John Tinsley : Gulf Recruitment

Those looking for a job in Dubai will find that there are a wide range of industries that are seeking skilled workers from abroad, provided they have the qualifications and experience that are needed.  

Telecom jobs in Dubai are available with openings at all levels and this is becoming a very competitive job market.  The telecom industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the region and skilled foreign workers are in demand.  Positions are generally available from junior levels right through to senior management.

Oil jobs in Dubai are also frequently available as the oil industry is the main industry in the region.  Much of the world’s oil comes from the Gulf and the expertise of foreign workers is also in demand here.  The oil industry offers large salaries and many benefits for workers, such as accommodation costs and relocation fees.   

Oil companies recruit workers for all departments including financial, administration, engineering, health and safety and medical departments.  Workers could find themselves on an offshore oil rig or working in offices in one of the Gulf cities.
 
It is often a recommendation that foreign workers apply to larger companies as these tend to offer much more in the way of benefits and long term prospects. Larger companies are also in a better position to offer support to workers who are in the Gulf region for the first time.  Large companies use trade press, job websites and recruitment agencies to find workers for their vacancies, though many will also transfer workers internally rather than recruit new workers.   

The economy of the Middle East has been expanding and diversifying rapidly over the past few decades – accordingly, it offers a variety of job opportunities across most sectors, from hospitality and tourism to engineering, IT, telecommunications and financial services.

Salaries on offer for most United Arab Emirates jobs are among the highest in the developing world, although minimum wage does not exist and the cost of living is escalating. Workers are paid monthly (as opposed to commanding an hourly, daily or weekly rate, as is common in many Western countries) and the UAE has a very strong work ethic. It is not unusual for employees to work six or even seven-day weeks, although Friday is widely observed as the Muslim day of rest and Muslim workers are not expected to work for more than six hours a day during Ramadan.

Whatever your profession, there are plenty of jobs in the Middle East but it is always advisable to secure employment before making the move over there. As a non-national, you will not be entitled to any benefits should you find yourself out of work. Also, under the prevailing Sharia law, the penalties imposed for defaulting on a debt can be draconian. For details on what it is like for an expatriate to work in Saudi Arabia specifically (the largest Arab country), the website http://workinginsaudiarabia.blogspot.com/ has some useful advice.

To relocate to Dubai or another Gulf country, it is essential that you are sponsored.  This means that you will need to have a firm offer of employment before you will be granted a visa.  Your prospective employer will act as your sponsor, and deal with all the paperwork associated with the work and residency visas that you will require. 

It is not possible to obtain a visa for work unless you have an actual contract of employment in place, and you will be unable to apply for visas yourself. 

Sponsorship means that your employer is responsible for you while you are in the country.  If you should need any help or get into any trouble they are responsible for dealing with the situation.  They are also responsible for making sure that you return to your home country when your contract of employment comes to an end. 

Your sponsor may also be required to hold your passport while you are in their employ.  This is so that it is readily available when the authorities run their usual checks to ensure that there are no illegal workers being employed by the company.  Employers are unlikely to take that risk as the penalties are high but the checks are regularly carried out. 

Changing jobs is a complicated procedure and it is not recommended that you try.  Some Gulf countries will not allow a change of sponsor; this avoids any confusion and the possibility that someone will fall through the cracks. 

Although nearly 50% of Qatar’s GDP stems from the oil and gas industry, the IT sector has been providing numerous career positions for those qualified professionals seeking employment in the Gulf region of the Middle East.  As with most other Middle East countries Qatar is a tax-free environment, which is the major allure for many individuals seeking overseas employment.  For all practical purposes, if you have the right qualifications, Qatar IT jobs could be a lucrative opportunity.

If you have been searching for a career overseas and desire substantially better earnings than those you are accustomed to as well as decent working conditions, you should consider applying for a number of Qatar IT jobs.  Investigate the larger international IT companies as they often provide better benefits.  Keep in mind that you and any of your family will be required to have a work licence in order to earn a living in Qatar.  These licences are obtained by applying to the Department of Labour.

