Saturday, November 28, 2009

Work opportunities in Middle East 'extraordinary'


With the weak UK economy and job prospects looking slimmer than ever in some sectors, many workers are looking abroad for opportunities to earn a living, one expert in the field has observed.

According to European Recruitment Agency (ERA), the chance to be an English teacher in the Middle East is a "simply extraordinary" opportunity for UK citizens, and people willing to relocate will find that gaining employment is not a problem.

As the world is a smaller place and we now live in a global market, ERA pointed out that labour is now more mobile and so employers can draw from a wider pool of talent and find that UK staff are more affordable.

"Employees should not just think in terms of local employment opportunities - if there are no jobs where they live they shouldn't feel that they can only look to other UK cities and towns for work," the agency said.

Through ERA, prospective expatriate workers have an increasing number of opportunities to teach English in locations ranging from Dubai to Saudi Arabia and benefit from a warm climate, lucrative salary and fascinating history in the process.


Source

Friday, November 20, 2009

New breed of helicopters may mean more jobs for Mesa


A new breed of reconnaissance helicopters designed with foreign customers in mind could result in more jobs for Boeing Co.'s Mesa manufacturing site.

The aerospace giant, which employs about 4,500 workers at its plant next to Falcon Field, is showcasing its AH-6i helicopter at the Dubai Airshow today through Thursday.

The aircraft, which has yet to nab a customer, is part of Boeing's AH-6 line of light-attack and reconnaissance helicopters. The copters are smaller than, but contain many of the same cockpit technologies as, the Apache Longbow, the heavy-attack helicopter the firm has built for the U.S. Army for nearly 30 years.

"Essentially it is a low-cost alternative for a light-attack (helicopter)," said Tommy Filler, director of U.S. Army Apache programs.

Widespread adoption of the AH-6i could better diversify the revenue stream for Boeing's Mesa campus, which is heavily dependent on the Apache helicopter. While the U.S. Defense Department is expected to move forward with procuring new Apaches next year, any reduction in program funding could spell job cuts at the site.

Boeing announced plans for the AH-6i in October 2008, around the time the Defense Department pulled the plug on competitor Bell Helicopter's contract to replace the Army's fleet of Kiowa Warrior helicopters because of major budget overruns and schedule delays.

The Army decided to upgrade the aging Kiowa Warriors but still could move forward with the procurement of a replacement attack-reconnaissance helicopter in the future.

Boeing officials say a variation of the AH-6i could be the replacement.

Meanwhile, the company's Mesa operation is promoting the aircraft, which took its first flight in September, to international customers.

The company hopes to spark interest in the AH-6i at this week's air show in Dubai, said Mike Burke, director of Army rotorcraft business development for Boeing.

Steady orders could ultimately result in as many as 200 new jobs in Mesa, he said.

The Mesa operation currently is doing work on Apache Block III, the next phase of the Army's Apache program.

Unlike other major aircraft and vehicle programs that incurred cuts under President Obama's fiscal 2010 budget, funding for Apache is stable and expected to remain that way.

"I think this is one of the . . . higher-priority programs within the DOD," said Paul Nisbet, a defense and aerospace analyst.

Nisbet, president of JSA Research Inc. in Sarasota, Fla., said attempts to replace older aircraft have hit budget and schedule problems. That, combined with Boeing's consistent delivery track record with the Apache, has helped solidify the program as one of the military's mainstays.

Boeing received a $620 million contract in 2006 to perform system development and testing for Block III Apaches.

The company has produced five prototypes. The Army is performing "limited user testing" on three of them this month in Yuma.

The tests will help the Defense Department determine whether to move on to theinitial production phase. It's expected to decide by April, said John Schibler, Boeing's chief Apache engineer.

Boeing would begin production on the new Apaches in June if the Defense Department moves forward on the program, he said.

Army representatives in charge of the Apache program could not be reached for comment.

