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