UAE to lure more UK workers

Published Tuesday, December 27, 2011

By Shuchita Kapur

Workers from the United Kingdom are more likely to opt for the UAE as their preferred destination of work in the coming year, according to a leading expert in the recruitment industry.

Recent trend shows that New Yorkers may also consider moving to the Emirates, but candidates from the UK and other European nations outnumber them.

“UK nationals are the most likely to entertain a move to the Middle East. The UK has had a long history here and with the tax breaks, it can be a very intelligent move for the senior executive.

As well it is only a seven-hour flight home and thus the UK nationals are very comfortable here. With the downturn, we have seen an increase in New Yorkers who will entertain the move.

However, they are still dwarfed by the number of UK and European candidates on the ground in the UAE. The next most likely to come are those individuals from Greece of which I routinely receive several CVs a week; for obvious reasons,” Shane Phillips, MENA Regional Practice Leader - Financial and Professional Services at Stanton Chase told 'Emirates24|7'.

Experts believe that employee demographic mix in the country will not change much next year and has been stable this year as well.

“The demographic mix has not changed substantially. It is true that many senior executives are keen to explore opportunities in the Middle East, based on the decreased economic growth in their home countries or the increased taxation. However, senior, experienced and specialized senior executives are still hard to attract in the Gulf, especially for the industries that are of highest importance to the local markets,” said Konstantina Sakellariou, Partner, Marketing & Operations Director at Stanton Chase.

Industry players say the UAE is still a favoured place when it comes to work and the status has remained very much the same among different nationalities.

“The Gulf, in particular the UAE remains an attractive tax haven and lifestyle destination. Therefore, the region acts as a magnate for people all over the world, be it from states where there is current unrest and political unease, or from recession hit European countries. Therefore, the demographic mix will continue to remain diverse,” said Hasnain Qazi, Middle East Business Manager at Huxley Associates.

Agrees Amer Zureikat, VP Sales at Bayt.com. “The UAE workplace continues to be a melting pot of diverse cultures and nationalities. Top talent from around the world is still attracted to the country for what it offers in terms of a world-class business infrastructure and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Thus, it is no surprise that in 2011 [we] witnessed professionals from all career levels, demographics and walks of life pursuing attractive work opportunities in the UAE across different industries. Moreover, professionals who live in the UAE register very high satisfaction levels both with the work environment and with the lifestyle offered. In fact, the UAE always scores very highly in [our] surveys as a favoured work and life destination,” he explained.