Key Block III upgrades include a new mission computer processor, a new electrical power system and the ability to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The software that powers the Apache's cockpit computers is designed around an "open-systems architecture" that makes it easier to make future hardware upgrades without having to retest all of the aircraft's systems.

Boeing applied that same architecture to the AH-6i.

"One of the most difficult parts of developing an attack and reconnaissance helicopter is integrating all of the sensors and integrating all of the weapons into a complete package," Burke said. "The Block III Apache already has that. Eighty-three percent of the software in the mission computer of the AH-6 is a direct lift from the Apache Block III."

Boeing, like other U.S. defense contractors, sees major opportunities in foreign markets in the years ahead. Foreign business could cushion cuts to domestic weapons programs and keep production lines active.

"This is one of the highest-tech industries that exists in this country," Chris Raymond, vice president of business development for Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit, told analysts at a defense-industry forum Tuesday in New York
. "It is an industry base to be concerned about and protected to some degree."


Source

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Uganda wants to send thousands to UAE to work as security guards


DUBAI // Uganda wants to send thousands more of its people to the UAE next year to work as security guards.

On a three-day visit to the Emirates, Dr Emmanuelle Otaala, Uganda’s minister of labour, said his delegation had met recruitment organisations and found that working conditions for the guards were far better in the UAE than elsewhere.

Dr Otaala said he had tried to find out how Uganda could compete more favourably for security jobs against other countries – including India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya and Pakistan.

There are currently about 1,000 Ugandan security guards working in the UAE. Dr Otaala visited First Security Group in Dubai, where about 300 of them are employed. He also met his UAE counterpart, Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash.

Dr Otaala said Uganda was exploring job opportunities in the UAE in other sectors, including medicine, hospitality, accountancy, retail, teaching, aviation and journalism.

The focus for now, however, was security, said Dr Otaala, who was accompanied by Milton Turyasima, the labour ministry’s first secretary, and Ojja Andira, the commissioner of employment.

Ugandans were well-placed for security jobs in terms of training, professional etiquette and fluency in English, Dr Otaala said.

“We have seen a lot of potential in the Middle East.

“Our diplomatic missions have been entrusted to study the requirements for us to penetrate the manpower supply in this region. We would consider teaching Arabic if language is an obstacle.”

Mr Turyasima said the Ugandan government was conscious that it should regulate the supply of workers to the Middle East to thwart attempts at human trafficking.



“We also have reservations over jobs like housemaids because a maid’s rights can easily be abused. As a government we are not licensing anyone to export maids in any foreign country,” Mr Turyasima said.

Uganda was looking at ways of helping several Ugandan women who came to the UAE looking for work, only to end up victims of trafficking, he added.

Uganda established an embassy in Abu Dhabi last month.


Source

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Dubai, Abu Dhabi eye the zenith with aerospace plans


UAE firms remain alert to manufacturing and technology opportunities


Dubai: The UAE is soon to become part of the global aviation supply chain with the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi showing strong interest in aircraft manufacturing processes on a commercial scale.

Both governments have been steaming ahead with joint ventures or part-acquisition of global aviation assets in order to gain access to aviation technologies while keeping options open for technology transfers that will eventually boost the UAE's prospects for a more significant role in the global aviation industry.

Investment in the UAE's airline and aviation industry is expected to soar to Dh550 billion.

This figure includes Emirate's aircraft order book, which exceeds $50 billion (Dh183.7 billion) and Etihad's combined (aircraft and engines) order book worth nearly $60 billion, the Dubai Government's investment in airport and associated developments to the tune of $30 billion and the Abu Dhabi International Airport redevelopment project worth $7 billion.

In addition to these, the Sharjah Government and Air Arabia are also expanding capacities.

Dubai made the first move by acquiring a stake in Doncaster before launching Dubai World Centre (DWC) — the world's biggest purpose-built greenfield aviation city covering 140 square kilometres.

