Heard wages are good over there. Whats yr take on this?
Many job hunters still believe that the streets of Dubai are
paved with gold. This may be true to some extent - the economy is
booming (particularly the construction industry) and Dubai is a tax
free haven where net income is typically much higher than in other
parts of the world. Even so, securing employment is not always
easy. Approximately 80% of the population in Dubai consists of
foreigners and competition for desired employment positions can be
fierce. It is best to have an offer in hand from a company before
traveling to Dubai. Of course this may not always be possible and
there are certain advantages to entering Dubai on a visit visa in
hopes of finding a job as opposed to searching from one's home
country. For example, many employers will give preference to hiring
someone actually in Dubai (and thus available for an interview),
rather than having to endure the extra hassle and risk of hiring
someone "sight unseen". However, there is no guarantee of landing a
job before expiration of a visit visa, making a bit of luck and
local contacts invaluable in the process.
Once a job seeker has secured a position, a contract will be signed
and the employer will act as the "sponsor". The contract should
include basic salary, job title and description, length of the
contract, and termination conditions among other things. It is
vital to negotiate a good "package" including salary, housing, and
school fees if the employee has children. Other allowances may
include coverage for medical, transportation, utilities, and / or
annual vacation with an airplane ticket to one's home country. (The
law stipulates that companies must provide a vacation / airplane
ticket at least every two years). Each company is different and
packages will vary. The work week also varies from company to
company with some working "straight shift" and some working "split
shift" (with a few hours break in the middle of the day).
The sponsor should handle all paperwork required by the government
for foreign workers, including getting the employee an employment
visa, health card, and labor card. A company's "PRO" (Public
Relations Officer) will typically handle the logistics, ensuring
all paperwork arrives at the necessary government offices for
approval. First an employee's application is approved by the
Ministry of Labor, then the employee undergoes a health screening,
and finally all relevant documents are transferred to the Ministry
of Interior who stamp the residence visa in the employee's
passport. Employment visas are valid for a maximum of three years
although they are renewable. In general, expatriate workers are not
granted UAE citizenship or permanent residency. The Dubai
government has taken steps to drive "Emiratization" of the
workforce (stipulating that a fixed percentage of workers in
certain industries must be UAE nationals and that all companies
having 100 or more employees must hire UAE nationals as their PRO
and/or Human Relations Manager). However, it is still believed that
expatriate employees will make up a major part of the workforce in
the UAE for years to come.
For those hoping to find jobs in Dubai, there are various avenues
to take. There are several recruitment agencies with good
reputations available to assist job hunters in their quest for
employment, including long-standing companies such as Claredon
Parker and Kershaw Leonard. As there are many recruitment agencies
in operation, it is always advisable to do some research into their
reputation and methods before using their services. Unfortunately
it is not an uncommon occurrence for job seekers from poorer
nations to drain their entire life savings and go into debt through
payment to unscrupulous agents from their home countries who
falsely promise visas and jobs. Fortunately, recruitment agencies
in the UAE are regulated and must be licensed, so the potential for
scams in the UAE itself is greatly reduced.
For those who choose to search online there is also a wealth of
options and information available. Some excellent resources include
employment sites such as Bayt.com or GulfTalent.com, directories
such as GulfJobsSites.com, as well as free online classifieds sites
which list jobs in Dubai.
Ahmed Juma is a local UAE businessman and the owner of
Emirates-Ads, a free Dubai classifieds site with extensive listings
for jobs, property for sale and accommodation for rent, used cars,
and used furniture for sale in the United Arab Emirates.
