John Tinsley : Money Matters

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.

The Middle East continues to be a hotspot for business and economic growth, enticing numerous firms and career seekers to this region.  There are certain areas in the Middle East that are attracting more attention than others, including; Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.  For the most part, the most actively growing business and career sectors are the banking and finance, construction, healthcare, IT and telecommunication industries.  However, many secondary sectors such as media and management are also witnessing significant growth.

If you are searching online for the right job in the Middle East, you do have to exercise some caution, as there are scammers out there that could cost you a lot of money.  Stick with applying to the more established, larger firms when filing your applications online.  These companies typically provide more long-term, secure employment opportunities and usually pay higher salaries.  Just be aware of the fact that the job market in the Middle East, especially in those areas mentioned above, has become extremely competitive in certain career sectors.

The firms in the Middle East which are consistently offering career opportunities will be looking for higher quality professionals to fill the positions available.  So it is important that your CV or resume be as accurate and professional looking as possible.  After all, that CV or resume is what gives the prospective employer their first impression of you.  Additionally, you should also compose a professional covering letter that emphasises your qualifying skills and your relative work experience.

The Persian Gulf states of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE have undergone unprecedented growth over recent years, and the booming economy has attracted skilled workers from all over the world. They come not only for better career opportunities and a higher quality of life, but for the tax-free income they can expect to earn whilst there, and of course the great weather.

Whether you’re interested in Dubai gas jobs, Dubai bank jobs, Abu Dhabi IT jobs or Bahrain IT jobs, or any of numerous other vacancies, jobs in the Middle East and jobs in the Emirates have a lot to offer.

Do a Google search on any of the hundreds of recruitment websites on the internet specialising in the Gulf, and you’ll be surprised at just how much is available. Narrow your search down to agencies dealing with your particular skill set and you could be well on the way to a new life in the Gulf.

With a working day of eight hours and a strong work ethic, working in the Gulf is not too different from working in the UK in a similar capacity, although Friday and Saturday constitute the weekend and it’s a wee bit warmer.

Jobs in Gulf States are many and varied, and you need to get a job and sort out visa requirements before leaving home. Your employer will sponsor you with the government and then it’s a simple matter to procure a temporary residency permit, allowing you to stay and work there.

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.

Given the fact that most of the jobs in Middle Eastern countries, whether they be Dubai banking jobs, jobs in Bahrain, jobs in Saudi Arabia or in other countries, have a wide variety of qualification requirements based upon the country where the job is located, not to mention the complexity of international relations, it is generally considered a wise option to use a recruitment agency or consultant if you are an individual who is looking to find a job in Middle Eastern countries or cities.

Recruitment agencies act as middlemen between employers and employees looking for jobs in the Middle East. Personal consultants act more as head-hunters in Western countries looking for individuals who are interested in jobs in Saudi Arabia or any other part of the Middle East. These agencies tend to specialize in particular types of jobs, and their fees are usually paid by the employer, without any charge to the employees. These agencies also work at placing expatriates in countries where they want to work, as well as helping them sort through any additional paperwork if they have family members that are going to be coming over for a particular long contract. Agents are also important if an individual decides to change jobs, such as if someone is working a Dubai oil job and decides to transfer out to a job in IT, or telecommunications. This is fairly uncommon, however, because most foreign workers are sent to work jobs in Middle Eastern locations under contract, and job changes are restricted by the contract with their employers.

An expatriate is an individual from a foreign country living and working in a country other than their own. When looking at jobs in Middle Eastern countries it becomes important to understand which kind of expatriate communities are available in different countries, as this allows you to keep ties to your roots, which can be vital to overcoming cultural differences and blending in with the local culture at a natural pace. Without expatriate communities people working jobs in Middle Eastern countries run the risk of experiencing culture shock, which can not only ruin performance on the job, but make your life a living hell for the duration of your contract.

