Abu Dhabi & Dubai

Over the past two decades, the United Arab Emirates has been transformed from an expatriate outpost to a vibrant and cosmopolitan destination for many Western professionals. The UAE is composed of seven emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. The two main business centres of Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer superb lifestyles and excellent career opportunities.

The United Arab Emirates is a cosmopolitan, first world country with a long history of political and social stability. It boasts a large, highly educated, multilingual, multicultural workforce of skilled professionals, with excellent communication links within the region and to other financial centres. It has a proven record of over 30 years of delivering ambitious business projects such as technology, trade, sport, travel and tourism. The UAE has an un-bureaucratic approach to business, with some of the best tax and other financial incentives anywhere in the world. Its sophisticated lifestyle and safe living conditions make it a popular place to locate for business executives and their families.

Within the UAE you are likely to experience true diversity amongst the people you encounter. Only 11% of the residents are nationals, approximately 21% are Arabs from other countries, 57% are South Asians and the remaining 11% are East Asians and Westerners.

A real mix of cultures, languages and religions are present, with expats from a variety of countries filling skill gaps at all levels.

Overview

Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a spectacular transformation from a small desert region to a modern state with a high standard of living. Oil has traditionally dominated the UAE’s economy, providing huge earnings and opportunities for investment. Oil reserves are likely to last for a further 100 years. Despite this, the UAE has taken full advantage of its strategic location and the need to diversify has been acted upon. Dubai has a thriving deep-water port and Free Trade zones for manufacturing have been created to attract foreign investment.

Tourism has become a major industry, as have the financial markets. Located between the international capital markets of London, New York and Hong Kong, Dubai is fast becoming the hub connecting the region (incorporating the Middle East, East and North Africa, the Caspian States and the Indian Subcontinent) with the existing global financial network. It is designed to span the time zones not covered by London, New York and Hong Kong. In order to achieve this, the Dubai International Financial Centre has been created, aiming to make Dubai a key international player and secure Dubai’s future beyond its oil reserves.

The UAE is generally regarded as the most cosmopolitan and westernised of the Middle Eastern regions.

However, it is an Islamic country, and the majority of citizens are Muslims. As such, residents and visitors are expected to dress and behave appropriately.

While Arabic is the official language, English is widely spoken and Persian, Hindi and Urdu are also common.

One of the major differences in the UAE is the restriction of alcohol. Generally, only hotels have licenses to sell alcohol, so you are likely to find that the majority of bars, restaurants and clubs aimed at Westerners will be attached to hotels. It is possible to buy alcohol for personal consumption; however you must be in possession of a licence, and can only buy it from designated suppliers. It is significantly more expensive than buying alcohol in the UK.

The month of Ramadan is a feature of life in the Middle East. During this month of fasting, eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted in public, from sunrise to sunset. This is strictly adhered to, and even as a non-Muslim it is unacceptable to partake in any of the above in view of anyone who is observing Ramadan.

One of the big attractions of life in the UAE is the warmth of the climate. The winter (October – March) is dry and warm, with temperatures in the day ranging from 20º to 35ºC. In the summer months (May – October) it is particularly hot and humid, with daytime temperatures reaching over 40ºC during July and August.

Potential earnings and savings

One of the great attractions of working in the UAE is that there is no personal taxation.

Travel and transport

Dubai International airport is 5km south-east of Dubai and is a major hub at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Airlines such as Gulf Air, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa and KLM regularly fly in and out of Dubai.

Abu Dhabi International airport is one of the fastest growing in the world. In 2007 it served nearly 8 million passengers with flights to Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

Most expats purchase a car for the duration of their stay in the UAE. The majority of the models will include air-conditioning and tend to be automatic. Cars are substantially cheaper than in the UK, and many expats opt for a 4-wheel drive vehicle for off-road and desert driving. The low cost of a petrol is also a factor when considering your ideal car, especially for those expats who have lived in the UK previously.

Alternative transportation is essentially limited to taxis, which are metered and numerous. Bus services are not generally used by expats, and as yet there is no rail system in place.

Health regulations

There are no compulsory regulations for entry to the UAE.

The United Arab Emirates workplace

Smart, conservative clothing is expected, despite the soaring heat outside and the fiercely efficient air conditioning inside.

Friday is the main day of prayer, so meetings should not be scheduled for this day. Calls to Arab colleagues or clients should also be avoided on this day. Depending on the company you work for, the other day making up the weekend will either be Thursday or Saturday.

Employment prospects

The market is booming in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and excellent opportunities exist for the right candidates who possess the required skills. Given the relatively small percentage of Emirati nationals who make up the working population, many opportunities exist for expats.

The government strongly encourages employers to use the local labour force where possible. Local graduates are being particularly encouraged to take up employment and employers are strongly urged to recruit Emirati graduates. UK graduates are likely to have particular difficulty securing a position unless they have substantial relevant work experience, or are already employed by a UK firm who transfers them to the UAE.

In general, for a candidate to be employed from overseas they must have experience and skills that cannot be found locally. With destinations like Abu Dhabi and Dubai being so popular, and the large number of people looking to relocate, finding a job in the UAE is not a foregone conclusion or a quick process. As a general rule, candidates will need to have at least four years ‘post qualification experience to be considered as viable.

Often, lower to middle level jobs are not advertised, instead recruiting and man power contracting agents are used to hire back in their native country. So many of these jobs never appear in a public forum. Even if they did, the salary packages would be too low for most candidates who have previously lived and worked in the West to consider and survive on.

Other factors are the space and expense issues of living in the UAE. In Dubai especially, there is simply not enough office space at the moment. To combat this, many companies are keeping support and back office staff in home cities or cheaper international locations, with just the frontline staff based in the UAE.

While these space issues will be lessened in the coming years, currently office space is at a premium. Coupled with ever-increasing property prices and rents, relocating expats is becoming increasingly costly, and is reserved for key personnel.

However, for those candidates with skills in demand, the tax-free lifestyle and booming market can be a great career move. Generally, the remuneration packages and the lifestyle that can be achieved are more modest than in previous years, however the quality of life and experience of working in such a vibrant economy are experiences not to be missed.

Facts - United Arab Emirates (UAE)

·         Population: 4,496,000

·         Area: 83,600 km²

·         Government: Federal constitutional monarchy

·         Established: 2nd December, 1971

·         Capital: Abu Dhabi