Скачать или смотреть UAE Job Market — My Personal Experience, Observations & Advice for Job Seekers

I am Vrinda. I am creating this video today because I have been receiving a lot of messages on LinkedIn from people seeking jobs. There were days when I received around 10 messages, and on average, I still receive at least one message a day.
Please know that you will not get a job the very next day after your arrival — especially in the IT sector. It takes a long time, with a lot of patience and persistence, even to get an interview call. So if someone tells you that you will get a job the next day, they are possibly trying to mislead you.
First of all, IT openings here are very few compared to India. Many IT companies outsource people from India and other countries where they get cheaper labour. Most MNCs keep only sales and marketing people in the UAE, and keep developers offshore unless a client specifically wants them to be on-site, mainly due to cost-cutting.
If you have a strong referral and they have clearly mentioned that you will get a job, then maybe you will — otherwise, it is very difficult. Someone recently shared that their company has a referral form with options like friend, family, or ex-colleague. That shows how important referrals are here. In some cases, you may even get selected without an interview if you have a strong referral. Some companies also provide referral bonuses. But people are a bit sceptical about referring strangers.
Most job descriptions are unrealistic. They expect one person to do almost everything. Even in some interviews, I have felt that the expectations were unrealistic. You can see many such job posts on LinkedIn listing almost every IT skillset.
Mostly, strangers will not refer you because it is a risk for them as well. If you do not perform well, the person who referred you will be questioned. Even a referral cannot give you 100% job assurance.
You may see a lot of job posts on LinkedIn and other job boards, but not all of them are real. Some pages and companies post jobs just to increase their followers and reach. When I spoke to HR professionals, many of them mentioned that almost 85% of hiring in Dubai happens through internal referrals, and most real jobs are not even published on job boards.
You may also receive fake interview calls and interview emails. So if you receive any interview call, always verify the company before attending. There are also many fake recruiting agencies — do not pay money to them. Some companies exploit job seekers by offering very low salaries or sometimes not paying salaries at all. In some cases, recruitment agencies even take a large portion of the salary.
There are also companies that ask you to work on a visit visa without providing a work visa or work permit. This is illegal in the UAE, and you may get deported if you are caught.
Another big challenge is volume — there are a lot of job seekers here, so it becomes difficult for everyone to get jobs. Even within 30 minutes of a job posting, you can see 100+ applicants.
Some people on visit visas end up accepting very low salaries because they are already under financial stress and want to repay loans they have taken. So I would suggest that you study the job market before coming to the UAE, and do not take loans just to come here and search for jobs, because a job is not guaranteed.
Expenses here are also higher compared to India. If you are living in shared accommodation with 8 people in a single room, you may get a bed for around 500 AED. Food expenses would be another 400–500 AED, along with travel and other costs. So please check with someone already living in the UAE and make sure you have enough savings before coming. After two months, if you do not get a job, you may also need to renew your visa.
If you still want to take the risk or try your luck, you are always welcome — but make an informed decision.
Also remember that there are people who do get UAE jobs directly from India. Good companies usually cover the visa and flight costs and pay you well, but it may take 1–2 years of consistent applying. Yes, some companies prefer immediate joiners or people already in Dubai — but not all.
So if you are not prepared for financial stress and the uncertainty of not getting interviews, it may be better to apply from your home country. I would also suggest choosing jobs that offer fair pay.
There is also a new diversity policy in some organisations where they cannot hire more than 20% of employees from the same community.