Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Working in Dubai

Hi there,

First off- excellent post, was extremely helpful

I will be completing my honours in Investment Banking on 15 Nov this year and I'm planning on going to Dubai in December.

I read some of the responses you gave the other graduates on this post where you state Dubai possibly isn't the easiest place to find a job for graduates... Does this just apply to Dubai or the entire UAE?

Thanks in advance

Hi everybody,

A great forum, useful information, I just wanna have your opinion about a job offer in Dubai.

The position is marketing project manager in charge of middle east and africa, They need someone with marketing and Information Technology background, with experience at least 2 years and fluency in French/Arabic/English.

I fulfill all there requirements, I have 2 bachelor degree ( Higher business studies and Information technology) and a master degree in information technology. I have almost 3 years experience.

What do you think will be the adequate salary, I wanna ask for a reasonable one, I'll be relocated to Dubai with my wife.

Thank you in advance.

i am a civil engineer from india . i have 1.5 years experience in multistoreyed construction . is there any opening for me in dubai.

hi All,
I am reading this forum from past few days. I am planning for my career advancement over there. Now i have very good knowledge about there. Thanks to forum and its members.
Atul

Great...!!!! This is a very valuable information for jobseekers.

Im a Software Test Engineer working currently in India ,and searching for Software Testing openings in Dubai .

Do you have any list of recruitment agencies that recruit software people from india ?
What will be the process ?

Hey all. Great info! It's really appreciated...

I did have a question about my situation that I did not see addressed in previous posts.

What is the best course of action for someone looking for a job in Dubai, but that is unable to move without an offer on the table?

My situation is a financial professional with 3 years experience and advanced degrees, born and raised in the USA. I've been over to visit and have no reservations about relocating long term / permanently. I require little to no relocation assistance, and plan on learning Arabic as soon as I have an offer to relocate.

However, I find myself in a paradox. To find work in Dubai, I need to move there, but to move there, I need money, but to get money, I need to find work in Dubai.

My current position is very demanding, and I am unable to take a 30 to 60 day vacation to find an opportunity locally.

I have been doing the internet and phone search to network as much as possible, but am having trouble getting beyond general inquiries to actual interviews. I am able to fly over at a moments notice for a face-to-face interview, but am unable to get that far.

How should I proceed? Is there a recruitment agency based here in the US that I could work with, so that the preliminary interview process goes smoother? Should I be targeting companies that have a presence both here and there, so that they may be more willing to interview me locally? Is there a website that caters specifically to people based outside of Dubai to help them market themselves to the correct opportunities?

Sorry about 1 question running into about 10, but I really appreciate all the help!

-Mike

Hey all. Great info! It's really appreciated...

I did have a question about my situation that I did not see addressed in previous posts.

What is the best course of action for someone looking for a job in Dubai, but that is unable to move without an offer on the table?

My situation is a financial professional with 3 years experience and advanced degrees, born and raised in the USA. I've been over to visit and have no reservations about relocating long term / permanently. I require little to no relocation assistance, and plan on learning Arabic as soon as I have an offer to relocate.

However, I find myself in a paradox. To find work in Dubai, I need to move there, but to move there, I need money, but to get money, I need to find work in Dubai.

Mmmmm. Interesting, but I don’t see why you would need money as a prerequisite to moving to Dubai?
Sure you may need a little to ship the odd item, but you can’t be contemplating packing up your entire house and shipping it over??? You may also need a little capital to keep you going while you looked for work, if you chose to come across on a visit visa and look for a position.

My current position is very demanding, and I am unable to take a 30 to 60 day vacation to find an opportunity locally.

Ha-ha, what you have here is a leap of faith. You either have to resign from your current job, make a clean break and move to Dubai in the hope of getting a job, or stay where you are and hope that you will get a firm offer prior to making the move.

I have been doing the internet and phone search to network as much as possible, but am having trouble getting beyond general inquiries to actual interviews. I am able to fly over at a moments notice for a face-to-face interview, but am unable to get that far.

Persistence. I’m afraid I can’t be more encouraging than that, you have to bear in mind that there are literally thousands of people at any one time trying to find work in Dubai (which is really no bigger than a small American city).

How should I proceed? Is there a recruitment agency based here in the US that I could work with, so that the preliminary interview process goes smoother? Should I be targeting companies that have a presence both here and there, so that they may be more willing to interview me locally? Is there a website that caters specifically to people based outside of Dubai to help them market themselves to the correct opportunities?

