A majority (82 per cent) of professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia say they prefer working in the GCC region rather than moving to Europe or the US, according to a survey by LinkedIn.
About 46 per cent of respondents said the region’s standard of living made it a preferred destination, followed by the attractive lifestyle at 35 per cent and opportunities for professional growth on 31 per cent, the survey found.
“This comes as no surprise, as the UAE emerged as one of the most resilient international markets when it comes to hiring, with a 0.3 per cent annual increase in hiring, up by 30 per cent compared to pre-pandemic December 2019,” LinkedIn said on Wednesday.
The survey polled 16,288 white-collar professionals in full-time or part-time employment across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK, India, Singapore and the US, among other countries, between November 24 and December 15.
The jobs market in the UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, thanks largely to fiscal and social measures introduced by the government to attract skilled workers and incentivise companies to set up or expand their operations.
The Emirates is making a shift to an employers’ market, with more people moving to the UAE because of the lifestyle and economic problems in other countries, recruitment consultancy Robert Half said in its 2024 Salary Guide report.
With an influx of talent and more competition for roles, candidates are willing to accept lower remuneration to give themselves a foothold in the Middle East, which brings down the overall market rate and restricts salary growth, Robert Half said.
“This will give rise to a more competitive job market, so standing out from other candidates will be more important than ever,” Ali Matar, Europe, Middle East and Africa growth markets leader and head of LinkedIn Middle East and North Africa, said.
About 62 per cent of professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are either looking for another job or plan to start looking for one soon, the survey found.
Higher salaries and the need for an improved work-life balance are the top two reasons for professionals seeking a career move, with 20 per cent of respondents saying that a better-paying job is a leading career goal for 2024.
“In 2024, we are seeing UAE and Saudi Arabia professionals taking agency and moving to the driver's seat when it comes to their careers,” said Mr Matar.
Nearly three quarters of job seekers also said that flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid working, are essential.
There is also a growing understanding of the importance of skills in the UAE labour market, with 83 per cent of professionals highlighting their skills instead of degrees when looking for a job, the survey found.
Seventy-six per cent said they would take on more projects at work to diversify their skills, while 72 per cent said they are spending more time than usual doing online courses to improve their career progression.
About 84 per cent of UAE professionals are keen to improve their skills, the research showed.
“We see an appetite among professionals in our region to upskill and invest in building their personal profiles,” Mr Matar said.
“Highlighting how one’s skills are relevant to the job they want and staying on top of industry trends will also improve chances of finding the right opportunity.”
Some of the fastest-growing job roles in the UAE over the past five years include real estate consultant, partnerships specialist, mortgage adviser, private client adviser, growth manager and building information modelling (BIM) architect, among others, according to LinkedIn.
Meanwhile, 79 per cent of Saudi professionals expressed confidence about interviewing for a new role and 78 per cent feel positive about searching for another job, the survey revealed.
This confidence comes from 77 per cent believing that their job prospects in 2024 are better than last year.
Six in 10 women in the kingdom are pursuing career moves in 2024 compared with 57 per cent of men, where a desire for better pay and better work-life balance is the motive, according to LinkedIn.
Over the past five years, roles such as patient care technician, information system analyst, BIM co-ordinator, health and safety manager and human resources operations specialist have emerged as the fastest-growing jobs in the kingdom, according to the LinkedIn data.
15 fastest-growing jobs in the UAE
- Real estate consultant
- Partnerships specialist
- Mortgage adviser
- Private client adviser
- Growth manager
- BIM architect
- Sales development representative
- Banking officer
- Back-end developer
- Front-end developer
- Tax associate
- Financial auditor
- 3D artist
- Chief marketing officer
- Product designer
15 fastest-growing jobs in Saudi Arabia
- Patient care technician
- Information system analyst
- BIM co-ordinator
- Health and safety manager
- Human resources operations specialist
- Environmental specialist
- Partnerships specialist
- Project management specialist
- Legal specialist
- Content creator
- Interface specialist
- Talent acquisition specialist
- Commercial manager
- Compliance specialist
- Procurement contract specialist
Source: LinkedIn
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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Director: Athale
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500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
