# Working in Dubai. YES or NO?



## coffeetea1 (Jul 9, 2012)

hey guys,

i have started to work in dubai for a short-term contract, and will leave dubai in August. i am thinking about coming back again, since to me Dubai is quite an international city and offers lots of opportunities.

i have a question for foreign professionals (especially ppl working in trading firms, banks, etc.). How were you employed at the first place? did you apply online directly from your home country? or is it through some personal network?

i know everyone must have their own ways of landing here 
I'd just like to get a general idea of what's going on in local recruitment?

thanks for any suggestion offered. :clap2:


----------



## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

coffeetea1 said:


> i have a question for foreign professionals (especially ppl working in trading firms, banks, etc.). How were you employed at the first place? did you apply online directly from your home country? or is it through some personal network?


There are three routes for a financial professional to land in Dubai:
a) Intra company transfer - this is by far the case for most people I know in banks (M&A mostly, but some on the sales side)
b) Recruiters - esp. if you cover the region already through the London office of a bank
c) Of course personal contacts, but this is more at junior levels (VP and below) - this is applicable for the bigger institutions
Depends on your specialisation, but I do hope that you realise that the banking sector is extremely small here. ECM is VERY slow, M&A is slow, while DCM is doing well. On the S&T side, of course commodity is doing well (sales mostly - trading may happen out of London or S'pore). Structured products are small in volume as well. 

Banks like Standard Chartered might have "speacialised" teams in the region, but in general most structuring/trading etc. happens in London, while sales people sit here


----------



## coffeetea1 (Jul 9, 2012)

thanks for the insights!


----------



## rosy83 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Move then look or Look from London*

Are recruiters helpful if they see you are applying remotely from London?
Is it better to be in dubai to pester recruitement agencies to get Financial Services work?
Its a big risk to quit a job in London and then be unemployed in Dubai

Thoughts?


----------



## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

rosy83 said:


> Are recruiters helpful if they see you are applying remotely from London?
> Is it better to be in dubai to pester recruitement agencies to get Financial Services work?
> Its a big risk to quit a job in London and then be unemployed in Dubai
> 
> Thoughts?


1. Yes. But your current job has to be EXACTLY the same as you are applying to. Recruiters here are mostly fresh faced Brits who dont have much idea of the industry. So cant figure out the concept of transferable skill sets
2. Not particularly. But may help
3. Are you kidding me ? Have you stopped following the press on the economic situation? Short answer, yes, its a big risk


----------