People looking at getting jobs in Dubai have a unique situation, considering that this is one of the most rapidly developing urban areas in the world, and the number of expats is such that the ratio is 5 to 1 when it comes to comparing them against the locals. And while most individuals working jobs come from southern Asian countries, English-speaking individuals from the UK, Australia, the United States and beyond are becoming more common, influencing the overall dynamic of Dubai’s teeming expat community.

There are a wide variety of jobs in Dubai available for expats, ranging from IT jobs to banking jobs, and much, much more. Becoming a part of the expat community can help you understand what it really means to be an expatriate in a foreign country, and can help you avoid any newbie mistakes that could otherwise plague your adventure.

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.

Working in the oil industry in the United Arab Emirates is not for beginners.  You will already need to be working and established in the oil industry if you want to be considered for UAE oil jobs.  The more experience you have and the more relevant qualifications you have in this field, the better your chances are of successfully relocating from your current home to work in the United Arab Emirates oil industry.

Engineering jobs within the oil industry are many and varied, and all require extensive experience.  You will find both contract and staff positions available, although they tend to be weighted more towards contract positions than anything else.  So there are no nasty surprises later on ensure that you know the terms of the job you are applying for before you send them an application.  There is nothing wrong with signing up for a twelve month contract if you are happy in your own mind that you can live there for at least that length of time.

Because of the nature of UAE oil jobs the specifics for applying for each position will be quite in-depth.  For example a lead mechanical engineer might need experience of working in an environment featuring PMC, FEED and EPC.  If you are unsure of any terms used in the requirements for an advert, the chances are you will not be suitable for those UAE oil jobs.

Ensure you read through all the responsibilities that you will have and duties you will be expected to undertake.  The more confident you are of meeting all the requirements, the better the chance of successfully getting the job.

Located in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain is actually a 33-island archipelago of which Bahrain Island is the largest of the group.  Lying to the west and connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway is Saudi Arabia.  Across the Gulf of Bahrain situated to the southeast is Qatar.  Bahrain’s economy like other key areas in the Gulf Region has grown in a positive fashion, and jobs are plentiful there, especially Bahrain IT jobs.  If you are considering starting an IT career in Bahrain, here are a few suggestions for you.

Start by targeting your job search towards the larger more reputable IT firms that have a growing employment history with little attrition.  Although Bahrain IT jobs are very plentiful, many of the larger firms have been around a lot longer than others, so longevity is definitely a plus factor when applying for employment.  These firms will afford you an exciting career as well as a secure source of steady income.

If you are searching on the internet, be specific with your search keywords using “Bahrain IT jobs” rather than “jobs in Bahrain”.  The latter will result in hundreds if not thousands of search results that will be too time consuming and frustrating to wade through.  You want to be sure and investigate the companies offering the jobs as thoroughly as possible before applying to them.  Keep in mind that many employers offer new employees assistance with their work visas as well as any fees associated with gaining employment in Bahrain.

If you are considering relocating to the Middle East for the purpose of living and working there, you will obviously need to apply for positions in which you have experience and are well qualified for.  If you are currently employed and skilled in the oil and gas industry, you may be able to find some very lucrative job opportunities by searching the major job posting boards online.  However, you should also focus on searching for Qatar oil jobs before looking at other locations if you are serious about working in the Middle East.

Here are some reasons to consider employment in this sector of Qatar’s employment market.  The oil and gas industry is flourishing in Qatar with numerous new refineries being constructed all the time.  Existing refineries are also expanding so you can see how this would affect the job market and the availability of Qatar oil jobs.  Additionally, the current economic policy is focusing on the development of Qatar’s oil and gas reserves.

70% of the Qatari government’s revenues and nearly 85% of their export earnings comes from the oil and gas industry that is now responsible for nearly 50% of the country’s GDP.  Qatar’s per capita income is now the world’s second highest as a result of the positive impact that the oil and gas industries have had on most Middle Eastern economies.  So you can easily see why lucrative career positions could be available for the right individuals interested in living and working in the Gulf region.