John Tinsley : Gulf Recruitment

As an IT professional looking for new opportunities, or maybe just looking for any IT job, you could do far worse than considering Dubai. This Persian Gulf state has a wealth of IT jobs on offer, and the relatively high quality of life coupled with tax-free earnings and fantastic weather make it a hot spot for those with the right skill sets.

Specialising in IT, you’ll probably find yourself working in Dubai Internet City, one of Dubai’s Free Trade Zones. Others include Healthcare City and Dubai Media City, each of them specialising in a particular industry sector.

With a normal working day of eight hours, five days a week, it’s not much different to the UK except that Friday and Saturday are the days off, and living expenses are roughly the same.

Job opportunities in IT are also pretty similar to elsewhere, with Oracle and Java high on the popularity list, along with SAP and C++.

The employment opportunities for Dubai IT jobs can easily be brought up on a standard internet search of what’s available in Internet City. Once you’ve honed it down to a few agencies, simply get in touch and submit your CV with a covering letter.

You could also check out the local press in Dubai online, and attend a few of the expos regularly set up by Gulf state recruiters.

Sort out the job and the visa situation before leaving, and soon you could be working just as hard as back home but reaping significant rewards in terms of weather, income and lifestyle that you only formerly dreamed about.

Many people these days are deciding there must be a better life elsewhere and are heading for the Persian Gulf states of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE in search of that elusive dream of better opportunities and lifestyle. A tax free income is also a great incentive, and the weather is fantastic most of the year too.

There are numerous job opportunities available in the region, from teaching English as a foreign language to jobs in Dubai’s IT, gas and banking sectors. In Dubai there are Free Trade Zones that group the industries according to type, and if you get a job here you’ll be working in a specific location according to your specialisation.

IT professionals will be located in Internet City, and those with banking, managerial or insurance skills will be based in Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC), where most of the international business community is located. Healthcare professionals are mostly found in Healthcare City, and there are numerous other Zones which make the search for jobs that much easier.

Get your temporary residency permit through your employer’s sponsorship of you with the government of the state you’re headed for before setting off, and you’ll find a whole new world of professional and personal satisfaction waiting. Many expats who’ve successfully made the move to the Gulf wonder why they hadn’t done it years earlier. This is particularly true of individuals who have a speciality in the oil industry.

Do a Google search on recruitment websites and see what’s on offer in this massively growing region. Whether it’s Dubai oil jobs or teaching English, you’re sure to find something to suit.

If you are considering relocating overseas to the Persian Gulf region and starting a career in the IT sector, you will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it has now become to find an IT job in Dubai.  Along with the construction, finance, gas and oil, real estate, and telecommunications industries, the IT sector has become very active and is providing numerous career opportunities for the qualified individual.

One of the most attractive IT job markets today is in Dubai because it has become the fastest growing business and employment destination.  Additionally, the tourism industry continues to thrive and has been generating more relocations to the area, hence the growth in the construction and real estate industries as well as the various job sectors.  The IT career sector is no exception to that rule.

As it stands right now, finding IT jobs in Dubai is only challenging because of the number of different career positions that have opened up, meaning that you will have quite a search on your hands when trying to find the IT position that best suits your career and income needs.  Another factor to consider is the fact that these job opportunities continue to increase because more and more IT firms are finding that Dubai provides them with a very lucrative business opportunity.

Just be sure that you search the larger, more established firms when you are finding an IT job in Dubai.  They tend to offer more secure employment and better salaries as well as being willing to work with you where sponsorship and work visas are concerned.

When it comes to finding the right job in Dubai based on your experience and expertise, there are several steps that you should take in order to find the best post at the best salary. 

So what is it that has made Dubai such an enticing destination for businesses and new employees? There are four elements responsible for Dubai’s growth in popularity with both businesses and job seekers:

- Government projects and systems that have enhanced the local economy
- Ongoing development of the business and residential community
- Quality of life
- Work standards

For the past two decades now, dating back to the early 1990’s, we have seen a steady growth pattern where international employment and residencies are concerned.  The economic growth in the Middle East has been mostly driven by the gas and oil industries.  However, the following career sectors have been witnessing the growth of job opportunities and new business, making it easier for the qualified professional to find a job in Dubai:

- Automobile
- Banking
- Construction
- Education
- Engineering
- Hospitality
- Infrastructure
- IT and Telecommunications
- Real-estate
- Tourism

It is recommended that you begin searching online because of the numerous career posting sites available for jobs in Dubai.  Start by searching the largest companies who have been in business in Dubai the longest.  The benefit to the job seeker is that these companies tend to offer better salaries and more secure employment.  Make sure that your CV or resume is current and that you also attach a cover letter to your online job application.

Whether you are applying for a telecom job in the United Arab Emirates, an IT job in Saudi Arabia, or an oil industry job in Dubai, your CV is one of the most important parts of your employment search. It is the first impression a potential employer has of you, and in order to land jobs in Middle Eastern countries you need to have a perfect CV on file, ready to impress those companies enough to call you in for an interview and set you up with a work visa.

When looking at jobs in Middle East countries, it is vitally important that your work details are up to date on your CV. In addition, your CV must clearly and concisely provide full details regarding how to contact you, including your full name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, and so on and so forth. In addition, companies in Middle Eastern countries are looking for professionals, so if your email address is something cheesy like hotspice@randomplz.com or something similar, you will want to change it to something more professional. Remember, most of the jobs in Middle East countries are related to technology and management, so it is important to maintain a professional appearance at all times.

If you do not think you are capable of writing your own CV to land a job in the Middle East, you can always hire a professional CV writer to put together your information in a manner which will help you find employment as soon as possible. No matter what type of job in the Middle East you are after, your CV is just as important there as anywhere else.