If you are going to be allowed citizenship in Qatar, you will need to pass a health exam in order to reside in the country.  The health exam normally entails a blood test as well as x-rays, which need to be performed in Qatar, although that is not a hard and fast rule.  Additionally, sponsorship is still necessary, but it places certain limits on a person’s freedom.  In recent years, Qatar’s Prime Minister has spoken out against sponsorship, so there is hope that this may be abolished.

With strict traditions and unique (from a Western perspective) national laws in place, women’s rights in the Middle East remain vastly different from what they are in the West. However, whilst some countries such as Saudi Arabia continue to enforce regulations which stipulate strict rules against women, other Arab societies including the emirate nations such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai have begun loosening restrictions.

As Western culture permeates the Middle East restrictions against women in the workplace have gradually been lifted, with both locals and foreign women able to find job opportunities. Traditionally working within the nursing and teaching sectors, Arab women have now begun to find a place in the finance and banking sector and as the loosening of laws increases so too have the regulations for foreign women looking for work loosened. Whilst the majority of expatriates continue to be men, their spouses are now beginning to find work too and, though additional paperwork and sponsorship is required, for the most part working women are becoming more common.

Like Arab women many expatriate women can find job opportunities within the nursing and educational sectors. In addition increasing tourism and the need for managerial expertise is opening opportunities for hotel administrators, public relations, advertising and more.

Generally most women in the workplace are safeguarded against issues like sexual harassment due to the severe repercussions for the perpetrator. An influx of eastern European prostitutes has lowered the respect for foreign women, making it paramount that females in the workplace take care not to befriend male workers, causing misunderstandings regarding flirtatiousness to arise. However, with a good understanding of local religion, culture and law, women from abroad are increasingly finding jobs in the UAE and the Middle East, making for a crucial change in the traditional Arab workplace.

IT jobs in Saudi Arabia are in great demand with qualified and skilled professionals who want to work in the Gulf region.  Job seekers will be able to find positions at all levels but the market is very competitive and anyone applying for a job must be sure that they meet the requirements for the position.   

Foreign workers are often recommended to target larger companies that can help them to settle in the area and who probably offer more benefits than a smaller organisation.  There is also more job security associated with larger companies, as well as larger salaries and more benefits.  

Jobs seekers will find that among the positions available are jobs for computer programmers, software developers, systems analysts, IT engineers, project managers and general managers.  A recruitment agency may be able to help you to find a suitable vacancy but job seekers should be sure they are working with a reputable agency as there are a number of organisations in operation which attempt to defraud people.  Do not pay any money to a recruitment agency. 

Most IT jobs in Saudi Arabia will be based in one of the major cities, usually either Riyadh or Jeddah.  It is important for those moving to the region to ensure that they are familiar with the customs and differences between life there and in the West.  For those unfamiliar with the region it can be a culture shock when you first arrive to discover that there are restrictions on travelling and no nightclubs.

For those looking to relocate temporarily to the Middle East differences in tax laws and salary conditions can result in individuals making significant increases to their yearly wages. With jobs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE continuing to be available for expatriates, and with salaries much the same as those found in Western countries, tax law variations can play an important part in attracting workers.

Dubai in particular remains highly attractive for prospective workers as, like many other emirate countries, the nation has no personal taxation laws. For this reason, though the majority of salaries may fall in line with those paid in Western nations, net income can often be far greater. In addition, whilst many companies used to offer remuneration packages which divided income into specific portions for items such as education, travel costs, housing provisions etc, recent changes now mean that on the whole an individual will simply receive a salary which covers everything. Allowing for workers to spend their income how they like, the change is an added attraction to an already beneficial package.

