Increasing numbers of people are returning to schools and universities in the UAE to improve their employment prospects in the face of job losses and growing demands from employers, school directors say.
One beneficiary is the Berlitz language school in Abu Dhabi, which, according to its director, Manal Mahshi, has seen a big increase in demand for Arabic lessons.
"There is also a continuous increase in companies sending their staff for English-language training as part of the professional development requirements," she said.
Manipal University at Dubai International Academic City has seen a significant increase this month over the same time last year in the number of MBA applicants, according to the MBA director, Balasubramani Ramjee. Some were seeking a career change, he said, and others an opportunity to move up the career ladder.
"I've been through about three recessions, and education doesn't really suffer," Mr Ramjee said.
"People have to prepare during these times. Financially, it's difficult to fund studies, but it's a commitment to your own future."
All of the February newcomers were studying part-time while working in full-time jobs, he said.
At the Dubai campus of Heriot-Watt University, based in Scotland, there has been a 40 per cent increase in MBA enrolment, said the programme's director, Shirin Jarrar. The students, who study on weekends, come from Abu Dhabi and from as far away as Kuwait and Bahrain.
Employees were trying to broaden their options in terms of opening up new career paths, Ms Jarrar said, as well as making themselves more valuable to their employers as redundancies loomed.
Many of the students were already top-level managers in finance, engineering and other professional fields, Ms Jarrar said, but are increasingly insecure in their jobs in the UAE, once considered a haven for such people.
"Employers are scaling back," she said, "and the employees need to both enhance their chance of progressing up the career ladder as well as preparing themselves if they have to move on."
A significant number, she said, were looking for a complete career change, abandoning the mindset that a career had to be for life.
One student, working as a personal assistant in Abu Dhabi, has just started her MBA in operations management at Manipal University, commuting to Dubai twice a week to study. Almost all of her 50 fellow students in the two-year, part-time course also have full-time jobs; at Dh50,000 (US$13,600) the course costs as much as some new cars and would be impossible for many to afford without a job.
A financial analyst in Abu Dhabi said she recently began a master's course in marketing in Dubai. "The financial sector is in big trouble now," he said, "and it would be silly to not think about the possibility of losing my job. We all could.
"I'm using this time as something positive to just re-evaluate my career. With marketing, I can apply that to many business sectors and will not be as limited as I am now. I can use it to remain in the financial sector where my experience lies, or go into something totally new."
mswan@thenational.ae
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.