The hiring outlook for the UAE’s healthcare and life sciences sector is extremely positive as it continues to recover from Covid-19 headwinds on the back of economic support measures and government initiatives such as an expansion of the Golden Visa programme.
“This is thanks to UAE government initiatives and investments in the sector as well as the location, how the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled and the opportunity for professionals and investors to obtain a Golden Visa,” says Chris Atkinson, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions, which sources professionals for pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
“We are seeing life science companies open regional offices here and have helped quite a few companies headquartered in Turkey, Israel and other countries set up their teams here since mid-2021. We believe the UAE is primed to become a hub for life science companies.”
The Covid-19 pandemic placed the global healthcare sector under immense pressure but this also opened up a range of employment prospects for certain segments of the industry.
Salaries for workers in the UAE’s life sciences sector, which covers pharmaceuticals and health care, registered the highest increase in 2021, growing by 4.5 per cent compared with 2020, says HR consulting company Mercer’s Total Remuneration Survey, which polled more than 500 companies.
The UAE’s pharmaceutical market is expected to grow by 27 per cent between 2021 and 2025 as the country pushes to become a regional pharmaceutical centre, Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ said in a February report. The size of the local pharmaceutical market is expected to hit $4.7 billion in value by 2025, up three times the value recorded in 2011, the report found.
As of 2021, the UAE had 23 pharmaceutical manufacturing centres and was producing more than 2,500 medicines in country, Kinetic Business Solutions reports.
“The global healthcare and life sciences landscape is changing as patient care delivery is fundamentally evolving to become more virtual, ambulatory, at home and value-based,” says Deepa Sud, chief executive of Plum Jobs, a Dubai executive search consultancy.
“We are seeing an increase in the hiring of related roles and this sector will continue to grow. Employees are favouring the fast-paced environment of biotech compared with traditional Big Pharma.”
What positions are in demand?
The most in-demand positions in the UAE healthcare sector include nurses, laboratory technicians and doctors/physicians, while regional sales managers and marketing managers are sought after in the life sciences industry, recruitment consultancy Michael Page says in its 2022 salary guide.
Meanwhile, roles that are in demand in the Emirates’ life sciences industry include country and general managers, commercial directors, sales managers, key account managers, marketing managers, medical representatives, product specialists, human resources and finance managers, data from Kinetic Business Solutions show.
As the sector evolves, they will transition more into partnerships and technology, leading to a greater demand for talent in these areas, Ms Sud says.
“Providers will need to establish strong partnerships with pharma, medical technology and insurance players to provide a cohesive patient experience that delivers high-quality care while maintaining a competitive edge,” she says.
“You will see a greater need for strong capabilities in leadership, strategy and change management.”
What skills are employers looking for?
Employers are seeking candidates with experience in regional sales and distributor management, who have the ability to control and influence distribution partners to positively affect sales, inventory and top-line revenue, Michael Page reports.
Project management skills are also sought after by employers since the Covid-19 pandemic pushed healthcare companies, including hospitals and laboratories, to design and carry out new projects in a short period of time, the consultancy firm says.
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies in the UAE are looking for people capable of communicating with the authorities and supporting them in defining the right prices, it adds.
“Aside from the technical skills and qualifications required, the top skills sought by life science companies in potential hires are local or regional experience, adaptability and flexibility and communication, with multilingual candidates being highly requested,” Mr Atkinson says.
With heavy investment in research and development funding, pharmaceutical and medical devices start-ups and global organisations are hiring candidates with knowledge of product lifecycles and launches, Ms Sud of Plum Jobs says.
“Advances in technology are reducing patient touchpoints and the need for high-volume hospital care as virtual and home-based care delivery are becoming more of a reality,” she says. “As the delivery of care shifts, providers need leadership, project management and technology skills to create delivery ecosystems that integrate both digital and face-to-face models.”
Although the need for care-at-home capabilities are growing significantly, there is a huge gap in the labour market, Ms Sud points out.
Are salaries expected to rise in the healthcare and life science sector?
Experienced life science candidates are in high demand, and employers are increasing salaries and offering extremely competitive packages to secure the best talent for their organisations, Mr Atkinson says.
“Sixty-two per cent of respondents to our salary and employment survey at the end of last year said they had received increases, too, so companies are also taking the right steps to reward and retain staff,” he adds.
Salaries are increasing and life science professionals are receiving an average of 15 per cent to 20 per cent salary increases because of the skills shortage, Ms Sud says.
_________________________
UAE salary guide 2022
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What other benefits can employees expect?
Flexible work has become the norm for many life science companies and they offer this to all levels of employees, Mr Atkinson says.
“More senior life science executives can expect to be offered the following benefits depending on the organisation they are joining: housing, transport, schooling for children and flight allowances,” he adds.
Besides salaries, employees are looking for enhanced healthcare and wellness benefits. Golden visas for healthcare workers has also boosted employee recruitment and retention, Ms Sud says.
