Destination Dubai
By Rhiannon Williamson, Thu Dec 8th
Dubai is one of the seven states making up the United ArabEmirates and it is located in the Middle East at the crossroadsof Asia, Europe and Africa. Dubai is a city of striking contrasts; it is an excitingdestination both for travelers seeking thrills and adventure andfor expatriates seeking a healthy employment climate and a taxfree lifestyle. Those expatriates planning on moving to the UAE or who areseeking the latest job opportunities in Dubai are certainly notalone. The population of Dubai is one of the fastest growing inthe world and over the past twenty five years it has quadrupled.
Employment prospects in the city rise annually by an average of8.3% and the increasing availability of quality jobs hasattracted record numbers of expatriates to the region. Theappeal of Dubai lies in the fact that it is a liberal andmoderate emirate and it has attracted major players from everysingle significant business sector of note because of the taxfree trade zones Dubai is famous for. These industry giants fromthe media, IT, engineering and financial sectors for example canrecruit internationally and many offer their staff a tax freesalary with attractive relocation benefits on top meaning theyattract the best, most dynamic employees from around the world. The expatriate population in the entire UAE makes up 91.5% ofthe working population so you can see how popular a destinationDubai is with international executives from around the world. Towork in Dubai it is necessary to obtain an employment visa,
ifyou secure a job offer before you fly out your employer willsponsor your visa for you. Alternatively you can travel to thecountry on a 30 day temporary visa, seek work and as soon as yousecure a job offer you can apply for your employment visa. In terms of those who holiday in Dubai they are divided into anumber of categories – you have shopoholics who come for the taxfree prices on luxury goods and jewellery, you have those whowant an adventure in and around the ancient and fascinatingheart of Dubai, you have families keen to hit the theme parksand adventure centres and those who come for the sportinghighlights of Dubai such as the world class golf, polo, divingand desert safaris. Visitors to the city of Dubai require a visa unless they heraldfrom Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman or Saudi Arabia. Thosevisitors who are staying in one of the amazing and luxurioushotels Dubai is famous for will be provided with a visa by thehotel for the duration of their stay. The process to obtain avisa is very simple, in fact most travel agents or hotels willfill in the necessary paper work for you and you can eitherapply for a 14 day ‘transit visa’ or a 30 day ‘visit visa’ andthen enter the country and be free to enjoy your time exploringthis dynamic and breathtaking city of contrasts. About the author:Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer whose articles aboutliving and working abroad have appeared in many major lifestylepublications throughout the world. On her site Shelter Offshore you can find more of her articlesabout living and working in Dubai |
