The Construction Job Market in Dubai and Recent Economic Downturn

Construction projects involve a wide variety of job skills and positions that cross over involve many different sectors of the economy. Construction is simply the process that entails building and assembling infrastructure. Construction projects, whether big or small, require intricate planning from beginning to end and must involve several skilled laborers and managers with diverse skill sets. Construction projects not only involve trades people, but there are also legal teams, financial planners, environmental planners, urban developers, design teams, and procurement specialists.

The construction industry in Dubai has been in the spotlight as the city has taken on several high profile construction projects. Projects include the tallest building in the world known as the Burj Khalifa and the construction of the world’s largest manmade island. Construction is one of the main economic strengths of Dubai and there are currently approximately 250,000 construction laborers who reside in the city.

Construction jobs have recently suffered a downturn due to the economic downturn that many countries, including Dubai, have experienced. Specialty welders, construction managers specializing in large tourist attractions, and architects are the most in demand construction jobs. Even though the Dubai construction industry has experienced a recent downturn, the local government officials have developed financial strategies to diversify the city’s economic base, which will contribute to the number of construction projects starting up. Several publications have rated Dubai as one of the richest cities with the most purchasing power parity in the entire world. A recent influx of IT, biotech, and financial firms have resulted in an increase of construction jobs.