Getting jobs in Dubai, as in most other places, is neither particularly easy nor difficult. Yet, Dubai, the fastest growing city in the world, where more than 50% the world''s supply of cranes are at work, and where your income is not taxed, has its attractions.
The oil industry has attracted a large influx of foreign workers, who now make up more than three quarters of the population. Foreign workers in the UAE are not regarded as immigrants, but temporary workers who come to the country with the intention of leaving once their contract ends.
A city that is growing in leaps and bounds, and a city that has recently won the Best Economic Potential Award, Best Quality of Life for Expatriates Award, Best Telecommunications & Transport Award, and Most Business Friendly Award, Dubai offers plenty of job opportunities.
Where & How to lookIf your are already in Dubai looking for a job, try the most widely used means of searching for job vacancies by looking through the daily newspapers, and Gulf News and Khaleej Times include their appointments sections online. Gulf News has its appointments section separated into two sections, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain [UAQ], Ras Al Khaimah [RAK], and Fujairah), and then sub-sectioned by job industry/category. Khaleej Times also hosts the daily PDF File prepared by NADIA recruitment agency, one of the gulf''s leading recruitment agencies that has offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
Another good way of approach is to try contact your fellow countrymen. They can help you to build your network and get the desired job in the UAE.
Recruitment consultants or agents play a major role in the placement of workers in a host of occupations in Dubai.
In view of the distance between Dubai and the countries that supply many of the region’s employees, it’s necessary for agents to act as middlemen. Private recruitment consultants and headhunters in western countries (and particularly in London and New York) deal with most managerial jobs in Dubai, while agencies in India (particularly Bombay), Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Korea, the Philippines (Manila) and Thailand (Bangkok) supply most of the enormous number of manual laborers employed in Dubai’s numerous construction projects.
Agencies tend to specialize in particular areas of work, e.g. medical and nursing staff, computer personnel, accountants, construction managers, executive and office staff, engineering and the technical trades. Dubai has no equivalent of the nationally-organized job centers found in western countries, and it’s the responsibility of the Ministries of Labor and Social Affairs to deal with employment.
Self-employment
If you wish to be self-employed in Dubai, your major hurdle is to find a sponsor. In order to find a sponsor, you need to visit the region and talk to local people. This is obviously also necessary in order to check market conditions in the area that interests you. Sponsorship can be provided by a legally registered company or by an individual.
Negotiating with the sponsor will require some hard bargaining. The fee you pay him is likely to be either a flat annual rate paid in regular installments or a percentage of your revenue. You’re recommended to consult a local lawyer regarding the proposed deal with your sponsor.