• A man from Northern Ireland looks set to spend Christmas in the UAE following his arrest.
• Authorities in Abu Dhabi arrested Craig Ballentine after he posted a negative Google review about his former UAE employer.
• Ballentine's family said the situation is "a living nightmare."

A man from Northern Ireland who was arrested after posting a negative review about his former employer in Dubai looks set to spend Christmas in the United Arab Emirates.

Craig Ballentine was arrested in Abu Dhabi's airport in October over a negative Google review he posted about his former workplace — a dog grooming salon in Dubai, according to Radha Stirling, an advocate who helps foreigners navigate legal trouble in the UAE.

Ballentine spent about six months working at the salon in 2023. He said he needed time off due to illness and presented his employer with medical certificates as proof of his condition.

But the employer reported him as "absconded" with UAE authorities after he missed work, and he was hit with a travel ban.

After getting the ban lifted, Ballentine returned to Northern Ireland, where he wrote a Google review detailing the issues with his former employer.

He was arrested after returning to the UAE for a holiday and now faces charges of slander.

Ballentine, who said he had paid a fine and was given a one-month social media ban, had hoped to get his travel ban lifted and return to Northern Ireland ahead of Christmas.

But he told the BBC that while on the way to a police station to get the ban lifted, he was told authorities wanted to appeal his case and had set a court date for February.

"While I was in the middle of the transit going there, I got the email that the court was not happy and they wanted to appeal again," he said. "I called friends and family and couldn't stop crying, because you're holding on to those emotions, you're just trying to focus on 'let's get out of here.'"

A GoFundMe set up by Ballentine's family has raised nearly $2,500 to help with his legal fees.

"What started out as a holiday to catch up with friends for Craig has turned out to be a living nightmare," the family says on the page.

"At present legal fees are crippling and any money raised will go to help clearing these costs," they added.

Ballentine has also appealed to politicians to support his case with the help of Radha Stirling, a representative from the campaign group "Detained in Dubai."

"The amount of support Craig has is quite incredible," Stirling said. "Charging someone for an online review is something everyone can imagine happening to them. We've received an influx of worried tourists contacting us to check their police status in Dubai and it's certainly a good idea."

Stirling has helped several tourists held up in the country on exaggerated charges and forced to pay costly fees as a resolution. She previously told Business Insider that it's relatively easy to file a complaint that can prevent someone from leaving the country.

"There's been a lot of cases in the past where people have been accused of road rage or flipping the middle finger and that kind of thing, even when they haven't," Stirling previously told BI. "Then someone goes down to the police station, and whatever they say is automatically believed. They don't need evidence."

In one case Stirling worked on, a female college student lightly nudged an airport security officer during a security screening search. They accused her of assault, and she was unable to leave the nation for months.

In another case, a woman was detained after she was accused of screaming, which her accusers said violated a vague law criminalizing "offensive behavior" like rudeness or swearing. She paid $1,000 to have the travel ban that prevented her from leaving lifted, though her accusers initially demanded $10,000.

"It's actually culturally widespread, and the police haven't done anything to clamp down on that sort of extortion," Stirling previously told BI.

• Dubai is a haven for rich expats seeking business opportunities and low tax.
• Its real estate market is struggling to keep up with demand for luxury housing.
• Property prices keep rising as Dubai scrambles to build thousands more villas to meet demand.

Dubai is hot with the rich. The emirate has become an economic hub for entrepreneurship, business, and networking, while its lack of income tax is also a lure for many international ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

Geopolitical instability and tax policy changes in other hubs have only made Dubai more of a haven for the superrich. The influx of wealthy folk is causing a problem, however: there aren't enough houses to meet demand.

In its latest Dubai Market Review, property company Knight Frank found listings of luxury properties valued at more than $10 million plummeted by about two-thirds to 460 this year.

To meet surging demand, Dubai is scrambling to build more homes. Almost 9,000 villas will be completed by the end of the year, and another 19,700 are expected to be built in 2025.

Developers will have to build even more upmarket properties to meet demand. Knight Frank suggests that Dubai will need between 37,600 and 87,700 houses by 2040 to help accommodate a population set to reach about 5.8 million by then.

At the same time, prices in Dubai prime neighborhoods such as the Palm Jumeirah and Emirates Hills have soared, rising by 20% in the most recent quarter compared to the same period last year.

"Last year, we had 37 homes available for over $50 million," Faisal Durrani, Knight Frank's head of research for the Middle East and North Africa, told Business Insider. "This year, it's dropped to nine."

"We're talking quite small numbers here, but it's helping to paint this picture of a shortage of homes at the top end of the market."