No idea about American companies, there are a few UK based companies that have regional offices in Dubai though.

Sorry about 1 question running into about 10, but I really appreciate all the help!

Another fair comment that I picked up on the forum in the last week was someone pointing out to someone (also looking for a vacancy in finance), that because of the recent upheavals there are now a lot of highly experienced and qualified financial people looking for work; a lot of them look at the middle east because of the excess of disposable capital – thereby putting pressure on the local job market by virtue of supply and demand.

Ok well I'll keep at it then. Thanks for all the info and I appreciate the help!

any body knows about almira group of companies.. is it fair .. or...

I would like to express my gratitude for such help. I have one question according to attested diploma in secton "" What doc-ts to bring" it means that my diploma should be attested in the Ministry of Education in my country, if so do you know how? I am planning to go to Dubai in two weeks and it will be very helpful to know.

Thank you in advance.

Ilya

Hi there Yes, contact the UAE consulate closest to you immediately, ask them for the Attestation process for you country as it varies from country to country.

Normally you will need to take it to your countries Department of Education as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs. The documents then have to go to the UAE consulate (if you do not have a UAE consulate in your country you can take it to a consulate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well).

Do this immediately as the process can take some time. You need to attest your highest educational qualification or highest tertiary qualification. You cannot be employed in the UAE without attested documents!

stackbelsk wrote:I would like to express my gratitude for such help. I have one question according to attested diploma in secton "" What doc-ts to bring" it means that my diploma should be attested in the Ministry of Education in my country, if so do you know how? I am planning to go to Dubai in two weeks and it will be very helpful to know.
Thank you in advance.
Ilya

Have your Transcript of Records&Diploma attested in your country first,each country has different procedure in attesting their papers so you have to ask help from your countrymen.
note: Documents will be attested here again in UAE.

Perfect information...

Just one query, if my partner looks for work on a visit visa, and finds a uitable position (touch wood), would she be able to reside with me in my apartment, or under law is she required to have her own residence?

Info is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Johnlee

Hi there, depending on which side of the fence you stand it is either a black and white issue or a very grey issue.

The law of the land is clear, no "co-habitation" outside of marriage. This is strictly enforced among the local Muslim population; although the penalties are harsh for both Muslims and non-Muslims caught contravening the law in this regard.

The practicalities are... There are more expats than UAE nationals, while the law of the land applies to everyone living here; there is an unwritten aspect of "latitude" with regards to expats and certain of the laws.

There are literally tens of thousands of people doing exactly this. The police will only follow up if they receive a complaint in this regard, and then they have to do something and will and will normally pay you a visit.

The main thing is, if you are going to do it, then be prepared to accept the consequences; don’t draw attention to your self, your situation or embarrass your neighbours by you actions.

hi All
im in first year in business school and looking for an internship in dubai in marketing fields for 4 or 5 months starting im july 2009.
thanks.

Can anyone give me some advice on the following situation?

my friend has been offered a fixed term job with a company forming part of Al Futtiam Group. can anyone shed some light on the reputation and reliability of this group please?
would you change jobs from a secure position in your country to this in Dubai keeping in mind the current financial situation. in order words will she be taking a great risk in accepting this job with regards to job security.

package in the region 25k + rent allowance + car

any help will be greatly appreciated as friend really confused at the mom

thank you for all the invalueable information given throughout this forum

25k + extra's is pretty decent at the moment considering the current down-turn. al futtaim is quiet stable, although it consists of a number of component businesses, some would be doing better than others at the moment and all are managed independantly.find out how much the "extras" are that are on offer - and get them to commit this to paper (so that is can be evaluated as part of the "package")

thank you so much for replying dxbsoul - we have been reading your input in this forum and all your information is of excellent value!!
especially for people who have never been to Dubai.

extra allowance approx 115k annually for rent and another 65k one time payment for furniture

furthermore there is a clause prohibiting work for 12 months after termination of employment is this common practice?

what is the longest term of contract normally accepted by employers?

is contract normally renewed or could they give her just one term and send her out?

again thank you for your contribution and replies

best regards

115k would get you a nice 2br apartment at the moment; rentals are down at the moment and landlords more willing to negotiate.

