"It has spectacular beaches but is not Australia; it is one of the world's most secure destinations but is not Singapore; it has opulent city hotels and superb beachside resorts but is neither Jakarta nor Bali. It has world class shopping but is not Hong Kong."

Welcome to Dubai, the City of Merchants

Dubai or Dubayy (in Arabic ÏÈí), a country where the dust of the desert is clearing to reveal the potential for one of the most significant international cities of the 21st century.

Dubai is the centre of commerce, trade and tourism in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), with Abu Dhabi (UAE’s capital) being primarily Oil and Government based. Dubai's economy is largely based on trading, manufacturing and tourism with only 20% being contributed from oil sales.

Geography

Dubai is the second largest of the seven United Arab Emirates (Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah). The other six emirtates are  Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. 

Total land mass: 83,600 sq. km
Total area: around 3,900 sq. km. 
Total surface area:  3885 square kilometres.

Situated on the banks of a creek, Dubai actually comprises two towns - Deira to the north-east, and Dubai to the south-west. The Creek (al-khor) that separates them is an inlet of the Arabian Gulf.

Population

Dubai's population stood at 689,420 in 1995 when the last census was taken. The mid year figures for 2004 put the population at almost 1,500,000 and the estimates for 2005 exceed 1,700,000.

The population exists on 15% of locals, 65% of Indian and Pakistani, 10% of Arabs from outside the UAE and 10% of European (most English), Chinese, Australians and Filipinos.

Language

The official language of the country is Arabic, although English, Urdu and Hindi are spoken and, with some perseverance, understood! All road and shop signs, restaurant menus etc, are in Arabic and English.

Religion

Islam is the official religion of the UAE, but other religions are respected and followers are allowed to practice their beliefs here. There is a Hindu Temple, two Catholic churches, an Anglican and a Protestant church in Dubai.

Climate  

The UAE has a sub-tropical, arid climate with Dubai being sunny most of the year round with clear blue skies and a temperature ranging from 24^oC in January and rising to as high as 48^oC in July. Rainfall is infrequent (just a few days per year, amounting to some 13 cm in total) and usually falls in March, so you can be assured of getting a tan all year round.

LIVING IN DUBAI

Tourists love it!

First class hotels, restaurants and sporting facilities provide an air of opulence and comfort. Visitors enter a world where service, refinement and luxury are presented on a platter by locals – where the government has created a haven in which affluent guests can e joy the benefits of a lavish lifestyle.

There’s a culture of prestige in Dubai, a devotion to quality and excellence that distinguishes it from any other city in the world.

Patrick Macdonald, deputy chief executive of the Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board, said "Visitors can enjoy all the international pursuits - golf, water sports, horse racing, polo and nightlife. Plus there's the attraction of the desert itself, with the opportunity to be part of an Arabian adventure."

Good for businesses

Wedged between Europe and Asia, buttressed by Africa, Dubai's encouraging tax regimes, state-of-the-art telecommunications and sympathetic business environment have produced a country that is building energetically on the advantages which location, centuries-old trading savvy and oil wealth have given it.

A good place to live in

As many as 30 different nationalities co-exist amicably in this tolerant cosmopolitan society which manages, at the same time, to maintain Islamic values and culture. Dubai is a very pleasant city not only to visit, but also to live in. It has all the mod-cons of an affluent western metropolis – adequate water, reliable electricity, state-of-the-art communications, well-stocked supermarkets, modern hospitals and more. Assets including cheap petrol, superb sporting facilities and clubs, give Dubai enormous appeal as a place to call home. Dubai’s credits rise even further because of the absence of most modern city problems – no air pollution, no traffic jams, no poverty and very little crime.

Migrating to Dubai

VISA REGULATIONS

There are several types of visas for visitors to Dubai.

Nationals of “Israel” may not enter the U.A.E.

A penalty charge of Dh 100 per day is imposed on visitors who overstay.
For nationalities that require a sponsor, airlines may seek confirmation that the sponsor is holding a valid visa for the incoming visitor.

Tourist Visas

A special category of visas under the Visit Visa type is a Tourist Visa, which can be obtained for individual tourists from: East and West Europe, Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, Albania, Russia, the Hellenic Republic, St Kitts-Navis, St Lucia, Mexico, Cuba, Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent, Kingston, Palao other non-defined American nationalities, Thailand, South Africa, Singapore, China, Malta, Cyprus.

