Today Dubai is one of the most popular overseas locations for expatriate professionals seeking employment opportunities in this, the fastest growing, most exciting tax free destination in the world.

And Dubai has indeed grown rapidly in the past 30 years, especially since the ruling Al-Maktoum family committed the emirate to economic diversification away from oil and introduced the first in a series of 15 free trade zones which have created a climate of guaranteed economic growth in the emirate.  This article gives a guide to living and working in Dubai for anyone interested in finding out what it’s really like to expatriate to Dubai.

Living in Dubai

The quality of life achievable in Dubai is inimitable; such emphasis has been placed on creating the most exciting, luxurious and attractive amenities, entertainment facilities and accommodation across the emirate that not a day or night can go by without a brand new opportunity presenting itself.

Because the workforce in the emirate is dominated by expatriate personnel there are a plethora of social clubs and events every night of the week, and because Dubai is actively promoting and increasing its desirability as a tourist destination of note there’s no end of sports, entertainment and social activities to try out from golfing, diving, horse riding and horse racing to leisure parks, spas and up to 450 licensed restaurants to sample.

Great emphasis is placed on the importance of quality educational facilities and health care services in Dubai and as a result the expatriate and his family will be well cared and catered for.  There are currently around 80 private schools offering education to all ages in pristine and well equipped centres and following the educational curricula of the UK, US, Japan or Italy.

In terms of healthcare, emergency treatment is free for everyone and most medical procedures and facilities are subsidised.  A lot of expatriates have private medical care provided by their employer but if you don’t, health insurance for UAE is relatively affordable and as stated most medical care is subsidised making it affordable even for those without health insurance.

In Dubai the majority of the population herald from abroad, up to 94% of the entire population are expatriates and the number of those coming to the emirate grows substantially on a weekly basis as up to 20 new companies establish themselves in the emirate each week.  This trend is projected to continue for at least the next five years as the remaining planned 7 free trade zones move from the planning stages into realisation and more opportunity is created in Dubai for international companies from around the world.

Since 2002 when property ownership rights in Dubai changed to allow for foreign freehold purchase of land and real estate the property market has been booming.  Global property investor interest has been intense but none more so than in the local expatriate community which has been forced to cope with ever increasing rent prices.  Many of those who were able to raise sufficient capital to purchase have already done so but the demand for rental property is so far not abating creating a shortage of affordable accommodation at least for the medium term as major developments that were sold off plan move from conception to creation.

In terms of the property market in Dubai and the intense building that is currently going on in the emirate there have been a number of reports out recently criticising developers for creating an unsustainable Dubai.  Concern abounds particularly relating to traffic problems leading to potential gridlock in the most popular areas during rush hour periods and on the drain on natural resources.  The government of Dubai continue to assure residents and worldwide investors that everything in the garden is rosy and that no such problems will present themselves.

The cost of living in Dubai is high, there’s no denying it!  But because wages tend to be higher than say in the UK or USA and there is no personal income tax applied to wages people tend to have more disposable income.  If you are a social animal your disposable income will quickly be eaten up by the fantastic but pricey nightlife, if on the other hand you lead a fairly conservative and family life your expenses won’t be so high.

Working in Dubai
Many international companies have established headquarters or significant interests in the emirate and as a direct result employment opportunities in a wide range of sectors are available to qualified candidates.  The majority of those who find work in Dubai do so initially via advertisements on the internet and trade press...but ongoing the majority of offers made and jobs acquired are done off the back of significant networking which is how most business is done in Dubai.

If you have secured a job offer already your employer usually arranges all your visas, work permits and necessary paperwork...alternatively if you’d like to travel to Dubai and job seek when you arrive, depending on the country you herald from you can acquire a temporary visa that allows you to stay for up to 2 months in the country before you have to leave or apply for a Dubai visa Dubai visa and work permit.

The majority of jobs are in the tourism, IT, media, property and financial services sectors but you’ll be amazed at how many diverse opportunities present themselves once you’ve settled into life in Dubai and begun socialising and networking.  In terms of business practice and etiquette it is usual for professionals to dress formally but for many business meetings to be fairly informal, business cards are carried by everyone and traded eagerly at every opportunity and remember never to arrange business appointments with local people on a Friday as this is the traditional day of prayer.

It can be quite easy to find employment in Dubai and to continue your career in the emirate but initially it can seem like quite a task getting to know the ‘right’ people and attending the ‘right’ events to ensure that the Dubai movers and shakers know who you are!  If you commit to learning the Dubai way and to adapting to a very different way of life you will settle in to life in the emirate and then you’ll probably find that there is no going back for you because the wealth of lifestyle and employment opportunities is incredible.

Source: Shelter Offshore