DWC will host the world's biggest airport — DWC Al Maktoum International Airport — and Dubai Aviation City.

In 2006, the Dubai Government launched Dubai Aerospace Enterprise — a Dh55 billion investment vehicle — to attract investment in aviation technologies through joint ventures at the Dubai Aviation City.

Business opportunity

Khalifa Al Zafein, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), observed: "Dubai Aviation City's unique investment and business opportunities bring significant benefits to the entire value-chain of the global aviation industry, including aircraft manufacturers, executive aviation firms, maintenance, repair and overhaul centres and others."

However, Abu Dhabi, which was slightly late to the game, has been quick to catch up. Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi Government investment vehicle, had earlier launched Strata — an advanced composites and aero structures manufacturing facility — which started a 12-month countdown to becoming a supplier to the global aerospace manufacturing industry.

Strata has set up a 21,600-square metres facility and created 1,000 jobs within a span of only six years. Mubadala has confirmed Dh7.3 billion worth of work packages with partners Airbus, Alenia Aeronautica and FACC.

"The aerospace sector is a key part of the emirate's economic diversification plans which aims to create a high-tech, knowledge intensive economy, and provide career opportunities for the current and future UAE workforce," Mubadala said.

Strata will deliver the first work package — the A330/A340 Flap Track Fairings — from FACC. The transfer plan has been approved by Airbus and the first article inspection is scheduled to take place by end of the third quarter of 2010 in Al Ain.

"Strata is a major milestone for Abu Dhabi in its aspirations to become a leading manufacturing base for the global aerospace industry," said Humaid Al Shemmari, associate director of Mubadala Aerospace.

Subsequent phases of expansion are planned to provide a total facility in excess of 60,000 square metres over the next decade.


Source

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Ministry to reform typing centres


DUBAI // The Ministry of Labour plans to overhaul the system by which it accepts applications for work permits, trade licences and other items through external typing offices, following reports of abuse including forgery.

Five Sharjah-based typing offices were recently barred from providing ministry services, according to Humaid bin Deemas, the ministry’s acting director general, after they were caught using forged documents in applications.

Thousands of such offices are connected to a system that enables companies and individuals to submit paperwork and applications directly to the ministry through the typing centres.

In a bid to stamp out abuses of the system, the MoL has announced plans to license service centres so such transactions will be offered only through offices that meet standards set out by the ministry.

“We do not know when we will complete the project, but [eventually] all the current typing offices will no longer be able to provide our services, and once we feel that the new centres have the capacity to take the load we will block the existing typing offices from the system,” Mr bin Deemas said.

The five Sharjah companies were barred from the ministry’s “smart form system” after they were found submitting applications on behalf of private companies using fake documents.

There are around 5,000 typing offices in the country, according to the Government, which are linked to the smart form system – the software used to electronically process Ministry of Labour transactions.

A trade licence, for example, which is acquired and renewed with the economic department, also needs to be registered with the ministry. In the case of the five companies, the original documents were not shown, and forged trade licences were submitted, according to Mr bin Deemas. Some of the firms involved may have been front companies, he said.

“We do not know the type of offence carried out by the typing offices in question, but the smallest offence could be negligence as they did not ask for the original [document],” he said. “It had major repercussions and they might also have been collaborating with these companies.”

The co-operation between the ministry and the typing offices started in 1999, when the offices began helping customers fill out applications. Today, the offices accept applications on behalf of the ministry, collect ministry fees and fines and provide legal advice.

In recent years, however, some problems have surfaced, including inaccurate data entry and overcharging. Some of these cases have been referred to the public prosecution, Mr bin Deemas said.

“The experience of typing offices was suitable for the previous phase, but now there is a need to review this experience as it has developed many problems such as submitting of applications with fake documents and a huge gap in application fees,” he said.

The planned service centres will also carry out many of the jobs the ministry currently handles, as well as continue the typing duties.

