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To get a better idea of what companies are hiring in Dubai, JobCop UAE, a favorite among Dubai job-seekers, is a good place to start.
Some other good sites for finding jobs and internships include:
- Jobcop Dubai
- Dubai Task
- Khaleej Times Jobs
- Dubizzle
- Naukrigulf
- Indeed
- Bayt
- Laimoon
- Gulftalent
- Efinancial Careers
— About Dubai —
Dubai is a city of skyscrapers, ports, and beaches, where big business takes place alongside sun-seeking tourism. Because of its large expatriate population, it feels like a Middle Eastern melting pot, and the atmosphere is generally tolerant. Religious affiliations are not a prominent aspect of city life. Islam is the majority religion, but churches and Hindu temples coexist with Dubai’s mosques.
Dubai is a relatively crime-free place where administrative efficiency and openness to business have encouraged astounding growth. However, criticism of Dubai’s authoritarian government and ruling elite is not tolerated, and there persists an atmosphere of discreet corruption.
The western area of Dubai benefits from small stretches of sandy beaches, which have helped to catalyze the city’s tourism industry. Dubai’s rulers have sought to increase the city’s limited seafronts, and, in the absence of natural offshore islands, developers were encouraged to construct giant man-made islands off the coast of the city. The most famous of these is Palm Jumeirah, which has the shape of a palm tree. Others include the “World” islands, a cluster of small islands positioned to resemble a world map when viewed from above.
Dubai straddles a natural inlet called Dubai Creek on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf. For more than a century, the area was Dubai’s centre, because of the early city’s reliance on fishing, pearl diving, and maritime trade. Lining the creek are the oldest buildings in Dubai, most of which date from the 1960s and are rarely more than two stories in height. In the Bastakiyyah quarter, on the western shore of the creek, some much older buildings have been restored, and many of these feature the distinctive wind tower design that was imported by Persian merchants early in the 20th century.
Contrary to popular belief, Dubai does not have an oil-based economy. The little oil wealth it did enjoy between the 1960s and the 1990s was used to enhance other sectors of its economy by building physical infrastructure. Trade remains at the core of Dubai’s economy, with the city operating two of the world’s largest ports and a busy international air cargo hub. The Jebel Ali free-trade zone was established in the 1980s to attract industrial investment; activities based there include aluminum smelting, car manufacturing, and cement production.
In the 21st century, activities meant to attract foreign investment have increased. Several free zones, like Jebel Ali, have been established that allow foreign companies to operate from Dubai without needing a local partner. These have been phenomenally successful, with the largest being home to more than 6,400 companies, many of which are European or North American. In the 1990s the city began positioning itself as a luxury tourist destination, spending a significant percentage of its GDP on grandiose resorts and attractions.
By 1998 Dubai had begun to permit foreign investors to purchase 99-year leases on properties, allowing the real estate sector to flourish. The Dubai International Financial Centre, which opened in 2006, is set aside in the UAE constitution as an independent legal jurisdiction; it operates under a separate commercial and civil framework based on English common law. This arrangement caters to international financial companies seeking to establish a presence in the Middle East. These companies can use Dubai’s geographic location as a means to bridge the time zones between major financial hubs in Europe and East Asia. In 2009 the real estate and financial sectors crashed in the wake of the international credit crisis. A loan of $10 billion from Abu Dhabi helped Dubai avoid defaulting on its obligations, and the real estate market soon recovered.
With wide highways, a hot climate, and a year-round reliance on air-conditioning, Dubai is not a welcoming city for pedestrians, so vehicle traffic can be extremely intense. However, in the early 21st century, new bridges, roads, and a fully automated, driverless metro rail system have eased the frustrations of moving around the city. Tourism has been greatly enhanced by the Dubai-owned airline, Emirates, which operates a large and modern fleet of aircraft.
Government
Dubai Municipality is one of the largest government institutions in the country. It is managed by a director general who in turn is accountable to the chairman of Dubai Municipality, a member of the ruling family. The director general oversees six sectors and 34 departments, which employ about 11,000 people. The municipality not only manages services in the city but is a key driver of economic growth in the emirate.
Municipal services
Dubai’s electricity and water provisions have largely kept up with the city’s population growth, though a number of other services such as waste collection have been criticized for falling behind. Parks and public spaces have been extensively developed and maintained; the city increased its number of green areas substantially in the 2010s.
Health
For those residents with private medical insurance, health care in Dubai is generally of a high standard, with several private hospitals, including the American Hospital Dubai. For those without insurance, the government operates a number of additional hospitals.
Education
Education is divided between the private and public sectors. Public school is generally taught in Arabic, while most private schools and all universities teach in English. Two universities, the American University in Dubai (1995) and Zayed University (1998), enjoy good reputations locally. Most of the staff are expatriates, with a significant proportion being from North America.
Cultural life
In the early 21st century, Dubai’s art and film industries blossomed, with the annual Art Dubai fair showcasing contemporary art and the Dubai International Film Festival promoting both local and international movies. The Dubai Museum, housed in an 18th-century fortress, displays artifacts and exhibits related to the area’s early history and traditional culture. Dubai’s public library system has several branches throughout the city, and there are a number of bookshops in the city’s shopping malls.
Dubai is home to a large number of international sporting events. These have greatly boosted its status as a tourist destination. The Dubai World Cup is the world’s most lucrative horse race, and the city’s Dubai Desert Classic is a popular fixture on the European Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour.