Do You Have What it Takes to Succeed in Dubai’s Silicon Valley?

Dubai Internet City jobs

Dubai’s astounding population growth rate of 7% per year is driving growth in many industry areas, including construction, hospitality, food, and retail banking services. This growth has been characterised by a large influx of expatriates/professionals which has in itself created a secondary demand in Dubai for consumer centered internet and mobile  services. In fact, experts at Euromonitor International revealed that UAE online sales hit US 1 Billion for the first time last year and they are expecting a continued upward growth trend, during 2012 and beyond.

This surge in online sales will be increasing the demand for services within Dubai’s software and internet sector, the heart of which is in Dubai Internet City, which put itself on the map in March this year by hosting the first Tbreak Developers conference which brought together developers and platform providers such as RIM, Nokia and Qualcomm.

With US based technology speculators also heading to Dubai to look for investment opportunities, the Dubai Internet Sector is set to make an irresistible move forwards onto the global stage of technology innovation. This makes it a perfect time to start building your career in the Dubai Internet sector, however IT and internet professionals do need to exhibit quite specific personal qualities to gain employment and excel in the new media and IT sectors, and I have described these below.

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Why You Should Bank On A Career in the Dubai Financial Services Sector

Dubai Banking and Financial Services Jobs

Dubai is renowned for the sheer scope, size and success of its hospitality sector; it is also considered to have the most industrious engineering sector in the world and at one point reports suggested that nearly a quarter of the world’s construction cranes were situated in Dubai.

However, it may come as a surprise to you that Dubai is not just about hospitality, engineering and 200 foot high construction cranes–there is another sector that is quietly emerging within Dubai on the back of its explosive population growth. This is the financial services industry and, in particular, the retail banking sector which is expected to grow by 10% over the next five years. This growth forecast has been backed up by another study by Accenture which revealed that 85% of bank executives said their banks were planning to invest in retail operations over the next three years. So growth forecasts in the retail banking employment sector look very reliable.

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How to Get Your Big Break in the Dubai Media Jobs Sector

Dubai Media and Internet City

The Dubai media sector is thriving and with it now hosting the richest horse race in the world, the richest marathon in the world, and the richest golf tournament on the European tour, Dubai is an excellent place to have a media career. Every industry segment of the media is represented in Dubai, including: Media & Marketing, New Media, Business Info, Publishing, Broadcast, Production and Graphic Arts. As a result, Dubai is attracting the cream of talent from both within and outside the UAE.

But, how would a media graduate or professional looking to break into the Dubai media sector, go about doing it? Well, there is only one place to start, and this is Dubai Media City, which contains the vast majority of all Dubai media jobs and is effectively the beating heart of the Dubai media sector. Launched in 2001, Dubai Media City has shown exponential growth and there are now 1,400 companies registered there, including the world’s leading media brands, such as the BBC, CNN, Sony Pictures, Thomson Reuters and WPPP, the largest advertising organization in the world. You can find the contact information of all of these companies in the Dubai Media City directory. For more information on researching Dubai companies, see the complete guide.

Dubai media job seekers can access Dubai Media City jobs by visiting a range of online recruitment media outlets, and we have listed several of the most pertinent ones below.

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Career Fairs – Still Alive and Kicking in Dubai!

Large student turnout at UOWD career fair_original

With the explosion of on-line jobs boards like bayt.com and monster and social media like LinkedIn and Facebook, you could be mistaken for thinking that the only way to find jobs in Dubai today is through the internet. But a few of the more astute recruiters and employers remember that there was a world before the internet where job seekers and employers would connect, somewhat effectively,  in what was known as a career fair.

Many of you may not be aware, but career fairs are still alive and kicking today and represent a great way for job seekers and employers to meet each other face to face, and on many occasions candidates are interviewed and receive job offers on the same day!

We feel it is time to shed some much deserved light on career fairs and below we have highlighted some of the leading career fairs in Dubai and given you some advice and tips on how best to conduct yourself at a career fair to maximise your chance of being hired.

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5 Top Tips for Preparing a Great Hospitality CV in Dubai

Dubai Hospitality Jobs CV

The Dubai population grew by 100,000 people in 2011, which represents just over 5% annual growth, and the majority of this growth was driven by expatriates, avid consumers of hospitality services. It is no surprise then that last year Dubai saw 10% growth in the number of hotel guests, a 12% rise in average stay in, and a 20% rise in revenue.

It is clear that the hospitality sector in Dubai is now resurgent, following its 2009 slowdown, and is therefore a great career option, so it is now time for hospitality professionals to dust off their CVs and start making tracks to Dubai. However, the landscape has shifted slightly and the hospitality CV has evolved from a mere electronic document to a multichannel on-line profile, which truly reflects the social and presentational skills of the candidate.

Below, I have set out 5 tips to building a high quality, online hospitality CV and professional profile.

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How to Build a Career in the Dubai MEP Sector

Dubai Construction Jobs

At the peak of the construction boom, around 25% of the world’s cranes were operating in Dubai, making it a magnet for the world’s top MEP professionals. Dubai is not enjoying the 20% annual construction growth levels that it was seeing in 2008, but with 7% growth forecast for 2012, Dubai is still the premier construction market in the world. But as demand has slowed, the supply of MEP professionals has swelled which has increased competition for MEP jobs in Dubai.

Now, more than ever, MEP specialists need to make use of all the resources available to them to get the best paying MEP jobs in Dubai. One of the most effective ways to tap into the Dubai MEP market is through LinkedIn, as you find will job opportunities from all the major employers in Dubai, and you will be able to network directly with hirers to help you get on the inside track for new jobs.

Here we look at the some of the key groups and job sites that you should join in order that you can network, find a job and develop your career in the Dubai Engineering sector.

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