due to something nore than that.
Culture.
It is our culture to no go the full length. And to produce bare minimum.
Roads have 2 lanes instead of three or four.
Sewage pipes (if any) are very tine compared to other neighbouring countries where you can walk in.
Cars ordered by dealerships are stripped bare for the same price in other countries with the options.
You make your building look good enough only for that annual report picture or on the side that a big shot will pass by.
We build a “park” or a “garden” and all it has is sand, broken trash cans and a rusty dangerous swing.
Do you get me? We do this because we can say, “well, we built a park, we built so and so”.
Go up close to everything in Bahrain and the glitz fade away.
Something That was the other way round in Qatar.
THAT is why I felt someone really wants to make change. Not to show others there is change, but to feel change himself.
If the plans you speak of include changing this culture, then count me in. Otherwise, prepare to be let down again my friend.
You are right Redbelt in your last comment, but I see signs of change in the horizon. Some examples are Bahrain World Trade Center, Durrat Al Bahrain, and I hope Bahrain Bay will follow in their example, also some new government projects are looking beyond their feet. I hope soon we will break the achieve the minimum cycle.