“The new centres will have to meet 23 criteria to acquire the licence, such as providing a convenient location for their centres and having minimum size for the centre,” Mr bin Deemas said.

The new system is already being applied in Ajman and Umm al Qaiwain, each of which have two such centres. No other typing offices in either emirate have access to the ministry’s system, according to Mr bin Deemas.

Under the ministry’s proposals, the new centres must be owned and managed by Emiratis, and the plan envisages that eventually only Emirati staff will be employed. The system will also see a standard fee of Dh35 per application charged.

The ministry is also setting up a new department that would monitor the centres to assure the quality of the services provided, Mr bin Deemas said.

While acknowledging that there have been instances of abuse of the system, some typing office employees defended their business practices, saying that the entire industry should not be penalised for the misconduct of a few companies.

Fazullah Sadeq, the co-owner of a group of nine typing offices in Sharjah and Dubai, including Al Maha, has been in the industry for the last 10 years and said the offices take the ministry’s procedures seriously.

“Before accepting any application we make sure that the customer provides us with correct documents,” he said. He believed it was unfair to blame the industry for the “misuse of power” by a small number of people. Shabir Hussein, an employee of Eidad typing office, who has been working in the field for 13 years, said some people had tried to bribe him into reducing a ministry fine they were due to pay through his company.

“They think that we can do that,” he said. “They do not understand that we cannot overstep the system; there is no room to go around the system. I know that there are some in the industry that are careless and do not check the documents carefully, but why should the whole industry be punished for such individual practices?”

Mohammed Sayed, an employee at Ammar typing office, said the ministry needed to provide a solution without denying them access to the system.

“Why can they not unify the fees for typing offices and provide training for us to eliminate the problems if there are any?” he asked.


Source

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Job hunters fall prey to recruitment racket


A major recruitment racket run by swindlers, who falsely claim to represent leading UAE business groups and companies, is defrauding job hunters from around the world.

Jobseekers have been told to beware unsolicited job offers supposedly made on behalf of large businesses or government establishments.

Many have been duped by fraudsters, who offer jobs without carrying out interviews. Some of the fraudsters even claim to be acting on behalf of Dubai Municipality. The latest cases involve a bogus oil and gas company and recruiters who falsely say they represent the Emirates Group.

The fake company, Ajman Petroleum, claims to own the Upper Zakum oilfield, the largest in Abu Dhabi. It tricks jobseekers into paying processing fees that are collected by a travel agent linked to the fraud.

The company has an attractive website and has allegedly duped overseas candidates seeking openings in the UAE energy sector.

An Indian engineer, who was recently laid off by a company in a GCC country, said he saw job advertisements placed by Ajman Petroleum, which said it was looking for professionals to work in the company's major oilfields in Abu Dhabi.

The company claims it operates from Ajman Free Zone and says on its website: "Ajman Petroleum LLC was established in 1977 to operate the Upper Zakum field, one of the largest oilfields in the world."

The Zakum oilfield is, in fact, owned by Zakum Development Company (Zadco), which is based at the Sheikh Khalifa Energy Complex. Ajman Petroleum's website carries text and images copied from Zadco's site.

The conned engineer said: "After I contacted the company via e-mail, they accepted all my demands and promised me a job as an oilfield manager.

"They told me to contact a travel agent in Ajman to obtain a visa and other documents. When I contacted the travel agency, they asked me to send Dh1,270 as processing fees. I became suspicious and checked with my friends in the UAE to find out whether Ajman Petroleum was the country's leading oil and gas company. They said there was no big oil company in the UAE with such a name." While the engineer has not lost any money, other candidates have paid the processing fees and are still waiting for their dream jobs in the oil sector. They are told their expenses, including airfare and residency permit fees, will be reimbursed by the company when their first salary is paid.

In a number of cases, jobseekers have received unsolicited e-mails from Ajman Petroleum. The messages say: "Dear applicant, this is to acknowledge we have received all your documents and CV and affirm that your qualification and experience are found suitable to work with Ajman Petroleum LLC.