The Tourist Visa entitles its holder to a 30 day stay and is non-renewable. The Tourist Visa requires the sponsorship of hotels and tour operators who bring in visitors from the above listed countries. The fee is Dhs 100. There is also a fee of Dhs 10 for visa delivery service Hotels, hotel apartments, tour operators, travel agents and airlines may not levy supplementary charges or processing fees in excess of Dhs 50/- for arranging visas for visitors.

Multiple-Entry Visas

Multiple-entry Visas are availed to business visitors who have a relationship with either a multinational or other reputable local establishments, and who are frequent visitors to the UAE. This type of visa is valid for six months from the date of issue and the duration of each stay is 30 days. The validity is non-renewable. The cost of this visa is Dh 1,000. The visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and obtain the multiple entry visa while in the country. The visa would be stamped on the passport.

Working in Dubai

Finding a job

Dubai is booming, so there are a lot jobs available as well.

There are also a lot of recruitment agencies, which are helping you out with finding the right job. They prefer to meet you in person first, so apply during a holiday to Dubai. If you rather apply from your home country, there might be a chance that they will not respond on your application at all.  

Jobs

Engineering, Hotel, Banking, Computer, Accounting, Nursing, Medical, Dental, and HR jobs are currently open in Dubai.

However, the following are ones in demand:

• Healthcare
• Entrepreneurship
• Information Technology 
• Hospitality/Hotels
• Finance
• Sales 

Employment Permit/Visa

Employment Visa or Permit shall be issued by the Immigration Department for a foreign national in order to work in a company in UAE after the approval from Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. Employment permit/visa allows the holder to enter UAE once for a period of 30 days and are valid for a period of 2 months. When the employee entered the country on the basis of the employment visa the sponsoring company should arrange to complete the formalities of his residence stamping. It is the preliminary stage to arrange for the health card and medical fitness examination for the employee from a government health center. The employee must undergo for a medical test and obtain a medical certificate. Once the medical certificate is issued by the health department an application for Labor Card should be submitted to the Ministry of Labor & Social Affairs within 30 days of the employees entry into the country. The next step is to submit the application to Immigration Department for stamping the residency on employee's passport. All the above formalities should be completed within 60 days of the arrival of the employee in UAE.

Employment Regulations

Labor Law

Administered by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Labor Law in the UAE is loosely based on the International Labor Organization's model. UAE Law No. 8 of 1980, as amended by Law No. 12 of 1986 (the "Labor Law") governs most aspects of employer/employee relations, such as hours of work, leave, termination rights, medical benefits and repatriation. The Labor Law is protective of employees in general and overrides conflicting contractual provisions agreed under another jurisdiction, unless they are beneficial to the employee.

The Ministry issues a model form of labor contract in Arabic which is widely used, but other forms of contract are enforceable, provided they comply with the Labor Law. End of contract gratuities are set at 21 days pay for every year of the first five years of service and 30 days for every year thereafter. Total gratuity should not exceed two years' wages. Employees are entitled to pro-rated amounts for service periods less than a full year, provided they have completed one year in continuous service.

Trade unions do not exist. In the case of a dispute between employer and employee, or in interpretation of the Labor Law, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs will initially act as an adjudicator, in an effort to resolve matters. If a party wishes to appeal any such decision it can take its case to court. Strikes and lock outs are forbidden.

Working Hours and Holidays

The normal maximum working hours are eight per day or 48 per week. However, these hours may be increased to nine daily for people working in the retail trade, hotels, restaurants and other such establishments. Similarly, daily working hours may be reduced for difficult or dangerous jobs. Many businesses work on a two shift system (for example, 8am - 1pm and 4pm - 7pm).

As in all Muslim countries, Friday is the weekly day of rest. In practice, commercial and professional firms work 40-45 hours a week and government ministries about 35. The weekend for office workers has traditionally been Thursday afternoon and Friday, but a number of organizations have changed over to a five day week with Friday and Saturday as the weekend. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, normal working hours are reduced by two hours per day.

There are 10 days of public holidays (paid) in any year. The employee's annual leave is two days for every month if his service is more than six months and less than a year. In every completed year of service after the first, an employee is entitled to 30 days annual paid leave. This is in addition to public holidays, maternity leave for women and sick leave.

Overtime is used extensively and additional pay is required for manual and lower ranking staff.

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