Never let it be said that I don’t have anything nice to say about the UAE: responses to the recently reported fact that 500 Emiratis have been blacklisted for their attitudes towards jobs actually surprised me; many people seemed shocked, choosing to call them spoiled and lazy, when all I could think was, “Is that all?”

The Emiratis were placed on the list for a number of reasons including being too choosy about jobs offered to them on more than six occasions, not attending interviews and citing reasons such as not being able to wear a uniform or inability to work shifts as an excuse for turning down jobs.

If there was a blacklist in the country I come from I shudder to think how high the final count would be. While people seem to enjoy slamming Emiratis because they can afford to be choosey about the work they do, I’m not sure anyone from the UK is in a position to criticise. It is a sad fact that there are many in the UK who choose to abuse the benefit system rather than go out to work. If there are Emiratis who are provided for well enough to stay home, at least they’re not doing it at the expense of any tax payers.

Kudos to the UAE – not only is 500 an exceptionally small percentage of the population, but I think the fact that the country has chosen to single them out is highly commendable. Although blacklisting people who clearly don’t want to work is hardly a negative sanction – it’s more like granting their wishes – at least time and resources won’t be wasted on them, companies won’t be forced to employ people with a bad attitude simply because they are local and it will leave jobs open for those who actually want to work.