Do employers face hiring challenges?
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare organisations have had to rapidly change their operations, address large patient flows and testing as well as manage the backlog of elective surgeries. As a result, healthcare institutions are constantly looking to hire more nurses, Michael Page reports.
Organisations are also now looking to grow and expand their fields of therapeutic coverage to increase revenue streams, which means it is now as important as ever to secure top talent both locally and internationally, says the consultancy.
“Many companies are also looking to hire in large volumes, which presents a challenge to find licensed professionals within the UAE or people who can become licensed in the UAE quickly,” it adds.
“Healthcare professionals will be highly sought after, so organisations need to ensure they have competitive salaries, benefits and a stable onboarding programme to ensure they are able to attract and, more importantly, retain employees.
“Companies are also being more flexible on licence status for nurses, accepting home country licence and bringing them in as assistant nurse for a slightly lower salary, while taking them through the UAE licensing.”
Meanwhile, expansion and market penetration remain the focus for most pharmaceutical or medical device companies within the UAE’s life sciences sector, the recruitment consultancy says.
The Middle East and Africa region remains a key growth area for most companies and this has resulted in the need for strong candidates in sales/business development, market access and regulatory affairs who are required to efficiently work with the authorities, while staying ahead of the competition, Michael Page says.
“With many companies looking to retain their current talent, there is a challenge sourcing candidates locally, pushing many businesses to look internationally,” it adds.
“It is important to ensure to have a clear road map for candidate growth and competitive packages to attract candidate from other companies in the region.”
How much can you expect to be paid in the healthcare and life sciences sector?
Sales
- General manager — Dh75,000 (per month)
- Sales director/regional director — Dh65,000
- Regional sales manager — Dh45,000
- Business development manager/area sales manager — Dh30,000
- Clinical application specialist — Dh26,000
- Business development executive — Dh20,000
- Sales engineer/account manager — Dh15,000
Marketing
- Chief medical officer — Dh75,000
- Head of marketing/marketing director — Dh65,000
- Marketing manager/group product manager — Dh40,000
- Senior brand manager — Dh30,000
- Brand manager — Dh25,000
Regulatory and medical affairs
- Regulatory affairs director — Dh55,000
- Regulatory affairs manager — Dh40,000
Medical science
- Medical director — Dh70,000
- Senior medical manager — Dh55,000
- Medical manager — Dh45,000
- Medical science liaison — Dh30,000
Health care
- Chief executive — Dh115,000
- Chief medical officer — Dh90,000
- Chief operation officer — Dh70,000
- Head of department — Dh65,000
- Chief nursing officer — Dh65,000
- Doctor/physician (surgeon) — Dh100,000
- Doctor/physician (consultant) — Dh85,000
- Doctor/physician (junior) — Dh60,000
- Nurses-in-charge — Dh22,000
- Nurse — Dh11,500
Laboratories
- Laboratory director — Dh55,000
- Laboratory manager — Dh40,000
- Quality manager — Dh42,500
- Laboratory technician — Dh11,500
Source: Michael Page
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
match info
Maratha Arabians 138-2
C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
Team Abu Dhabi 114-3
L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Zodi%20%26%20Tehu%3A%20Princes%20Of%20The%20Desert
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEric%20Barbier%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYoussef%20Hajdi%2C%20Nadia%20Benzakour%2C%20Yasser%20Drief%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE%20Warriors%2033%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFeatherweight%20title%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAli%20Al%20Qaisi%20by%20Jesse%20Arnett%20by%20submission%2C%20round%203%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%20title%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EJosh%20Togo%20bt%20Tahir%20Abdullaev%20by%20unanimous%20decision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIago%20Ribeiro%20bt%20Juan%20Puerta%20by%20unanimous%20decision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMiddleweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EYerkin%20Darmen%20bt%20Tyler%20Ray%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%203%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAbdulla%20Al%20Bousheiri%20bt%20John%20Adajar%20by%20submission%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20232lb%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAsylzhan%20Bakhytzhanuly%20bt%20Hasan%20Yousefi%20by%20submission%2C%20round%202%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20176lb%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAlin%20Chirila%20bt%20Silas%20Robson%20by%20KO%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20176lb%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EArvin%20Chan%20bt%20Abdi%20Farah%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELightweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EOle-Jorgen%20Johnsen%20bt%20Nart%20Abida%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EOtar%20Tanzilov%20bt%20Eduardo%20Dinis%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%203%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStrawweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EColine%20Biron%20bt%20Aysun%20Erge%20via%20submission%2C%20round%202%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESoslan%20Margiev%20bt%20Mathieu%20Rakotondrazanany%20by%20unanimous%20decision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EBakhromjon%20Ruziev%20bt%20Younes%20Chemali%20by%20majority%20decision%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Donating your hair
• Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
• Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
RESULT
Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
