UAE remains top choice of Middle East expats in 2011

 

Citing industry experts, "Emirates 24/7" said lifestyle, infrastructure and high growth prospects attract expats to the country. According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), there are over 200,000 overseas Filipino workers in UAE as of 2010. The "Emirates 24/7" report quoted Konstantina Sakellariou, Partner and Operations Director of  Stanton Chase, as saying expats prefer working in UAE, followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

 

She noted that the three nations have the highest growth rates in the Gulf. Hasnain Qazi, Middle East Business Manager at Huxley Associates, also said in the report that the UAE remains a premiere destination for expats.

High salaries  

An earlier report of "Emirates 24/7" said members of UAE's infotech sector are "the best paid in the region, and among the top 20 in the world." Citing a report of MyHiringClub.com, "Emirates 24/7" said on an average, "IT professionals in the UAE take home a salary of about Dh300,000 per annum ($81,100), which works out to a little under Dh25,000 per month."  

 

2012 forecast

 

Amer Zureikat – Vice-President Sales of Bayt.com told Emirates 24/7,“According to our Q4 (fourth quarter) 2011 Job Index, Qatar (49 percent), followed by the UAE (48 percent) and KSA (44 percent) are more attractive than other countries in the region as employment destinations.” 

 

According to a Bayt.com survey, "Best Cities of the Middle East and North Africa 2010," Abu Dhabi was ranked as the best city in Mena (Middle East North Africa) region.

 

The survey considered economic factors, environmental factors, labor rights, daily life factors, and socio-cultural factors. The full list of 10 best cities included: