More than one in 10 people think that plenty of jobs are available in Dubai. The general optimism about the job market is reflected in increased activity for staffing firms, and experts predict more improvements in the market to come, Uta Harnischfeger writes Adecco, a global staffing firm, offers its phone-centre callers four choices: "Press 1 for banking and finance; 2 for IT and telecoms; 3 for engineering, oil and gas; and 4 for retail."
These days most callers are pressing 3, says Luc Bachelerie, the regional managing director of Adecco. "There are still lots of energy projects out there and the UAE is heavily investing," Mr Bachelerie says. "With the stabilising oil price, the oil and gas sectors are still recruiting lots of specialised engineers." Experts agree that most of the hiring in the next six months will be in companies involved in infrastructure projects (including construction in Abu Dhabi and roads, airport and Metro work in Dubai), Government-related work, the energy sector, aerospace, IT and health care.
"The phones are ringing much more now," says John Macdonald, the Middle East managing director at ORC Worldwide, which consults on human resource issues. "Companies that are going to recover first and fastest are those related to oil; more specifically the firms downstream from oil." In more general terms, a growing number of people are looking to switch to more reliable employers, Mr Bachelerie notes. Until a few months ago, few would have considered the luxury of switching jobs. The fact that some are doing so reflects an improving job landscape.
"There were three phases," he says. "During the boom people would jump from one job to another for Dh500. During the crisis those who stayed stuck to their chairs. And now, people are switching for a better salary, but mainly for the better name." More than one in 10 people in the UAE now think that plenty of jobs are available in Dubai, a September survey by the recruitment site bayt.com shows. That compares with three in 100 who felt that way in March.
Bayt.com says it has experienced rising recruitment levels on its site in the past two months, with much of the additional employment coming from the government sector. "The uptick in global economic markets - has already been evidenced in rising recruitment levels on our jobsite in the past 2 months," says Amer Zureikat, the regional manager at bayt.com. "Recruitment at government agencies has also picked up, which is always a great sign for the rest of the economy and really serves to boost consumer confidence while encouraging spending and investment."
Looking even further ahead, 40 per cent of UAE participants in the survey say they are optimistic about the employment market in the year to come. The regional average is 30 per cent. In addition, larger international companies already operating out of Dubai are now looking to spread their operations into neighbouring emerging markets such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Companies may agree to spend budget funds that were not allocated because they did not feel comfortable about the future.
"Come January we will see a lot more optimism," says Magdy el Zein, a managing director at the executive search firm Boyden. "We will see the drive to hire to put the business plans in positions and we will see the people hired to do the specific jobs by the end of the second quarter." "We expect hiring activity to rise by 30 per cent across the Gulf through 2009," Mr el Zein adds. "In the UAE, we will see similar kind of recovery ratio."
Executive search experts are also fairly bullish on the transport and logistics sector. One recruitment specialist identifies Etihad Airways, the biggest airline in the Middle East by revenue, as a growing business that was in search of talent. The specialist also points to Mubadala, the investment vehicle of the Abu Dhabi Government, which is investing heavily in aerospace research and development, as well as manufacturing.
Corporations are also looking at outsourcing information-technology services and improving their IT infrastructure. "A lot of companies are starting to look to outsource their IT for better cost monitoring and efficiencies," says Mr Bachelerie. "Many of them have grown really fast in recent years and the [economic] crisis has exposed some inhouse IT issues they are now trying to solve." If the world economy continues to improve, Adecco customers may once again be pressing all the buttons, from 1 through 4, and the phones of Mr Bachelerie and Mr Macdonald could be ringing off the hook.
@Email:uharnischfeger@thenational.ae
Traces%20of%20Enayat
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Company%20profile
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Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
'Midnights'
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The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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