65k is a good amount to set up furniture and appliance wise, at the moment there is also a lot of second hand odds and ends being advertised (dubizzle.com and others) as a good number of expats have already left (or are in the process of leaving).
Be aware though, if your friend decides to leave before the contract term is complete they will be obliged to repay a pro-rata amount of the remaining rent and furniture allowances to the company! Basically the furniture allowance would be amortized over the three year contract period and the rental over a one year rental period.
Restraint of trade clauses are not uncommon, although they have to be included in the official contract to be enforceable. The employer is a large employer in the UAE, I’m pretty certain their contracts will be air-tight.

Contracts are normally 3 years and re-newable on re-negotiation, this is because the residency visa is only valid for three years - hence the two normally run concurrently (residency and labor).

Hi everyone,

I've been working as hotel porter in London for 2 years now.The company I work for will open their new hotel in Dubai in the next year,therefore I'm seriously considering to move to Dubai but I dont know much about Emirates in terms of wages or cost of living.Someone told me dont even try unless they offer you 10.000AED per month.The only thing I know that apartments are expensive but food,public transport etc. are fairly cheap compare to London.
Please if anyone could help me what to do I would be really thankful.

southwestfive wrote:Hi everyone,

I've been working as hotel porter in London for 2 years now.The company I work for will open their new hotel in Dubai in the next year,therefore I'm seriously considering to move to Dubai but I dont know much about Emirates in terms of wages or cost of living.Someone told me dont even try unless they offer you 10.000AED per month.The only thing I know that apartments are expensive but food,public transport etc. are fairly cheap compare to London.
Please if anyone could help me what to do I would be really thankful.

as a hotel porter you could not expect to earn anywhere near 10k per month! you would have to set your sites on a position well above that - middle to upper hotel management to get that kind of salary.

check what benefits your company will offer that may help offset expenses - rent free accomodation etc...

you need to get all the facts before you can evaluate your offer

Hi

I am new to this forum, I am considering looking for a job in dubai, currently leaving in the UK . I have 2 years software testing experience, but I have generally noticed that most jobs are around oil plants and construction in dubai. Any Ideas where to be looking, or what the demand is for software testing?

Many Thanks

humble09 wrote:Hi

I am new to this forum, I am considering looking for a job in dubai, currently leaving in the UK . I have 2 years software testing experience, but I have generally noticed that most jobs are around oil plants and construction in dubai. Any Ideas where to be looking, or what the demand is for software testing?

Many Thanks

Humble
comapring with other sector Dubai is not strong in software development side, look out the job portals in dubai and see this type of positon is advertised, as a recruitment consultant i can say that isoftware testing is not a demanding job in dubai
good luck

We cannot deny the Recruitment agencies role in hiring process in UAE. Most of the companies work with recruitment agencies to get the right talent
Updated list of Recruitment agencies in UAE- June 2009

Hope this site will help you for your jobhunting in UAE
list of Recruitment agencies in UAE, Sample CVS, Cover letters, Interview advice,Labour law

Merlin
Dubai

Hi, I really need some clarification. I work for a small company who will do anything to make things difficult for you. They provided me with a visa under the condition that I work for them for two years, if i don't finish my contract I am required to pay for my labour card/visa fees. I cannot afford to pay them (they will ask me for something between 4,000 - 8,000).
If I give them one month's notice, they will just withold my salary and state it's what I owe them. So i'm just going to tell work (just after the next payday) that I need to go home. I will give them my labour card and then fly back to the UK. I have absolutely no debts or ties so i'm not worried about anything other than work. I know I will get a labour ban but I'm just scared they can find a way of banning me from the UAE for not paying back these visa costs, can they? I am also worried that i will have a problem when I come back to Dubai at the end of December for a visit. Please help me!!! Thanks

I am looking for positions in Dubai but have found that agencies require me to pay a fee before they will put me forward for a vacancy. Is this the norm in UAE?

Thanks

thinkingaboutdubai wrote:I am looking for positions in Dubai but have found that agencies require me to pay a fee before they will put me forward for a vacancy. Is this the norm in UAE?

Thanks

nope it's illegal I think

Hi

Does anyone know if companies in Dubai are still willing to pay for relocation fees and visas? I know with the recession everyone is trying to avoid costs, but was just wondering if it is still possible.

I am living in South Africa and looking for work in events.

Thanks

I am planning to work in Dubai, but i am uncertain becoz these would be my first time, i am registered safety officer from the Philippines i am also experience massage therapist and a mathematics teacher. please help me look for a job.