"If you are not a resident of the UAE, you will undergo a month's training programme with us upon your arrival. The programme shall enlighten you more on the main services required from you for Ajman Petroleum LLC, UAE for the position offered, and your salary will be paid during the training programme."

The e-mail tells the prospective employees to contact Ajman Tourism Group to obtain a visa and other documents as the company has a special agreement with the agency.

The company places job advertisements in the classified sections of newspapers and on internet recruitment sites to lure overseas candidates. It advertises job openings in the oil and gas field and writes to candidates responding to advertisements.

Visitors to the Ajman Petroleum LLC website at www.ajman-petroleum.eu.pn are likely to be astonished by the claims made in it.

The company says it is a prominent oil producer in the region and was formed by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1977 to develop and operate the Zakum field. There are, in fact, no major oil companies based at Ajman Free Zone.

Upper Zakum is a major contributor to Abu Dhabi's oil output and has the potential for substantial increases in production.

Meanwhile, some jobseekers have been approached by swindlers claiming to represent Emirates, and the group's human resources department has issued a statement stressing it never asks for money to process job applications.

"Emirates and Dnata have become aware that members of the public are receiving e-mails which contain fraudulent employment opportunities with Emirates Group," says the statement.

"These e-mails often contain fake offers of employment requesting personal information or payment to process a job application or payment to process visas. Please note that Emirates Group never requests payment or fees for processing of job applications."

The group's HR department says its personnel never send job offers using their personal yahoo.com, gmail or hotmail accounts.

"The company advertises all job openings on its official website and always conducts a face-to-face interview before determining a suitable candidate," the statement adds. "Offers of employment without any form of interview are most likely to be fraudulent.

"Emirates Group never requests payment or fees for job applications. If you have never applied for a job with Emirates Group or a reputable recruitment agency, you should be cautious of random offers of employment."

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), too, has sent regular alerts about a "fraudulent investment scheme", which is using a fake letter in the name of the authority to lure investors to a dubious scheme.

An alert from DFSA said: "The Dubai Financial Services Authority alerts the community to a fraudulent investment scheme which is using a fake DFSA letter. The scheme consists of a communication to individuals stating they have won several hundred thousands of US dollars in the 'Middle East-Asia Promotion' sponsored by the 'Emirates Foundation'.

"In order to claim the prize, individuals are advised by the fake letter to transfer a sum of money to DFSA for registration of funds meant for international remittance before such funds could be approved for release. A person purporting to be the head of operations, international swift remittance/transfer department of a UAE Bank provides the individual instructions on how to make the transfer," the market regulator said earlier.

"The fake DFSA letter is unauthorised use of the name, logo and letterhead of DFSA and is fraudulent. The DFSA strongly advises people not to respond to such communication and report such cases to the authority's complaint section."

Such frauds are occasionally reported by the DFSA.


Source

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

More job cuts feared


A second wave of job cuts could continue into next year as companies feel the pinch of the economic downturn, a senior banker has warned despite renewed confidence in a recovery.

The global slump has seen thousands of jobs lost in the financial and property sectors in the UAE during the past 12 months as credit lines have dried up and commercial and residential property sales have stalled.

Concern about further redundancies could put even more strain on the consumer business of banks, which have already been forced to set aside billions of dirhams since the beginning of the year to cover potential defaults.

“We are not out of the woods yet, by no stretch of imagination. We may see some corporate failures and stress in the corporate world,” said Chris de Bruin, the country head of consumer banking at Standard Chartered. “Our biggest challenge [as consumer bankers] are people who have lost their jobs.”

Suvo Sarkar, the head of consumer banking at Emirates NBD, echoed that view and said the economy could witness further distress during the next six months. “It is a difficult time for consumer banks right now,” Mr Sarkar said. “The fourth quarter and first quarter of 2010 will be tough, but the second half should get better.”