Although Dubai's real estate market is buoyant, Durrani said the housing bubble could burst if the global economy slows or oil prices falter.

A global recession would mean "a very real risk of job losses, population reduction, and therefore reduction in demand for housing," he said.

Prices are expected to rise by 8% in 2025, yet luxury property in Dubai is still a relative bargain. Knight Frank found that $1 million buys 91 square meters of prime property there, compared with 33 square meters in London and 34 square meters in New York.

"When you put Dubai on the global stage and you're looking at relative affordability and affordable luxury, it's still reasonably priced compared to elsewhere in the world," Durrani said.

• Mercer's Quality of Living City Ranking 2024 looks at factors such as political stability and healthcare.
• There were 12 Asian cities that made it into the top 100 in the rankings this year.
• Singapore was the only Asian city to make the top 50.

If you're considering moving to Asia, a new report can help determine which city would be the top choice.

Mercer, a human resource consulting service, recently released its yearly Quality of Living City Ranking, which ranks 241 cities across five continents. The ranking process considers factors such as political stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and socio-cultural environment.

In an era of remote work, the ranking also considered the cost of living in different cities.

Mercer said that the most "successful destinations" were those that "blend flexible governance around mobile talent with a high quality of life and an affordable cost of living."

Although many European cities were featured high on the list, with Zurich maintaining its top spot, 12 Asian cities made the top 100 this year. Singapore was the only city in Asia to make the top 50, at 30th position.

Take a look at the top 10 cities in Asia:

10. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (85th)

Abu Dhabi recently ranked second, with Dubai taking first place, among the most popular locations for executive nomads, according to the Executive Nomad Index by real estate firm Savills.

The capital of the UAE is known for its modern skyline and shopping megacenters. Expats make up more than 80% of its population, per InterNations, a Munich-based expat network.

9. Taipei, Taiwan (85th)

Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is tied with Abu Dhabi at 85th. Between 2019 and 2021, Taiwan was ranked first out of 59 destinations in the InterNations Expat Insider survey for the job security expats enjoy and the state of the local economy.

Alex Teachey, a New Yorker who moved to Taipei in 2020, previously told BI that he enjoys the city for its affordability.

"I live a 20-minute bike ride from my office — I never could have afforded anything remotely similar if I'd stayed in New York City," he said.

8. Dubai, UAE (83rd)

Known for its glitzy skyscrapers and modern architecture, Dubai is also an expat hotspot. According to the Dubai Statistics Center, 92% of its 3,655,000-person population are non-Emirati.

Expats in Dubai previously told BI that they liked the city for its convenience and ease of making friends. "There are so many interesting and new people to meet here with different perspectives than we're used to," said Kiran Ali, who relocated to the city with her family earlier this year.

7. Seoul, South Korea (81st)

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, clearly has more to offer than just K-pop. With a population of 9.4 million, the city is popular for expats seeking affordability and a rich culture.

Besides Seoul, Busan was the second city in South Korea to make the top 100, ranking 100th.

6. Hong Kong (76th)

Hong Kong is known for being a global financial center with a thriving food scene. It is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with an overall density of around 17,311 people per square mile.

Kaitlyn Cheung, who moved from California to Hong Kong, previously told BI that she was impressed by the country's efficient public transport system and found the city to be diverse. "I routinely made friends from all over the world, which allowed me to broaden my horizons and learn about different cultures," she said.

5. Nagoya, Japan (74th)

Located in the center of Japan, Nagoya is the capital of Japan's Aichi Prefecture with a population of 2.3 million people.

LaJuan, a content creator, moved to a shoebox apartment in the city and pays $230 a month in rent. He appreciates the city's slow and simple pace of life.

"Nagoya, to me, is a perfect balance of both city life and just having some space for yourself," he told BI.

4. Osaka-Kobe, Japan (68th)

Osaka is a port city known for its nightlife and history. It's Japan's second-largest metropolitan area after Tokyo. Kobe, a city known for beef, is 22 miles from Osaka, or just 12 minutes away by the Shinkansen bullet train.

Grace Cheng, who visited Japan 11 times, said Osaka is ideal for foodies. "Whenever I go there, my sole mission is to eat," she told BI, adding that she recommends the city's tonkatsu and takoyaki.

3. Yokohama, Japan (58th)

Located less than 20 miles south of Tokyo, Yokohama is a port city with skyscrapers and is home to Japan's biggest Chinatown.

