Many of us are fascinated by the pace of change in the UAE. By some measures, change is constant in the country.
We have an enduring interest in both long-lost landmarks, such as, say, the Volcano Fountain in Abu Dhabi, and new developments, like yesterday’s announcement of a new 1.4 kilometre bridge that will connect Bur Dubai with Dubai Islands – but it is not just the cityscapes that are shifting. The infrastructure of employment has been rapidly and positively overhauled since the start of last year.
Amendments to visa regulations, the introduction of an unemployment benefit scheme, recent amendments to the gratuity system, new limited-term employment contracts and, even, the change to the “new” weekend are recalibrating how residents and citizens live their lives.
The UAE switched weekends to Saturday and Sunday at the beginning of last year, which also ushered in a four-and-a-half day week for public sector workers.
Anecdotally, the nation has adapted well. The sudden novelty for school children of being in class on a Friday morning soon became a regular reality and, for office workers, the hybrid working practices adopted by so many companies over the pandemic mean that workplaces may not be much busier on a Friday than they were in the days of the old weekend of Friday and Saturday.
New visa rules were adopted in October last year, providing more certainty and longevity for many. The golden visa scheme was opened up to a wider range of people, allowing more residents to put down deeper roots, invest in the country and build long-term lives here. The green visa provides greater security for skilled workers and freelancers. At the same time, changes and improvements were made to the visit visa system and family sponsorship regulations.
Companies will have to work strategically to manage end-of-service provision
Taken together, they provide greater certainty and stability. They also underscore the UAE’s growing reputation as a regional talent hub and the place where, as the Arab Youth Survey regularly finds, more and more people believe they can shape a prosperous future for themselves.
The unemployment benefit scheme, which will pay citizens and residents a monthly sum for three months in the event of job loss, has also been a recent addition to our lives.
Workers have until the end of this month to register for the scheme – which provides a decent level of cover and payment based on an employee’s basic salary for a relatively low premium. This measure installs a safety net and provides more space for jobseekers to find new opportunities, while also alleviating some of the pressures that arrive with unexpected job loss. In tandem with the visa changes that also allow for a longer stay after a period of employment ends, it radically changes the conversation for jobseekers.
This month, amendments to the gratuity scheme were issued following a UAE Cabinet meeting in Abu Dhabi. The end-of-service payment becomes due to any worker upon resignation, retirement or job loss so long as they have been at a company in continuous service for more than 12 months. It is calculated by a combination of length of service and a worker’s basic salary.
Crucially, until now, the only way the sum grew was either by the month-to-month accumulation of that fraction of basic salary multiplied by length of service – online calculators, including The National’s own engine, provide a helpful guide in this regard – or by an employee receiving an uplift to their basic salary. There was no growth through investment or interest.
Now, the voluntary scheme will become a form of personal pension pot rather than a one-off payment at the end of service, in which employees can choose to put those funds in a range of regulated funds to broadly match their appetite for risk and personal preferences.
The changes to the gratuity system are particularly interesting.
It is something I have advocated for in the past – I should note here that columnists only remind readers of their good ideas and quickly forget their bad ones – but more than that, the underreported element of the scheme is how the delinking of gratuity payments to the personal banking system will, in all likelihood, change how banks manage accounts and loans.
Companies will also have to work strategically to manage end-of-service provision in the future, given that gratuity payments are often viewed as ghost liabilities until the point of resignation, termination or retirement, at which point the payment is triggered and funds are found from day-to-day cash flow.
The new labour law regarding the introduction of limited-term contracts, for which the deadline for compliance is now the end of the year, may help in that regard.
Given that many workers will move to fixed-term contracts, it may be prudent for end-of-service payments to be transferred to savings pots on a monthly basis from the start of that new contract, assuming 12 months of service have already been completed.
For the outstanding sum that fell due before the introduction of the new scheme, it could either revert to a traditional payment triggered at the end of service or for that balance to be drip-fed over time into the new savings pot.
Either way, change and compromise are often close relations and both company and employee needs will have to be addressed.
All told, the UAE is preparing its workforce and workplaces for the future.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
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.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
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