ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns identifying efforts of emplacement in the lives of skilled migrants. It explores the understanding of the mutually constitutive relationship between skilled migration and the city through a case study of the local life worlds of British migrants. The chapter demonstrates the significance of emplacement in the lives of the highly skilled migrants, which are more commonly understood in terms of mobility and detachment from place. It outlines the research conducted as part of an 18-month ethnographic study in Dubai of British transnational migration, extending from late 2002 until early 2004, a period when the city was undergoing rapid transformation accompanied with the sense of optimism prevalent before the more recent financial crisis. The analysis draws on material from interviews and participant-observation, originating in a broader set of material examining domesticity, intimacy, and foreignness. The chapter reflects on the encounters that Britons have with Emirati nationals and considers their encounters with other migrants.
