The UAE is one of the most desirable countries to move to in the Middle East with high salaries, a range of jobs, a warm climate and lots of added benefits including tax free salaries. The UAE is a federation of seven emirates or states namely: Abu Dhabi (UAE’s capital), Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah.
Best Places to Seek Employment
How to Get a Job in UAE
These are some of the most in-demand industries to seek employment:
• IT
• Aviation
• Hotels and hospitality
• Travel and tourism
Jobs in the UAE
As the economic troubles continue to blight Europe and good full-time work remains hard to come by in the UK more and more Brits are looking to the UAE and other Arab countries for work. The UAE allows plenty of foreigners into the country to work but all of these arrivals are almost exclusively on temporary contracts. You should be aware that the demand for foreign workers may gradually come to a halt over the next few years as the UAE has made major investments into education and welfare that they hope will one day lead to the country becoming self-sufficient in terms of labour.
The majority of jobs available in the UAE are for multinational corporations with oil, gas and international commerce being the main sectors for employment.
Recruitment agencies
The best way to find work in the UAE is to sign up to a recruitment agency. The distance between the UK and the UAE means that it is often necessary to use agents to act as middlemen. Private recruitment consultants and head-hunters in western countries, particularly in London and New York deal with most managerial jobs in the country.
Agencies tend to specialise in particular areas of work e.g., medical staff, computer experts, accountants etc… Recruitment agencies in the cities are useful for placing expats in local employment and can help expat wives get a job. Be aware that there are numerous regulations controlling the employment of spouses with separate work visas being needed.
Working in UAE – FAQ
Climate
A peaceful haven in the Arabian peninsula by the Arabian sea, UAE in itself is a tourist’s paradise as the sun shines all year round and thus making it an ideal summer resort. Moderate climate is found between October and March, where days are usually pleasant averaging 26 degrees Celcius in temperature. Nights during the bracket are cool, averaging 15 degrees Celcius. Summer formally unfolds between April and September with temperatures peaking at 50 degrees Celcius. Occasional sand storms are also experienced due the Southerly and Northerly winds.
Language
The official language of the UAE is Arabic, but English is widely spoken. Most English-speaking workers can get by with virtually no Arabic, especially those working in the major cities. UAE nationals speak Arabic, their national language. Due to the mixture of different cultures, though, languages such as English, Hindi and Farsi are also widely spoken. You can also hear people speaking Tagalog, Malayalam and Russian; Asian languages are used especially in commerce. If you don’t speak Arabic, it’s best to enrol in a course at a local language school, preferably before arriving in the UAE. Most citizens of the UAE can speak English but it always pays to learn the native language of your new chosen home. Arabic is spoken right across the Middle East and Muslim world.
Currency
Dirhams and fils are the units of currency in UAE. One hundred fils is equivalent to one Dirham (Dh). The Dirham is tied to the US dollar at a steady exchange rate of $US 1= Dh 3.671. Should you want to change your money, banks are the usual go-to money-changer as they are known to offer the best rates on foreign currency exchange. Hotels and airports, however, offer quick service and are usually open outside banking hours. Exchange rates are published daily. UAE denominations are as follows:
Dirhams: 5/-, 10/-, 20/-, 50/-, 100/-, 200/-, 500/-, 1000/-
Coins: 1/- Fils: 25, 50
Working Conditions
Salaries in the UAE are similar to those found in Western countries but the big draw is that a worker does not have to pay any personal taxation, meaning that income is a lot higher. This lack of taxation is the main draw of the UAE for foreign workers. The working week in the UAE varies between 40-48 hours with office hours being from 8.30 or 9am to 5.30 or 6.00pm, some companies opt to split the day from 8am to 1pm then 4 to 7pm. Friday is the UK’s equivalent of Sunday being the Muslim day of rest and companies use Friday and Saturdays as the weekend.
Commerce and Economy
UAE is a major player in the global oil industry. In fact, the emirate of Abu Dhabi alone contains 10 percent of the world’s oil reserves or 98 billion barrels, converted into figures. Also considered as a trade paradise in the Middle East, UAE is booming with each emirate establishing a Free Zone which underscores that no taxes are collected from business firms so as to encourage the companies to set up their manufacturing and export units in the country. Workforce-wise, one study reveals that the human resource in the UAE has grown from 288,414 in 1975, to 1,378,390 in 1998. The wholesale and retail sector account for the largest proportion of the manpower, followed by the construction sector.
National Day
UAE celebrates its National Day on the 2nd day of December. It was on this day in 1971 when the Federation of the United Arab Emirates was formed. The celebration runs from December 2 to 4. During the occasion, the major cities of the emirates are decorated with lights brightly lit-up.
Government and Legal System
UAE’s backbone is of federation type with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates. Laws and policies are implemented through the federal court system which was introduced in 1971. The emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal and high courts.
Population and Religion
The UAE’s population is estimated to be around 2.94 million, with a growth rate of around 6.5 percent a year. This, accordingly, is expected to slow down to 2.9 percent by the year 2005 when the population will number around 3.48 million. UAE citizens account for a little over 20 percent of UAE’s population. Believe it, roughly 80 percent comes from the Far East, Europe, the Indian sub-continent and rest of the Arab world! The main population is concentrated in the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The prevailing religion is Islam.
Advice for Females
Special mention has to be made of the way women are treated in the work place. For a long time women were often not allowed to work but these days that is slowly changing. Most women work as nurses, doctors or in the finance sector. It is extremely tough for native women to gain promotion at work and it’s near impossible for a foreigner. Most expat workers are male with their wives often having a restriction in their passport preventing them from getting a job. Those few expat women that can get a job are generally safe in the workplace but must be careful to not be too friendly with Arab men as this can be mistaken for flirting.
Pensions
There are no state pension schemes in Dubai for foreign expatriates, although certain state institutions and some international companies have corporate pension schemes. If you were paying into a state pension scheme while working in your home country, you should continue to do so, even if in a reduced form.
How to Get a Visa
Visa requirements in the UAE change on a regular basis so it’s a good idea with the UAE embassy in your country or check out their website. If you’re moving to the country to work then your employer should act as a sponsor and arrange all of the necessary Visas and permits needed. The cost of the Visa is often paid for by your new employer.
As an expat the most likely Visa you will need is the residence Visa and a labour card. To obtain these, you must first undergo a medical examination. Non-westerners tend to be given more thorough medical then westerners. If you pass the medical you will granted the Visa and card. The labour card will act as a type of ID and is to be carried at all times. Residence Visas are relatively easy to renew. New arrivals to the country should stay in the country for the first six months of their stay.
Citizenship
The UAE government wants to protect the nation’s status quo and to not compromise its cultural values by allowing foreigners to become a permanent part of society. The only route to becoming a citizen is to marry a citizen of the UAE, however even this does not guarantee you being accepted, especially for Non-Muslims. In exceptional circumstances a sheik of the UAE might grant citizenship to a foreigner who has provided excellent service to the country over a long period of time.
Children of foreigners born in Dubai don’t have rights of local citizenship and automatically assume the nationality of the parents. If the father is a national of Dubai, the child will usually be granted local nationality and may later become a national of Dubai and obtain a local passport.