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.
