The heat in the welding bay of Dubai Maritime City was oppressive, a physical weight that settled on Elias’s shoulders. For ten years, Elias had been a welder. He knew the sizzle of a 7018 rod on carbon steel better than he knew the sound of his own voice. He could run a bead straighter than a ruler, but in the eyes of the oil and gas companies, he was just a pair of hands.

The fee disparity depends on several factors: