Finding the Right Job Abroad

There are a number of important issues and practicalities to bear in mind before embarking on a job search in the Middle East. There are many incentives for wanting to start a new life in this prosperous and thriving region, and its growing economy and healthy, varied job market makes it an attractive proposition. The Middle East, notably Dubai, is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the world, but living and working there is, as one would expect, markedly different from taking a holiday there.

Dubai is a brilliantly vibrant, thriving society, a metropolis at the very heart of the Middle East but although respectful foreigners are generally welcomed and valued for the role they play in building and shaping the flourishing economy, they are not usually ultimately integrated into the population. As the government is naturally keen to protect the UAE’s sense of identity and certainly the cultural values system inherent in the Arabic way of life, foreigners will not be granted citizenship no matter how long they stay unless they marry a national and convert to Islam (and even that won’t guarantee citizenship). Other religions are tolerated with the exception of Israeli Jews (a long-standing political issue between nations). The majority of UAE citizens are Sunni Muslims with only very few Shi’a. Many foreigners are also Muslim, with Hindus and Christians comprising around 4% of the population.

No two areas in the Middle East have exactly the same methods and rules in place when it comes to employment contracts.  For instance some jobs in Kuwait are agreed upon simply by a quick verbal statement, and you may not have a written contract at all.  Most of the time you will, but it pays to know what to expect.

If you do have a written contract for jobs in Kuwait, you should read it through carefully to make sure you understand it and all the terms it contains.  If you have any issues or questions make sure you sort them out before signing it.

Even if you do not have a contract there are Labour Laws that exist which cover all jobs in Kuwait.  This is good news for you because these laws cover you for anything that could go wrong.  For instance if your employer should suddenly fire you without notice you should find you are covered by the laws, which means they will be in the wrong.

Positively speaking though, many jobs in Kuwait go on for a long time.  Whereas contracts in some areas will last for a short length of time, some workers get on so well with their employers that they stay for many years.  Jobs in Kuwait are available in many different sectors, so why not think about the benefits of working there?  It could open a door to a brand new future in another country.

Before relocating to the UAE, you need to ensure that you are legally entitled to live and work there – most Westerners intending to work will require a visa which will generally also serve as a work permit. The permission to stay in the UAE is denoted by a stamp in your passport. For 36 countries, including the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada, the visa will be picked up on arrival at the airport and obtaining a Visit visa is usually a straightforward process and free of charge. The specific kind of visa you require depends not just on your nationality but also the purpose and duration of your visit.

Those from a GCC country (Gulf Cooperation Council, including Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) will not require a visa. Those visiting the UAE who do not originate from one of the specified countries (for full list see the following website: http://www.dubaifaqs.com/visa-arrival-dubai-free-nationalities.php) may require a sponsor as well as a visa. Sponsors are UAE-based citizens or companies, and they essentially act as ‘guarantor’ to the incoming foreigner. They can organise one of the following types of visa: Tourist (valid for 30 days), Visit (also valid for 30 days, and can be extended), Service (14 days) or Transit (just four days, usually applied for by airlines on behalf of crew staff). Multi-entry visas are also available once a visitor has arrived in the UAE. These cost 1,000 AED (approximately £190) and are valid for a period of six months and each visit within that period must not exceed 30 days.

When you consider the fact that the more advanced countries of the world such as the UK and the US have become very dependent upon gas and oil from the Middle East, it should come as no surprise that the gas industry has flourished in the way that it has in the Gulf region.  As a result, Dubai gas jobs have become very plentiful.  Both the gas and oil industries in the Gulf region continue to be the driving force of the various economies in the Middle East.

If you are considering applying for any of the many gas jobs in Dubai, there are certain things that you will need to consider. The first of these depends on your marital status.  If you are single the only person that you will need to worry about is yourself.  However, if you are married and have children, there will be additional factors to consider, especially where relocation of your family is concerned.

Throughout most of the Middle East, work visas and the related fees are required.  Fortunately, many employers are willing to assist you with this, especially if they are very interested in hiring you.  If you have a spouse and children that are relocating with you there will be visas and fees required for them as well, depending on the area you are moving to.

The key to finding the best gas jobs in Dubai is to search for the largest firms in the industry first as these companies tend to be more stable and provide more secure employment than the smaller firms.  Chances are, they will also pay better salaries.

Office administration roles, as in the western world, are more likely to be filled by female workers in the UAE. Indeed, these kinds of jobs within the Middle East are sometimes open specifically to women only. These jobs include personal assistant (PA), secretary, administrative assistant, receptionist, office manager, data entry clerk or clerical assistant. Generally these are seen as ‘support’ roles and involve coordination of various office maintenance duties, diary management (e.g., of the Managing Director), correspondence and document control. Organisational and presentation skills are paramount and successful candidates are required to be both discreet and reliable. In the UAE, even more so than in the UK and the USA, the ability to communicate in more than one language is often a prerequisite of the job (typically Arabic, English and at least one other European language). Increasingly administrators are expected to be very well-educated with a high standard of IT literacy as well as having impeccable interpersonal skills.

Traditionally in Arab countries, men are seen as the ‘provider’ and women as the ‘homemaker’ and the relatively small proportion of Arab women who do paid work are often secretaries, teachers or nurses, but attitudes are shifting slightly and increasingly more women are finding work in the financial and service sectors – and giving the men a run for their money, too. Some employers in fact look more favourably on female employees because they believe them to be more dependable and – equally important and sadly an enduring discriminatory issue – considerably cheaper to employ than their male counterparts.