The district around Yokohama Station earned the top spot for livability in the Greater Tokyo rankings by Recruit Co., a Toyko-based human resource service, for seven consecutive years, per local reports. The same survey found that reasons for wanting to live in the area include the availability of cultural facilities and large-scale shopping complexes.

"Yokohama was so safe that I took public buses by myself at 8 to meet friends in different parts of the city," Alicia Erickson, who moved to the city as a kid, told BI.

2. Tokyo, Japan (56th)

The capital of Japan is home to over 14 million residents and is easily recognized for its neon-lit skyscrapers and busy streets.

David McElhinney, who moved to Tokyo in 2018, was surprised by cultural differences. He added that knowing how to speak a little Japanese goes a long way in the city. "Big cities — especially ones as dynamic, complex, and multifaceted as the Japanese capital — always bring new surprises," he said.

1. Singapore (30th)

Singapore, a small island nation in Southeast Asia, was ranked the highest among Asian cities on the list. Widely hailed as the "most expensive city," Singapore's foreign workforce makes up around 30% of its population of 6 million.

Nick Burns, who transferred from San Francisco to Singapore, said he appreciates the city for its affordable healthcare, safety, and hawker food. "I can't see us leaving anytime soon," he said.

• Victoria Blinova worked in Dubai for four years at a boutique marketing firm and later at Nestlé.
• She grew up in Cyprus and moved to the UAE in 2013 to attend NYU in Abu Dhabi.
• Expats don't pay taxes, but Blinova found saving in Dubai hard because of the luxury lifestyle.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation and emails with Victoria Blinova, 30, about living in Dubai and moving to London. The below has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Cyprus and moved to the UAE in 2013 to study at New York University in Abu Dhabi.

While there, I studied Arabic. A significant part of my day-to-day was being immersed in the culture. I wanted to stay in the region after graduation to continue my immersion.

I spent four years in Abu Dhabi, and then I worked in Dubai for four years. Initially, I worked in management consulting in a boutique firm. Later, I got a job at Nestlé and worked there for a couple of years before moving to London.

In Dubai, people are very transient. Everyone's an expat. By my fourth year, most of my friends had left the city. I felt like I needed to explore somewhere new.

Dubai has amazing work opportunities, and I plan to return at some point. There are so many complex and exciting projects you can work on. People are so generous, open to learn, and hungry for opportunities.

For entry-level jobs, if you are at the right company, Dubai is one of the most lucrative markets.

At Nestlé, back in 2019, I was making a good salary tax-free.

When I left Dubai, I had saved around 30% of my salary over four years. But I was constantly biting myself thinking I could have saved even more.

It's easy to get sucked into a glamorous life in Dubai

A lot of people in London are like, "I'm going to move to Dubai. It's like 40% to 100% more salary."

But I had a period in my life where I spent a lot more in Dubai than I spent in London. In London, you can be very thrifty, and that's not frowned upon.

When you're in Dubai, it's not part of the culture. Luxury is very affordable. Because of that, everyone automatically opts into that luxury.

I very often went overboard.

I remember clearly booking a five-star hotel to treat myself randomly for 200 dirhams, which is $54. I'd do stuff like book a five-star hotel for one night, and that's quite normal.

It was also very common to go to yacht parties. I've been to so many.

In 2021, I remember paying £80 for a yacht party. When I told this to my friends in London, and they were like, "But that's 80 pounds?" I responded that it was cheap for a day on a yacht.

Bottomless brunch is also very common. You would spend every weekend going to very luxurious bottomless brunches. It would be like £100 to experience something unforgettable.

In Dubai, if you go out, you're not just going to go to a cheap little place around the corner. There are more expectations on gifts.

You can't walk outside your house in Dubai and not spend a significant chunk of money.

Whereas in London, I feel like everything is so unaffordable, you end up not spending. The lifestyle in London differs because social plans can be going on a walk or spending a day in the park. You're not expected to drop £100 on a dinner. You don't have spend money to enjoy your weekend.

Saving choices like getting a roommate or buying a used car weren't the norm

I was renting for 70,000 dirhams a year ($19,058) divided by two. I had a flatmate, which is not very common in Dubai.

I remember my Nestlé colleagues in Dubai asked me, "Why do you live with a flatmate?" They weren't bullying me, but they thought it was a bit weird.

I also drove a used Nissan Juke, which is a nice car in London. But in Dubai, people would ask, "Why are you not driving an Audi?"

My response was, "I'm 25. I'm not going to buy a Mercedes or an Audi, especially I'm not going to buy it new."

I didn't club, and if I did, it was very rarely. Clubbing is a big deal in Dubai, and lots of people spend a lot on it. I also didn't spend money on luxurious brands, clothes, or handbags, because I didn't really care for them.