Like job positions in the West bonuses and commission practices are also incorporated into work though unlike other places jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia also often provide an “indemnity” package. Provided to individuals when a contract ends, the package is normally calculated on a worker’s salary throughout the term of employment, discounting bonuses. Usually providing between 15 and 20 days basic pay for the initial three years of a contract and a month’s salary for each contracted year after, indemnity packages can result in a significant sum, providing workers with a huge ‘thank you’ package for working in the nation.

For prospective workers looking to get jobs in Dubai it is important to have a fully rounded view of the state to which they’ll be moving. Lifestyle changes in moving from a Western nation to Dubai will be enormous, with religious and cultural differences creating a completely different environment. Care and attention should be taken when learning about not only regional laws and traditions but also social security, of which there is little in Dubai for the expatriate.

Having no form of mandatory employee contribution scheme in Dubai, it is left to expatriates to organise their own form of financial security. Nationals of the Gulf States benefit from the regions huge GDP compared to population size, allowing for individuals to access health care, child care, pensions and more without the need of paying into an ongoing scheme. Meanwhile however, apart from access to healthcare, foreign workers have little access to any other forms of social security, meaning that it falls to the individual to ensure that their income covers all outgoing costs.

There are also no state pension opportunities for expatriates to take advantage of though, depending on the firm, some corporate schemes may exist. It is therefore generally advised that those moving to Dubai for work continue to pay money into home country schemes, allowing for pension trusts to be cashed when eventually ending a contract and moving home. Meanwhile, with the increased income attractions of Dubai it is highly recommended that individuals use some of their excess income to set up financial security accounts in case of an emergency.

Obtaining a residence visa in Saudi Arabia is not a straightforward process. It usually takes three or more months to complete the process, and authorisation must be issued to the applicant’s sponsor by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  

The embassy will need all the paperwork associated with any offer of jobs in Saudi Arabia; this includes the job contract, details of the worker’s qualifications and a medical examination certificate. Once all the paperwork has been checked and verified by the embassy they will then issue the visa number.  A stamped residency visa is issued, and once the worker arrives in the country this is converted into a residency permit. It is required by law that all foreign workers carry this permit with them at all times. It is a form of photograph identification and authorities can ask to see it at any time.

The worker must have at least six months left to run on their passport; if there is less than one year to go, it may be worth getting a fresh passport before leaving the country. Several photocopies of the passport should be made as all passports are left with the employer. This is because random checks are made with employers to ensure their workers are not being employed illegally.

Those relocating for work with their families should be aware that all their family members need birth certificates and medical examination certificates also.

Anyone who has an Israeli stamp on their passport will not be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For many, changing jobs in the Middle East can prove too time consuming and difficult to even contemplate. The nature of gaining employment in Middle Eastern nations through sponsorship and a work contract means that obligations to a hiring company are great and due to the attractive income and indemnity options provided to expatriates, job transfer is not often an option that workers want to consider.

Traditionally foreign workers were provided with short term contracts, often around two years, which could be extended by the mutual consent of both employee and employer. However changes in recent times, largely to protect employers from losing their workforce to competitors, have meant that open-ended contracts are often issued. Usually including clauses such as an employer’s right to wait a six month period before renewing an employee’s visa, it has made it increasingly difficult for some to change jobs, with this clause in particular resulting in individuals having to effectively leave the nation for half a year before they can apply for a new work visa.

There are ways of changing jobs; particularly if both parties give mutual consent and an employee or sponsor provides a no objection certificate (NOC). However, employers are often reluctant to issue these as a large investment, including relocation and training costs, has been made in a worker – costs which a competitor would not have to incur. Meanwhile even those who leave the country for six months before reapplying for a visa may find it difficult to find an appropriate position in the niche they were previously working in due to companies’ reluctance to fall out with one another, especially over workforce considerations.

With such difficulties in changing jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia it is vital for workers to fully investigate and research a position before they take it as, in the Middle East, there is no quick fix for an unhappy work placement.