Abu Dhabi is situated on an island in the Persian Gulf and is the capital of UAE.  Many of the residents are foreign workers, usually in the gas and oil industries which are the backbone of the Abu Dhabi economy.  Abu Dhabi IT jobs are becoming increasingly popular as the government is looking to develop a diverse economy and encourage different industries into the region. 

IT jobs in Abu Dhabi range from entry level positions such as trainee programmers and software designers, to senior management vacancies.  The job market is so competitive that there is no point applying for the position if you do not meet the job specification as your application would be immediately rejected.  Candidates who have prior experience in the region or who speak Arabic will find this works to their advantage.

There is a number of recruitment agencies who deal solely with placing candidates in IT jobs and will generally deal with companies globally rather than just in one region.  Care should be taken when using agencies as some may request a fee from the applicant as well as the recruiting company.  These agencies should be avoided. 

United Arab Emirates jobs will differ from place to place in what they offer candidates.  For example, those successful in obtaining a Dubai IT job will find that foreign workers are able to purchase property in the area, while this is not the case in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. 

Candidates should be prepared for a different structure to their working week.  Friday and Saturday constitute the weekend and Sundays are a working day. 

Over the past few decades, the UAE has developed a wide variety of industries and businesses.  These new businesses and organizations have grown into multi-national corporations, and have developed a need for high level management, information systems, and database administration.  There are a great number of industries and specializations, however each and every one of these roles require some degree of business administration and business management in order to be successful.  This new demand and unique skill set requirement, coupled with the UAE’s low unemployment rate of 2.1%, has led to an abundance of administrative jobs and a shortage of qualified candidates local to the area.

Within the petroleum industry specifically, there is a demand for project managers on new operations, head architects on new plots of land, as well as managers in the field.  These managers must be supported with proper information systems, data collection, and database management.  In addition, many of these industries operate on the basis of external trade and international business.  In keeping with international standards of business, there is a separate set of business management needs and administrative requirements.

As the UAE diversifies itself in new markets and new industries, there is a great need for management and administrative workers.  So long as the economy grows, it will be necessary to increase administration as well. As new UAE jobs are created, they must be managed properly, and it’s safe to say that this field will not be decreasing in size any time soon.

Without a doubt, living and working in the Persian Gulf region has held an allure for many people from overseas as the economy throughout the region continues to blossom and growth flourishes in numerous career sectors. 

The Gulf region has been the world’s leading producer of natural gas and oil for decades now, but with the burgeoning population of the area and its thriving economy, more and more people have been relocating there in order to find Gulf jobs.  With the population increase, the construction and real estate industries continue to grow and this has created an extra demand for power.

Today, the Persian Gulf region is one of the most desirable tourist destinations as well, which further enhances economic and population growth.  There are several key areas to consider in the region should you be seeking a new career overseas.  The most significant economic and population growth is occurring in the following areas:

- Abu Dhabi
- Bahrain
- Dubai
- Kuwait
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia

However, there are other areas throughout the Middle East, Gulf region, and the UAE that also have some good career opportunities available.

As was mentioned above, the construction and real estate industries have witnessed significant growth.  Other career sectors featuring numerous job opportunities are the finance, healthcare, management, media, and telecommunications industries.  Any individual that is qualified and skilled in these job sectors will have a pretty good chance of landing a highly paid job and secure employment in the above mentioned areas.

If you are looking for jobs in Qatar you need to be familiar with the territory.  Qatar is part of the United Arab Emirates and as such you need to know what life will be like if you decide to relocate and work out there.

This is where the internet comes in.  You can find all the information you will need by searching online for it.  Jobs in Qatar are easy to find once you know which websites to visit.  Look for them, make a list of URLs and check them regularly for the kind of work you are looking for.  Searching in this way saves time and will enable you to find more opportunities as well.

But don’t just look for jobs in Qatar.  Look for information about the area and familiarise yourself with the exchange rate as well.  You will need to know how far your proposed salary would go, so bear this in mind.  Working in Qatar means you will be living out there too, so every aspect of the move needs to be considered well in advance.  One of the most important things to know is the type of visa your prospective employer would give you if they offered you a job.  This information will help you to make a decision about your future.

Relocating to Qatar is a big move and a big decision to make.  Finding out as much as you can online will get you ahead of the competition.

The number of opportunities is very plentiful in the Job Dubai employment sector, especially where specific industries are concerned.  As Dubai’s economy and population continues to grow, the frontrunners in the career market continue to be the banking and finance, construction, gas and oil, IT, and telecommunications sectors.  Additionally, the education, healthcare, management, and media are witnessing some very significant growth in career opportunities.

Despite the fact that the different Dubai career sectors are experiencing significant growth, it has become very competitive where the higher paying jobs are concerned; depending on what field you are qualified in.  The following list contains some suggestions for finding employment in any of the different Dubai career sectors.  These should make your search less challenging and frustrating.

Start by directly applying to the applicable employer’s advertisements.  If you search using the keywords “Job Dubai” or “Jobs in Dubai”, you will be amazed at the number of results that occur.  You’ll want to fine tune your search by using specific keywords that are relative to the career sector you are looking for employment in.  This will save you a considerable amount of time and frustration.

Always make sure that when you are applying to the numerous employers you have updated your CV or resume.  You should also construct a covering letter that emphasises your work experience and related job skills when you are applying to the different companies.  Remember that the potential employer’s first impression of you is going to be your CV or resume and that all-important covering letter.