Removal companies notice increase in expats leaving the UAE

Firms say there has been a 10 to 15 per cent increase in business on the same time last year.

ABU DHABI // Removal companies said business was booming with a high number of residents looking to relocate.

Jeanine de Vos, marketing coordinator for The Box Self Storage Services in Dubai, said the company had recorded significant increases in the number of expatriates seeking help to pack up and ship their belongings.

“This time of year is a busy period in general for storage and moving,” she said. “However, we noticed during April and May there was a 10 to 15 per cent increase on the same time last year for our international department.

“This is not necessarily only expatriates moving back to their home country, but a mixture of bookings with some clients taking up new opportunities and relocating to a new country as well.”

There was a similar trend at the Move One Relocations company in the UAE.

“We see very big changes in the increase of expats leaving and a reduction of incoming expats,” said Curt Clements, the company’s chief executive

Mr Clements said they had received many inquiries from families looking for relocation services or looking to downsize, sometimes because they were sending family members back to their home country.