By Contents
Overview
In recent times many people have considered moving abroad in search for better opportunities with United Arab Emirates (UAE) being one of the most favored destinations. UAE is in the Middle East neighboring with countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. UAE is a country made up of 7 states with Dubai and Abu Dhabi being the two most popular states. Most people actually think Dubai is a country but its just a state/city in UAE.
UAE’s economy has been doing well for years and that has created a lot of opportunities for job seekers, but on the downside, it makes it a popular destination for people from all over the world and that means there is high competition in the job market.
Job Opportunities in UAE
The good thing about UAE is almost all job sectors are catered for, from IT, Health, Education, Sales, Aviation, Engineering, Hospitality, Accounting etc. And as a country that is consistently developing, more opportunities arise each and every day. So, its fair to say you will have a good chance of getting a job opportunity in UAE.
The best way to look for employment in UAE is to come on a 2 months visit visa and search for a job during those 60 days. The most common way of finding jobs in UAE is to apply through job portal websites like Indeed, Dubizzle etc among other ways like applying through companies’ websites, speculative applications and door-to-door job hunting which is not very common here. Get it in touch with CV Arbab, they will make a professional CV for you which follows the UAE Standard.
Check this article with all the information you need when it comes to finding jobs in Dubai.
You can also apply for jobs while you not here through job portal websites and you will have a remote interview and if the employer is happy with you they will process your visa and you will come directly and start working. Please note that chances of getting hired while you are not in UAE are very low, employers normally prefer someone readily available who will be able to join them immediately and considering you will be also competing with other people who are already in UAE it makes it difficult to be hired remotely although it’s possible.
Sometimes you may find it hard to get a job within the area of your study especially when you are new and you may end up doing other jobs that have nothing to do with what you studied, this is something which you should expect when you move to UAE. But at the same time there are many cases of people getting their preferred jobs from the beginning, so there is no formula it depends with your faith and your luck.
How Much Do Jobs Pay in UAE
There is no direct answer when it comes to how much you will earn when you get a job in UAE. Your salary will depend on the job, your experience, the company, your negotiation skills etc. But with any decent job you can get enough to take care of yourself and maybe save a bit.
To give a rough estimate entry level jobs like waiter/waitress, room service etc will pay between 2000aed ($550) to 3000aed ($800). You will get more in white collar jobs and aviation but like I said it all depend on many factors.
When you look at the salaries I mentioned above $550 seems like a lot of money considering in our home countries people earn far less than that, but in reality, that amount isn’t much here in UAE, this is because the cost of living here is very high especially rent so you will find that that amount has more purchasing power in our home countries than here in UAE. Having said that its still a decent amount to start with. As you gain more experience you will have more chances to get better jobs and better offers, so patience is key when you planning to move to UAE.
Greater percentage of the people who are doing well in UAE they started from the bottom and with time they moved to better stages.
What It’s Like to Live in UAE
There is no secret that UAE is one of the most developed countries in the world with amazing infrastructure and breath-taking developments happening every time. It’s the home to the famous Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world, one the busiest airport in the word, one of the largest malls in the world and many more extra ordinary developments.
Living in UAE will give you exposure and opens your mind to endless possibilities. Arguably the best part about living in UAE is because it’s one of the safest countries in the world, UAE cities have consistently topped global list for safest cities to live in. When you are here you won’t have any fear for your security, you can literally leave your bag outside overnight and you will find it untouched the next morning. This is an environment where you can go for a jog at 3am without any fear whatsoever.
UAE is a multicultural nation where the majority of people living in UAE are expats from different countries, because of this you will learn different cultures, different languages from different parts of the world. UAE is Muslim country but they respect other religions and everyone has a right to follow their religion while they are here, for example as a Christian you will have many options of churches that you can attend.
As a popular tourist destination UAE has many activities and attractions that you can visit for entertainment and to refresh you mind. There are so many things to do from dune bashing, boat excursions, sky diving, theme parks, dessert camping etc.
The Challenges to Expect When You Move to UAE
This guide will not be accurate if I don’t talk about the challenges that comes with moving to UAE. Most people are misguided and they come this side expecting to live the Dubai life they see on TV, the life of Lamborghinis, golden iPhones and pet lions and when they finally come and see what’s on the ground they will be disappointed and frustrated.
