Getting Work in Dubai
Working in Dubai, and becoming an expatriate in the UAE, is a long-held ambition for many who wish to lead the expatriate lifestyle that Hong-Kong used to supply. However, the skills required for work in Dubai are more varied, and the requirements for working in Dubai, are considerably different.
Despite the appearance of a western culture, it must be said that those working in Dubai must respect the fact that it’s citizens are devout Muslims. Local cultures must be respected along with the laws. This includes the requirement to have a sponsor for your work in Dubai.
To work in Dubai, most expatriates will need to be sponsored by an employer who is based in there. If you have skills in the construction industry, finance such as banking of foreign currency transfers, or the media, then Dubai has many sponsors looking for just the right people looking to emigrate to the UAE.
Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, UAE, has expanded rapidly since the 1980’s with attractive salaries, tax-free wages and the opportunity to live in the city-state of Dubai which is one of the few places in the world with a “can-do” attitude at the moment.
While the other Gulf states are catching onto the idea that they too, can have tourism and business as essential ingredients within their economic mix, Dubai is currently the undisputed “Hong Kong” of the Arabian Gulf.
However, living in paradise now comes at a cost! Where wages are generally high, so follows a high cost of living. Renting a property in Dubai can be a costly exercise. Most single westerners share a rental property.
Finding work in Dubai isn’t the main problem. Getting permission to work there is the main initial objective of most would-be expats. You can visit Dubai on a 3 month tourist visa, then look for your job. Be sure that the company can sponsor you. To apply for a tourist visa, go to the British Embassy, www.uaeembassyuk.net.
Most Western expats, now working in Dubai, arrive as tourists and can usually get a tourist visa on entry. However, if you’re South African you must have a hotel booking and organise a visa before you visit. Either way, once you gain your permit to work in Dubai, you’ll need to leave the UAE, then re-enter using your work visa.
It should be noted that a work visa will tie you to one employer. If you want to change jobs within Dubai, the law requires a six month “cooling-off” period between jobs.
Some items to organise before you go:
If you think you’ll need your educational qualifications when looking for a job, get them certified by a Public Notary, your own Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in your home Country. You’ll need this to make the work visa application a much faster process. Try the UAE embassy on 0870-005-6984.
Get a bank account organised. If you are going to stay on in Dubai, or anywhere in the UAE, you’ll need a bank account as it’s likely that you will be paid in Dirhams, or AED dhm, as they are known. If you’re planning on taking some savings to Dubai, use a reputable FX, currency exchange, company. They are much cheaper than the banks and they are faster. One such company is FX-Foreignexchange. They have an associate office in Dubai and have Barclays Bank as their treasury provider and help many individuals to get the best rates for Dirhams versus other currencies such as Australian and US Dollars, Bristish Pounds, the South African Rand and the Euro.
This FX company regularly helps large corporations to make vast savings when transferring payrolls or supplier payments in and out of the UAE. If it’s good enough for them, why not you?
You can open a foreign currency exchange account, for free here, before you go to Dubai. But, you will need a bank account over there to make your aed dhm transfers to/ from.
