# The Legal sector market in Dubai



## Khaleejeeyah (Dec 4, 2015)

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, so hi! 

I am hoping that someone can give me some info, preferably from someone who us currently working in the legal sector at the moment in Dubai.

Me and my husband plan to move to Dubai in about 3 years' time and I plan to find work there as a paralegal or a legal secretary. By then I would have accumulated around 3/4 years experience in this capacity here in the UK and the plan is to specialise in Islamic finance/banking. 

I cant find much info online in regards to this specialism and sector, so if anyone here is working within this sector, what is the job outlook like in Dubai at the moment in this field, and what is the prospect for the future? 

Since the Islamic law sector isn't really developed here in the UK, do you think it would be worthwhile doing a placement or internship in Dubai, to help job prospects there in the future? 

I am currently in the academic stage of qualifying through the CILEx route. Are UK CILEx qualified lawyers valued there and what should I expect to earn in say an entry level/mid experience level role? 

Thanks in advance


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## Khaleejeeyah (Dec 4, 2015)

Anyone who can help?


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## M123 (Aug 14, 2009)

Many of the big corporate firms like CC etc have Islamic finance. Job market in law is very competitive (as it is in the UK). 

I'm not a legal professional but have spoken to a few. One issue with things like Islamic finance, is that the experience you get here may not help career advancement should you return to the UK. 

Also a question about the job market 3 years in advance will be impossible to answer.

In terms of salary, there's a certain uniformity across the big firms. For example a lawyer in Islamic finance with about 5 years UK experience can get 40-50 thousand AED per month. Legal secretaries are probably around the 20-25k mark per month and surprisingly well paid.

This is variable by firm, but this was info over a coffee one time with a Magic circle firm employee in UAE.


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## Racing_Goats (Sep 5, 2015)

I don't know much about legal specialisation in Islamic finance (or any other legal area really) but what i hear from the lawyers i know personally or through work is that there is high demand for legal professionals who deal with contracts, commercial law and dispute resolution.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

In 3 years everything here can (and probably will) change. What is correct now will probably be illegal in 2018/9.


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## TT365 (Oct 14, 2014)

What Rascal said 

I would start looking at firms and as you gain experience see if you know anyone who has worked out here and then ask them for advice, 3 years is a long time out here.


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## Khaleejeeyah (Dec 4, 2015)

M123 said:


> Many of the big corporate firms like CC etc have Islamic finance. Job market in law is very competitive (as it is in the UK).
> 
> I'm not a legal professional but have spoken to a few. One issue with things like Islamic finance, is that the experience you get here may not help career advancement should you return to the UK.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for your useful insight! The Islamic legal sector in the UK is very much in its infancy, and is still very much an emerging market. Due to this, there arnt many opportunities yet in the UK in the sector. The plan is actually to migrate to the UAE for the long term, until at least retirement age. But if we do choose to return, the Islamic legal sector should be more established in the UK.


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## Khaleejeeyah (Dec 4, 2015)

Racing_Goats said:


> I don't know much about legal specialisation in Islamic finance (or any other legal area really) but what i hear from the lawyers i know personally or through work is that there is high demand for legal professionals who deal with contracts, commercial law and dispute resolution.


Yes your right. Its useful to know that, this early on in my career, so that I can specialise in an area of law in which I can get work in Dubai. No point in specialising in say, UK immigration law... probably not much scope out there in Dubai in that field. But then again, I could be wrong


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## Khaleejeeyah (Dec 4, 2015)

TT365 said:


> What Rascal said
> 
> I would start looking at firms and as you gain experience see if you know anyone who has worked out here and then ask them for advice, 3 years is a long time out here.


Great advice... Thanks so much ☺


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