First of all, getting a job is not a straight forward process. It’s not like you come here and just get a job. Like I have mentioned earlier there is high competition in UAE because people from all over the world are coming this side to look for employment. So, for that job that you want, you will be competing with Indians, Americans, Arabs, Europeans, Africans, etc. And some nationalities like Europeans have an advantage because of their passport, Arabs have an advantage especially in government jobs because they speak the Arabic language. Please note Arabic language is not really a factor, in most work environment people communicate in English so you don’t really need to know Arabic.
In some cases, you won’t even find an entry level job and some people go back home after 2 months without finding anything or you will be forced to extend your visa multiple times before you get a job, and that means more expenses yet you not working.
Another issue is most companies prefer to hire people with UAE experience; that is people who have worked in UAE before, so when you are new you will not be having UAE experience and someone who has that experience has an advantage over you. And in some cases, if you get hired without UAE experience employers will take advantage of that and offer you a low salary on the basis that you don’t have UAE experience. So, for your first job it might be worth it to just consider it as a way of getting UAE experience.
Like I have mentioned before the cost of living in UAE is very high, so when you coming to look for a job here you will need to have enough money to cover all your expenses till you get a job, without family back home backing you or without knowing someone here taking care of you this might be a challenge. As I mentioned before rent is very expensive here, for a single room within an apartment you will need at least 1500aed ($400) and its even higher depending on the location. When you are new or when you get an entry level job it will be very difficult to afford this. To cut costs people end up sharing accommodation, so instead of paying $400 alone for the whole room, you share with 2 other people and pay $135 each person. The more the number of people in the room the cheaper you will pay this is the setup which is referred to as bed spaces and its very common here. But then again sharing accommodation with other people comes with the obvious disadvantages; lack of privacy, hygiene issues, noise etc. But this has become a norm here that its not surprising to have more than 5 people living in the same room sometimes using bunkbeds.
Another challenge to note is UAE is not really a family friendly environment, in the sense that in order to raise a family here you need to be having a job which pays well and you can afford your own apartment and also able to afford school fees which are high at the same time affording to pay a maid. This not something you can easily afford when you still new and when you don’t have a job that pays well. So, most people leave their families in their countries and come here just to work. But once you can afford you can live a good life with your family in a very safe and modern environment which is good for kids’ development, with good schools and some of the top universities in the world.
The weather in UAE is another factor which cannot be ignored, being a desert country its very hot here with temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius during the peak of summer. But the good thing is all offices, malls, residential building have air conditioners so as long as you are indoors you wont have to face the heat, you will find that even bus stations have air conditioners which is quite remarkable.
Medical Tests
A very important thing to note if you planning to move to UAE for work is you will have to go through medical tests before you get your residence visa. When you coming on a visit visa you don’t do any medical tests but once you get a job you will do the tests before you get the employment visa.
During the medicals they will screen for communicable diseases such as hepatitis, HIV AIDS, leprosy, syphilis, and tuberculosis. If you are found to be having any of these diseases you will be considered not medically fit and deported right away. Hence its better to get tested before you move to UAE.
How Much Do You Need to Move To UAE?
This is a very common question and I will give estimates of the costs involved when you plan to move to UAE and how much will sustain you while you going through the job hunt. Please note these are estimates based on experience and research and can be different from the actual prices, you can get the correct prices from service providers.
Visa
As mentioned before the best and most common way is to come to UAE on two months visit visa then look for a job during those 2 months.
It’s easy to get the visa, there are many agencies that do the visas, you just need to submit your passport and pay within 3 to 10 days your visa will be out. It’s not like in most European countries where you need to go for interviews and wait for months till you get the visa.
The cost of a 2 months visit visa is plus or minus $350 depending on the agency you use. Also depending on your nationality. Ownega Travels is one of the most recommended agencies when it comes to visas. And in case you don’t get a job within those 2 months you can always extend the visa by 2 more months, extending the visa is more costly, the price is around $500.
Once you get a job your company will be responsible for processing your employment visa which is usually 2 years.
