Job opportunities in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of the Middle East’s most important economic forces, has undergone a spectacular transformation. Since 1962, when Abu Dhabi became the first of the Emirates to export oil, the region has grown from a quiet backwater to a fast-moving hub of activity.

With expatriates from over 150 countries making up 85 per cent of the country’s population, the UAE is leading the rest of the world in net migration. While it was the oil industry that first attracted foreign workers to the region, an aggressive strategy of diversification has created a range of opportunities for engineers in areas such as construction and energy.

Each of its states- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Ras al Khaimah, Fujairah, Sharjah and Umm al Qaiwain– has its own strengths. Dubai, for instance has set itself up to be the cosmopolitan gateway of the Middle East. The credit boom, coupled with changes in the laws of foreign ownership, allowed ambitious projects such as the Burj Khalifa- the world’s tallest man-made structure- to be realised during a period of frantic activity and investment.