One of the main reasons many people choose to work in Dubai is because of the tax-free income. One does not have to look very far to see that Dubai is a city of wealth and abundance, with opulence dripping from nearly every street corner in the form of towering skyscrapers, magnificent hotels, luxury resorts, and some of the most renowned shopping malls on the entire planet. The United Arab Emirates operates using a free market economy and is absolutely dedicated to the principles of free trade, which makes jobs in Dubai fairly popular with individuals from Western countries. Considering there is no such thing as corporate or personal income tax, anyone working a job in Dubai is allowed to work income tax free. As a result, there are a great number of expat workers who have come to Dubai from New York or London who work for the same wages they were working for back home, but take home far greater pay cheques because their costs are significantly reduced by the fact that there is no income tax.

Working a job in Dubai means that you do not have to pay any taxes whatsoever, even above and beyond the income tax free wages you are already earning. One hundred per cent of what a worker earns goes directly into their bank account. And considering foreigners are not allowed to own businesses in the UAE, you can be assured that no matter where you work your income is yours to do with as you please.

Whether you are working a Dubai banking job or a Dubai IT job, or happen to be someone working in the oil industry, one of the best parts of working in Dubai is the lifestyle. Many people have described it as a “work hard, play hard” lifestyle, and while it is true that the average work week is 40 to 48 hours, the access to world-class shopping, tax-free income, beaches, deserts, and luxury accommodation offer an environment where you are definitely working hard, but also have the opportunity to play just as hard. Many Westerners find working during Ramadan to be especially pleasant, because working hours are cut to six hours a day. Working a job in Dubai means settling into a new schedule however, because Friday is a day off, and most companies employ a Sunday through Thursday work week.

Considering the number of economic free zones where engineering, construction, finance, media and IT are all firmly established and booming as Dubai continues to rocket forward in terms of economic strength, working jobs in Dubai has never been more lucrative. This is where the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia meet, and there are a variety of jobs available across the spectrum. When you combine tax-free income with phenomenal food, spectacular surroundings, amazing accommodation, and a multi-cultural pool of employment opportunities, working a job has never been this fun, nor have the salary opportunities ever been so lucrative. Regardless of where you hail from, now is the time to be working a job in Dubai, regardless of your field.

There are many recruitment agencies who are advertising Dubai bank jobs.  These are usually very well paid with attractive benefits such as living allowances, pensions and the prospect of forging a high flying career. 

Many of these jobs will expect the applicant to have several years of experience in the financial sector and if that is the requirement, those who have less need not apply.  Competition is fierce and to stand a good chance of winning the post you will need to meet all the criteria in the job specification. 

There are some entry level positions available and these make a good starting point for university graduates to begin their financial careers.  Established financial organisations will provide all the necessary training for successful applicants. 

Foreign workers who go to the Gulf have to be sponsored by their employer, who pays for visas and arranges accommodation.  This ensures that they look after their worker as they are then officially responsible for them.

Dubai banking jobs will range from senior positions such as chief financial officer to account managers, collections managers and trading positions.  Applying via recruitment agencies is a good way to get a foot in the door though applicants should ensure that the agency they are using is a reputable one which is recognised by regulatory bodies. 

Another option is to begin working here for a financial institution and move to the Gulf via an internal transfer.  This provides a new opportunity in a new environment while remaining with the same company. 

Many job seekers today feel that the city of Dubai is an employment mecca for those individuals who wish to relocate and work in the Gulf area of the Middle East.  It is no secret that the Dubai economy has been thriving for years now, but the main allure for so many job seekers is the fact that the area is a tax-free environment.  Not only this, but the opportunities available to the qualified person are literally everywhere.  It is also a leader in the cultural and free trade industries.

Many good opportunities for lucrative jobs in Dubai exist with the real estate and tourism sectors being the most prolific in the career segment of the economy.  Additionally, there are no quota or trade barriers.  So it should come as no surprise that a job in Dubai could be a dream come true for the right person.  Currently, there are more than 80 airlines and over 170 shipping lines that service the city.  All of these impact the Dubai job market very positively.

In order to find a job in Dubai your first step should be to search the Internet at one of several job posting sites.  You can fine tune your search with the words ‘Dubai jobs’ or ‘jobs in Dubai‘ in order to find what is currently being offered.  See if there is a contact e-mail for HR departments within the companies you focus on and find out if there are suitable jobs available that you are qualified for.  Make sure that you have a cover letter prepared as well as your CV or resume.

The Middle East has been experiencing rapid population growth by virtue of a thriving economy, plus the influx of overseas individuals who have relocated there to pursue their career goals.  This is especially true where the Dubai job market is concerned.  Dubai has become an economic high growth area and is one of the leading cultural and trade hubs of the Gulf region.  Dubai has become a thriving market that is free and open because there are currently no:

- Exchange controls
- Restrictive quotas
- Trade barriers

Currently, 86 airlines and over 170 different shipping lines service the economy, so it is easy to see why the area has become one of the world’s busiest business regions. 

There are a few aspects regarding the Dubai job market and living in the area that you should be aware of.  The labour laws of the region are very protective of employees and govern a number of facets of the job market.  These include hours of the working week, sick leave and holidays, medical benefits, repatriation, and termination rights.  Most employment is conducted on a contractual basis where foreigners are concerned.  Additionally, there are no trade unions in the area.

The standard working day in most industries is eight hours long and the average working week is 48 hours, although this may vary at certain times of the year such as during the month of Ramadan.  In the hospitality and retail trade industries, the normal workday is nine hours, whereas the more dangerous and difficult jobs will have shorter working weeks.  Also, Fridays and Saturdays are considered to be the weekend.