Flight
When you coming on a visit visa you need to have a return ticket, and flight ticket depends on a number of factors including the airline you use, the time of the year you travel etc.
Flights are much cheaper if you traveling from countries like India where a return ticket cost around $300 but from Southern African countries like Zimbabwe the return ticket will cost around $700. And like I said the price depends on many factors you can check Ownega Travels for ticket booking.
Rent
As highlighted before rent is very expensive, so when people are new here they end up sharing accommodation just to cut cost. If you stay in Sharjah which is another state in UAE close to Dubai you can get cheaper accommodation. In Sharjah you can share a room with another person to make it 2 people in the room for about $250 each person per month. There are many people who stay in Sharjah while working in Dubai. Rent in Dubai is relatively expensive but also depends with the area.
Transport
While you are searching for a job you will need to travel for interviews as well as when doing door-to-door job search. Transport system in UAE is pretty good and efficient, there are public buses, taxis and the Dubai metro which is an amazing railway system.
Its difficult to give an estimate of the transport costs you will incur because it all depends on how much you will be traveling but to be safe you can set aside something like $100 per month for transport.
Food
In UAE you will get all type of food and there are so many restaurants offering from cheap to the most expensive dishes in the world. The best way when you are on your job hunt is to buy groceries and cook at home that way you will not spend much. With a budget of about $120 per month you will be able to buy groceries and maybe eat out a few times.
Miscellaneous
Other things that you need to consider include data and airtime, toiletries, bedding, kitchen utensils, clothes etc. And to give a rough estimate you can set aside something like $150 to cover all this.
Let’s put together all the costs mentioned above
| ITEM | COST | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Months Visit Visa | $350 |
| 2 | Return flight ticket | $700 |
| 3 | Rent (two months) | $500 |
| 4 | Transport (two months) | $200 |
| 5 | Food (two months) | $240 |
| 6 | Miscellaneous | $150 |
| 7 | Pocket Money | $100 |
| TOTAL | $2240 |
In short $2240 is enough for you to move to UAE and survive your first 2 months.
Take note of recurring monthly costs like rent, transport and food as well as visa renewal. It will depend on how much time it will take you to get a job. The more time it takes you to get a job the more expenses you will face.
Again, these are rough estimates and the actual prices may be different.
Ownega Travels which is a Dubai Based travel agency is offering a package with everything necessary for you to move and settle in Dubai easily. From Visa, Return ticket to Accommodation and they also make your CVs in the UAE standard format as well as guide you on how to find jobs. Details of the package are on the flyer below
Conclusion
In this article I have tried to answer all questions which people usually ask when they are planning to move to UAE, I have talked about UAE as a country and how life is in UAE, I talked about the job opportunities in UAE as well as the challenges you should expect then ended with budget you need.
If you are planning to move to UAE it’s very important that you know what to expect. You have to know that they are chances that it might not work out or it might work out well, also you have to know that there are chances where you will need to go through the longer route before it works out well which requires patience.
Do I personally think it’s a good idea to move to UAE? Yes, from what I have seen over the past 6 years I have been in UAE I think it’s worth it to try UAE. I can say it’s a risk worth exploring especially when you don’t have anything solid you are doing in your home country, and if you have enough funds give it a try. There are so many success stories of people who moved to Dubai without anything but now they doing well, they running their own companies, so I would say go for it.
Disclaimer: This article should not be considered as career guidance, the views in this article are personal views from the author through experience and research and by no means should they be considered as accurate/standard. The prices for different services mentioned are estimates and can be different to the actual prices. Follow this guide at your own risk, the author will not be responsible for any decisions that you will make.
Iam genorous and energetic ,and well focused person looking for a Caregiving or housekeeping job. Iam well experienced in both of those 2 jobs.iam a likable person knows how to work under pressure and with others.
Very insightful. Well ndokutemba hangu when it comes to things like this . Continue to do good
Thank you QB
Well thank you with your well informed research much appreciated.
You are welcome, glad you found this article useful.
I am a well experienced Boiler / Turbine operator for thermal power plant. Have done successfully commissiones. I want to work abroad,contribute and gain more experience.
Thanks dear for giving us picture .and to market for jobs that side big up
You are welcome