Pros
1. Strong name recognition in MENA classifieds; the product itself is interesting. 2. Many engineers are talented, collaborative, and genuinely want to ship good work. 3. Competitive pay and benefits of Dubai.
Cons
1. Bullying begins at the top. The Head of Engineering (HoE) openly uses profanity (“dumb,” “sh*t,” etc.) in meetings. Because this goes un-checked, several line managers mimic the same tone, turning feedback sessions into public shaming. 2. Perceived ethnic bias. Several team members perceive favoritism toward certain colleagues who share a cultural background with leadership, leading to concerns about unequal treatment and creating an undercurrent of racial discrimination. 3. No psychological safety. Presentations feel like ambushes: leaders dial in only to ridicule the speaker rather than offer guidance. Even when you deliver ahead of schedule, success is dismissed as “luck.” 4. Blame without ownership. Engineers are moved to critical projects with little authority; when timelines slip, the same engineers are held responsible while leadership skirts responsibility. Goals are often set so aggressively that failure is inevitable—then weaponised in reviews. 5. Toxic peer-review culture. Managers demand “constructive” feedback yet reward teammates for writing negative reviews about one another. Positive or balanced comments are brushed aside, heightening competition and mistrust within the squad. 6. Incentivised Glassdoor manipulation. Employees are quietly offered 800 “CERRA” points (internal rewards) for posting five-star Glassdoor reviews. Unsurprisingly, the company’s rating jumped from ~2 ★ to ~4 ★ almost overnight. 7. Double standards on working hours. Leadership claims to reject late-night culture but praises those who stay past 8 p.m. During Ramadan, staff who followed the official 3 p.m. finish were criticised—while HOE themself arrived at 11 a.m. and left at 5 p.m. 8. Office location & facilities. The tech hub is tucked away in an industrial area with limited parking and poor public-transport links. A long commute only adds to the daily stress. 9. Atmosphere of constant examination. The floor feels like an exam hall: every action is scrutinised for fault rather than growth. Over time this erodes confidence and, in several cases, triggers anxiety or panic attacks. 10. Managerial backbone missing. Because most managers echo the HoE, genuine upward feedback stalls. HR interventions feel toothless when the cultural problem originates with the most senior tech leader. 11. Flip-flop managerial behaviour. Middle managers can be respectful one moment, then emerge from closed-door sessions with the HoE and suddenly target the very people they praised. It feels like a revolving “hit list” decided in private meetings. In meetings, leadership has suggested that continued employment depends on personal favour rather than objective performance.