Freelancing
There are plenty of contract and freelance jobs in Dubai, many in the construction industry, shipbuilding and ship repairs, and the oil industry, including offshore installations. However, the majority of contract and freelance appointments are made outside Dubai, and it’s rarely possible to arrive in Dubai without a job and find one locally.
Temporary & Casual WorkOwing to the number of expatriate workers on short-term contracts, there isn’t much casual and temporary work available, and you shouldn’t travel to Dubai with the purpose of finding temporary or casual work.
The other side
It is true to an extent that Dubai''s building boom has been made possible by some 500,000 migrant construction workers, most from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Many work 12 hours a day, six days a week, in extremely hot temperatures that have led to illness and, in some cases, death. The workers live in crowded camps, with eight or more men sharing one small room. Researchers say that the average migrant worker receives a salary of about $175 a month. There is no minimum wage in Dubai, and some workers make as little as $5 a day.
There are also instances where employers in Dubai abuse workers by withholding their wages for their first two months, along with their passports as "security" to keep them from quitting.
But the migrant workers have little freedom to quit since many have borrowed thousands of dollars to get the jobs to begin with, paying "recruiters" visa and travel fees, which under U.A.E. law should be paid by the employers, not the construction workers.
When workers arrive in Dubai, the construction jobs sometimes pay less than the recruiters originally promised. Desperate to repay their loans, the workers in those cases are trapped. And under U.A.E. law, it is illegal to switch jobs without permission from your employer. Unions are illegal, and striking workers have been deported. But it is also true that construction wages and conditions are comparable, if not superior to those in neighboring countries. And the U.A.E government is making efforts to improve conditions for workers.
A law has been passed to halt construction between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. during the scorching summer months when temperatures reach well over 100 degrees. The government is also trying to legalize trade unions would be legalized.
Recently, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, ordered stricter enforcement of the country''s labor laws. In addition, he called for improved medical care for workers, a special court to address their labor complaints and an increase in the number of inspectors monitoring camps and workplaces.
They say that history is being written here. With possibly the tallest building, the biggest shopping mall, the largest airport, and the biggest entertainment park, Dubai, perhaps can offer you the greatest job of your dreams.
http://www.eyeofdubai.com/v1/articles/article_detail.asp?artid=415