The UAE has been ranked as the happiest place in the Arabian Gulf, according to a report published by the United Nations last year.

The First World Happiness Report, launched earlier this week, placed the nation in 17th on a global basis, making it the second happiest country in the Middle East behind Israel.

Residents in the Gulf-state proved to be more satisfied with their lives than those living in places such as the UK, Germany and Hong Kong.

Neighbouring Gulf states Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, ranked in as the 26th, 29th and 31st happiest places in the world, respectively.

Factors that go towards a country’s happiness rating include its overall wealth and its mood, social relations and healthcare.

To read the full press release on arabianbusiness.com, please click here.

Most of you will know that Google is thought to be one of the most desirable places in the world to work. Its not surprising. It has legendary benefits which include:

• free gourmet food at top class in house restaurant,
• on-site medical care,
• fun things in the office such as climbing walls, bowling alleys,
• travel insurance which also covers personal vacations,
• paid maternity leave for mums and dads,
• reimbursement for classes and degrees completed whilst a google employee,
• free legal advice and subsidized legal representation
• video games room
• free transport to work
• on site salons etc…

Just to be clear, many of these benefits are offered at the google HQ in Silicon Valley and Continue Reading »

In a first for the region, PwC, one of the leading professional services firms, recently launched its Mini MBA Programme in the UAE. Set to commence on the 20th of April 2013 through the PwC’s Academy, the Programme is the ideal solution for professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs seeking the knowledge and skills gained from traditional MBA programmes, without the extensive time and cost obligations.

PwC’s first Mini MBA Programme will run from April 20th to June 29th 2013 at the UAE Academy campus in Abu Dhabi, with plans to expand the offering across the region. The sessions will take place over a 3 month period with over 100 classroom hours. To accommodate working schedules, courses will be conveniently held on Saturdays and Sunday evenings.

To read more about this or to apply to attend visit ameinfo.com

British bank Barclays is hiring both UAE nationals and expatriates to fill a range of vacancies in its Dubai branch.

Barclays is currently recruiting for the positions of:  Teller, Assistant Manager (MI & Analytics), AVP – Corporate Customer Middle Office, Operations Analyst (Trade), Operations Graduate, Team Leader – Mortgage Services, Project Manager, Operations Analyst, Call Agents and Quality Analyst, Operations Analyst for Retail, Operations Trainer and Risk & Control Analyst.

All the positions – which are entry to mid-level category – are based in Dubai except for the Teller which is based in the capital Abu Dhabi.

The above-mentioned jobs will close on April 2, 2013, the British bank said.

For more information, visit emirates247.com

Hyatt hotels are hiring for various positions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Positions have opened up across different departments in their hotels – from accounts to information systems, e-commerce, engineering, sales, food & beverage, housekeeping, human resources etc.

All the positions advertised are full time with the hotels under the Hyatt umbrella.

More than 40 positions are listed on the website – https://hyatt.jobs – and candidates can apply online for the job they are interested in.

You can read the article in full at emirates247.com.

Do you know what colour eyes your last interviewer had? Can you remember if they wore glasses or not? If the answer to these questions are anything but an emphatic ‘yes,’ it could be that you did not make appropriate eye contact during interview. But, why is a failure to make appropriate eye contact during a job interview in Dubai such a problem? It is vital that interviewees make appropriate eye contact throughout the interview as it could be the difference between interview success and interview failure.

Yes indeed, take the findings of a study from Winona State University, called the Importance of Eye Contact During an Interview which found that one when two candidates with equal levels of experience and qualifications are interviewed, the one who makes the most appropriate eye contact throughout the interview will be seen as more ‘competitive’ and more ‘employable’. As you can see, making appropriate eye contact during your interview in Dubai, or anywhere for that matter of fact, is crucial in showing you are the best candidate for the job.Continue Reading »