Medical workers, content freelancers and e-commerce specialists are among the fastest growing professions in the UAE, according to LinkedIn, which is reaping the benefits of a global jobs market in flux.
"While the shifting landscape over the past year has resulted in significant job losses, we've also seen a rise in job categories in direct response to changing consumer behaviour and business needs," LinkedIn said in its 'Jobs on the Rise' report.
Parent company Microsoft posted a 23 per cent surge in revenue for the platform last year compared to 2019. In addition to selling advertising, revenue is generated from premium subscriptions that can help job seekers and tools for recruiters.
About half of the UAE’s adult population, four million people, are members of LinkedIn, which is the world’s biggest professional networking site with 740 million users around the world.
LinkedIn looked at the roles experiencing the highest growth between April to October 2020, compared to the previous year and ranked job categories by a combination of growth and the size of demand for roles.
These are the top five.
1. Specialised medical professionals
Hiring for medical professionals more than doubled in the UAE from April to October 2020 as the world battled the Covid-19 pandemic.
LinkedIn reports 41 per cent of those hired had a Master’s Degree or above with the most in-demand roles being registered nurses, general practitioners, doctors and pharmacists.
2. Digital content freelancers
To support the local economy during the pandemic, the UAE created new work permits for international freelancers as online activity and remote working soared.
The adoption of digital platforms across sectors, and changing consumer behaviour led to a threefold increase in digital content-related jobs, with a quarter open to hiring a remote worker.
The top skills for these creative types were for blogging, YouTube, podcasting and social media marketing.
The average age for this job category was 29, slightly higher than other markets like Brazil and Spain where the average age was 25 and 26 respectively, according to LinkedIn.
3. Healthcare supporting staff
While frontline nurses and doctors continue to be most in demand, those in supporting or "behind the scenes" roles are also finding greater opportunities in a changed world. Lab assistants and managers working on vaccine clinical trials, coronavirus treatments and PCR testing, like those at Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center and Group 42, led to a 129 per cent rise in demand for jobs, according to LinkedIn.
Top skills are in hematology, infection control, microbiology, laboratory skills and clinical research.
4. E-Commerce specialists
Dubai became a nexus for developing virtual shopping tools and capabilities, according to LinkedIn. E-commerce coordinators and online specialists are the most in demand.
The average age of those hired was 29, and two-thirds hold a bachelor’s degree.
The top skills are in digital marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO) and e-commerce.
5. Digital marketing specialists
Companies moved to capitalise on increased e-commerce activity and a rapid adoption of remote working, with a growth of 71 per cent hired into digital marketing roles in 2020, according to LinkedIn.
Social media-related roles showed some of the highest growth and one of the most balanced gender hiring, with 51:49 female to male ratio.
The top skills were in influencer marketing, content strategy, market research and Google Ads. Important to note: the vast majority of these “hires” were self-employed or freelancers.
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UAE salary guide 2021
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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15 under: Paul Casey (ENG)
-14: Robert MacIntyre (SCO)
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Kevin Anderson (x4)
Dominic Thiem (x6)
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Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
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Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
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SPECS
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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.
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
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The 24-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Standby player: Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles FC).
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Selling in a panic
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Timing the market
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
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THE SPECS
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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