There are two important facts to bear in mind when considering jobs in Dubai; firstly every level of the labour market is essentially made up of foreign professionals and workers, and secondly the rate at which Dubai is expanding geographically, economically and physically means that there is an annual increase in the number of available jobs in Dubai at the present time.

Dubai has become synonymous with chic, sophisticated and exotic city living and with a rich lifestyle, a wealthy bank balance and a tax friendly business environment.  It is therefore of no surprise that there’s an abundance of expatriates moving to work in Dubai and a consistent inward flow of companies establishing operations in Dubai – naturally this means that there is as great a demand for jobs in Dubai as there is demand for professional employees thus creating great opportunity and huge potential.

For expatriates considering living and working in Dubai the main initial consideration will be finding a suitable job.  The main employment sector in the emirate is the service industry which is dominated by the tourism industry.  At the moment Dubai generates about a third of it’s wealth from tourism but it is consistently expanding its horizons in this area in a bid to rapidly and dramatically increase the number of visitors it receives annually.  With the creation of Dubailand theme park and the longest hotel strip in the world for example, the number of attractions coming on line supports Dubai’s ambitions for the growth of its tourism sector.

Those with qualifications and experience in the tourism and leisure industry will find an abundance of positions available in Dubai and there are specialist recruiters for these industries who regularly place candidates in jobs in Dubai.  The best place to begin a search for a suitable position is online.  As long as the candidate speaks English they will generally be accepted for consideration – although those with a second language will find that they can progress quicker and further.

The business language in the whole of Dubai is English but business etiquette differs quite significantly from either the US or the UK.  Elements of the professional work environment in the emirate are particularly formal with many companies addressing employees formally or by their surname – but on the other hand a lot of business is done socially and meetings are sometimes conducted away from the office environment.  Those who live in Dubai find that their working day often spills over into their leisure time and networking is an important part of life in the emirate.

Other large employers in Dubai include the oil industry which accounts for about 10% of GDP – IT, media and financial services are rapidly increasing areas of employment and key industries for foreign workers as well.  Other areas that those seeking jobs in Dubai might like to consider are real estate, construction, retail, import and export.

Anyone with entrepreneurial flair looking for a conducive environment in which to develop their ideas or expand their operations is also welcome in Dubai – this is yet another reason why the emirate has such an exciting, emerging, vibrant and intelligent feel.  The Free Trade Zones for which the UAE is famous make it quite simple for a company to incorporate and begin trading, manufacturing or doing business because of the simple lack of financial, taxation, reporting and accounting restrictions placed on businesses operating within the Zones.  An added advantage to those thinking about setting up their company in Dubai is the fact that anyone who sets up in one of the Zones is entitled to work permits and the residency visas that go with them.

For all other employees the company employing them usually sponsors and arranges work permits and residency visas and employed husbands can sponsor their wives and families so that they can join them and live in Dubai and experience all that the emirate has to offer.