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.
Currency Exchange Rates Today
Currencies - Cross Rates
| AUD | EUR | GBP | USD | CHF | AED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUD | 1 | 0.7316 | 0.63085 | 0.98492 | 0.90433 | 3.62178 |
| EUR | 1.36687 | 1 | 0.86229 | 1.34626 | 1.23609 | 4.9505 |
| GBP | 1.58516 | 1.1597 | 1 | 1.56125 | 1.4335 | 5.74109 |
| USD | 1.01531 | 0.7428 | 0.64051 | 1 | 0.91817 | 3.67723 |
| CHF | 1.1058 | 0.809 | 0.69759 | 1.08912 | 1 | 4.00495 |
| AED | 0.27611 | 0.202 | 0.17418 | 0.27194 | 0.24969 | 1 |
| Other Currencies |
To view the exchange rates on the date that this post was published, view below.
We buy and sell many more currencies that the ones shown. To find out what the current exchange rates are for other currencies, just use our currency converter tool, or click “Other currencies” below the table. No commission and No transfer fees.
Is it safe? See our Security & regulations information. Make Transfers: OPEN A CURRENCY EXCHANGE ACCOUNT HERE
- GCEN have offices in Dubai for the UAE, Near London, Spain and Portugal
The British pound rates this morning versus other currencies including dirhams for the UAE aed’s, euros, us, canadian and Australian dollars together with the Brazilian Real, were….
Daily Rates as of Monday, 6th October, 2008
| Currency | Code | GBP/1 Unit | Units/1 GBP |
| Utd. Arab Emir. Dirham | AED | 0.1538 | 6.5097 |
| Australian Dollar | AUD | 0.4373 | 2.2911 |
| Brazilian Real | BRL | 0.2793 | 3.5966 |
| Canadian Dollar | CAD | 0.5219 | 1.9191 |
| Egyptian Pound | EGP | 0.1046 | 9.8949 |
| Euro | EUR | 0.7778 | 1.2873 |
| Japanese Yen | JPY | 0.005366 | 186.567 |
| Polish Zloty | PLN | 0.2288 | 4.3826 |
| US Dollar | USD | 0.5648 | 1.7717 |
Time to Buy Euros, Sell Dollars?
Time to Sell your Dollars and Buy Euros?
The US Dollar has climbed back to a six-month high against the Euro. With continuing fears that the European economy is transferring from a gentle slow-down to a full-blown recession, the Dollar has made vast gains in the foreign exchange rate.
The German economy seems to be the largest cause for concern, with a low of $1.4571 to one Euro on Tuesday. Leading market analysts have expressed views that Germany appears to be heading into recession and will likely drag the rest of Europe with it.
The American dollar has taken full advantage of the situation, but European exporters must be pleased with the current situation as their goods will now be cheaper overseas.
Exporters from Europe can take advantage of the fluctuating rates by contacting a currency broker and arranging for forward ordering of currency to be made on their behalf.
Fx-foreignexchange have currency dealers specifically allocated to business accounts. The currency dealers develop an insight into their client’s needs and buy, or sell, foreign exchange accordingly leaving their clients to do what they do best while saving money.
