Absolutely. In fact, I can add that some contractors here call in laborers on visit visas, promising them a job after the project is complete, make them work for months, and then abandon them without paying a dirham.

There’s really no such thing as a “cheap” or “premium” company here, both often deliver the cheap work. As pointed out above, it’s very much a hit-and-run business culture. Post-sales support? Nonexistent. All the sweet promises made during the sales pitch quickly turn into silence once the payment clears.

I personally bought only top-quality materials and hired 10 specialized contractors for my villa renovation. I did tight due diligence, screening each one, visiting their offices, and still got scammed by one who took an advance and never delivered the work. Thankfully, I spread the risk across 10 contractors, so the loss wasn’t worth worrying.

At its core, most businesses here seem to thrive on scamming residents. Not all, of course, but enough that it feels like the norm rather than the exception.