My mindset is that if I have money to spend, that means I have money to save.

But I'd say 80 to 90% of my surrounding peers, even the smartest people I knew, would literally live paycheck to paycheck. People opt into luxury automatically because it's relatively cheap.

It becomes part of your lifestyle, and this is when you spend all your money. I found it an ongoing problem.

If you're a family, I think it's easier to spend less. You're probably more accustomed to staying at home.

As long as you're staying at home, I think you can make Dubai work and make it very affordable.

But if you're in your 20s or your early 30s, and you're single or a young couple, and you like going out — prepare to spend a lot more than you ever imagined.

• The United Arab Emirates wants to become an AI leader by 2031.
• It's leveraging its oil wealth to attract new talent and fund new research initiatives.
• The UAE's AI minister believes we'll have "centers and nodes of excellence across the world."

The AI revolution is expanding far beyond Silicon Valley.

From the shores of Malta to the streets of Paris, hubs for AI innovation are forming worldwide. And the United Arab Emirates is emerging as a key center in the Middle East.

In October, the UAE made headlines by participating in the most lucrative funding round in Silicon Valley history: the $6.6 billion deal closed by OpenAI. The investment was made through MGX, a state-backed technology firm focused on artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

The move was part of the UAE's bid to become a global AI leader by 2031 through strategic initiatives, public engagement, and research investment. Last year, the country's wealthiest emirate, Abu Dhabi, launched Falcon — its first open-source large language model. State-backed AI firm G42 is also training large language models in Arabic and Hindi to bridge the gap between English-based models and native speakers of these languages.

Another indication of the UAE's commitment to AI is its appointment of Omar Sultan Al Olama as the country's AI Minister in 2017.

The minister acknowledges that the UAE faces tough competition from powerhouses like the United States and China, where private investment in AI technology in 2023 totaled $67.2 billion and $7.8 billion, respectively, according to Stanford's Center for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.

So he says he is embracing cooperation over competition.

"I don't think it's going to be a zero-sum game where it's only going to be AI that's developed in the US, or only going to be AI that's developed in China or the UAE," Al Olama said at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council, a DC think tank, in April. "What is going to happen, I think, is that we're going to have centers and nodes of excellence across the world where there are specific use cases or specific domains where a country or player or a company is doing better than everyone else."

The UAE's strengths are evident.

It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, mostly due to its vast oil reserves. The UAE is among the world's 10 largest oil producers, with 96% of that coming from its wealthiest emirate, Abu Dhabi, according to the International Trade Administration.

Abu Dhabi's ruling family also controls several of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company, a founding partner of MGX.

These funds have been used to diversify the country's oil wealth and could now be diverted to funding new AI companies. AI could contribute $96 billion to the UAE economy by 2030, making up about 13.6% of its GDP, according to a report by PwC, the accounting firm.

But capital is only part of the equation. The bigger question is whether the tiny Gulf nation can attract the requisite talent to keep up with Silicon Valley.

Recent developments show promise. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of AI workers in the UAE quadrupled to 120,000, Al Olama said at the Atlantic Council event. In 2019, it rolled out a 'golden visa' program for IT professionals, making entry easier for AI experts. It's also making the most of its existing talent. In May, Dubai launched the world's biggest prompt engineering initiative. Its goal is to upskill 1 million workers over the next three years.

However, it's also faced criticism for its treatment of workers, especially lower-skilled migrant workers. Migrant workers comprise 88% of the country's population and have been subject to a range of labor abuses, including exposure to extreme heat, exploitative recruitment fees, and wage theft, according to Human Rights Watch. The UAE has responded by passing several labor laws that address protections for workers around hours, wages, and competition.

Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, has — over the last decade — become a nexus for AI research and education.

In 2010, New York University launched a branch in Abu Dhabi that has since developed a focus on AI. And, in 2019, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence opened as a "graduate research university dedicated to advancing AI as a global force for good." Professors from the university also helped organize the inaugural International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence in August, which drew students from over 40 countries worldwide.

"Abu Dhabi may not directly surpass Silicon Valley, however, it has the potential to become a significant AI hub in its own right," Nancy Gleason, an advisor to leadership on AI at NYU Abu Dhabi and a professor of political science, told Business Insider by email. Its "true strengths lie in the leadership's strategic vision, substantial investments in AI research and compute capacity, and government-led initiatives in industry. The UAE has also made strategic educational investments in higher education like the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and NYU Abu Dhabi."

Beyond that, she noted, it's "very nice to live here."