The warnings came despite signs of renewed economic confidence emerging last week. Dr Omar bin Sulaiman, the vice chairman of the UAE Central Bank, said on Thursday he expected the economy to grow between 3.5 and 4.5 per cent next year, although an official forecast has not yet been published.

But even economists who have predicted a strong recovery fear that credit-starved small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may feel more pain.

Simon Williams, the chief regional economist at HSBC, expects the UAE’s economy to grow by 4.5 per cent next year but said increased spending may come too late for some companies.

“I think we will see a significant pick-up in economic activity next year, and credit growth will resume, but it will be a top down process, and it’s going to take time to feed through to SMEs,” Mr Williams said. “Some firms may find they can’t hold on.”

Squeezed by shrinking margins and rising costs, many small companies have found it hard to get credit after global investors pulled an estimated Dh180 billion (US$49bn) out of the economy in the aftermath of the collapse of Lehman Brothers last year.

Last week, Deyaar, which is one of Dubai’s largest developers, shed 20 per cent of its staff after reporting a 74 per cent drop in third-quarter profits from the same period last year. Dubai World has cut some 12,000 jobs, or 15 per cent of its staff, to rake in $800 million in savings in three years. Meanwhile, local lenders may have also lost about 1,000 jobs, Mr de Bruin said.

“Next year we will still see quite a lot of stress as people continue to lose their jobs. We are still on high alert,” he said.

A lack of reliable statistics makes it impossible to accurately assess the number of jobs lost across the Emirates this year.

While most analysts agree that job cuts have slowed considerably this year, the fallout from the global financial crisis continues to work through the economy. “If a company stops a project with 1,000 workers, that has ripple effects and draws concentric circles,” Mr de Bruin said.

Bobby Sarkar, an analyst at Al Mal Capital, said default rates had climbed during the past year. “We have seen a fair amount of turbulence, particularly in unsecured-lending products, personal loans and credit cards,” he said.

On average, bank customers across the Emirates are unable to pay back Dh2.50 for every Dh100 of lending. That rate could increase to as much as 10 per cent for personal loans and credit cards.

The lack of bankruptcy protection in the UAE makes consumer banks particularly susceptible to job losses. “People are unable to manage their creditors in a good way. This crisis is catching on where the legal framework is not strong,” said Mr de Bruin.

The UAE does not have a system that allows individuals or companies to ask courts for bankruptcy protection.

Source

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Mock Job Interview Day at Dubai Womens College prepares final year students for job search


Dubai Women’s College (DWC) organized recently the Mock Job Interview Day for more than 300 final year students. The mock job interviews provided a realistic set up with every student being interviewed by a panel of two DWC teachers/staff members, who judged student interview performance, as well as their CV and cover letter writing competencies’.

“I was well prepared for the interview and this was a training session for the real job interview.” said Farah Humaid, a DWC Higher Diploma Business student. Students commented that they learned something new about themselves during the interview process and they now feel better prepared to face the challenges of a real life interview.

DWC organizes the Mock Job Interview Day annually as a part of students’ vocational training in the English Curriculum. The program aims to help students develop their interview skills in order to prepare them for work placement and real jobs after they graduate. All students are given feedback on their performance and a chance to improve on their skills. The interview assessment criteria include communication skills, vocational competency, critical thinking, problem solving, and professionalism. Prior to the Mock Job Interview Day, students are taught how to write a CV and cover letter, as well as how to behave in a professional manner during the interview.

Commenting on the event, Dr. Ewa Gajer, DWC’s English faculty, and Mock Job Interview Day Team Leader,said“To help our students succeed in today’s very competitive job market; these interviews are made as realistic as possible.” The students first find it very daunting and apprehensive but with practice they build self-confidence and are better prepared for actual job interviews. “The next step following the Mock job interview is for students to research a company they would like to work for,” she concluded.

Source