IT jobs in Dubai

Dubai is the majestic land of opulence, where many a dream and many success stories have been woven. The city which, is also referred to as ‘Oasis in the Desert’ and ‘City of Gold’, has become the playground of the rich and the famous. Dubai, which is located in the south of Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the seven Emirates of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each of the seven Emirates has jurisdictions, over functions like the maintenance of local facilities and civic law enforcement. In terms of area, Dubai is the second largest Emirate after Abu Dhabi, while the city has the largest population.

Strong trade access, free zones and an open economy are some of the factors responsible for the significant growth of Dubai’s GDP. The infrastructure of Dubai has world class facilities, to cater to all types of business meets and trade shows. The city is beautifully located at a place where Asia, Europe and Africa meet, thus making it accessible to all.

Dubai’s growth story

During the 1950s and 60s Dubai, was a very small town; but with the discovery of oil, things started to change for the better. The oil boom has transformed the entire face of Dubai, making it one of the most preferred destinations for business and tourism. The chief architect of Dubai’s incredible success story is, attributed to its ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Towards the middle of 2000, the king realized that money, from oil will soon run out. It was then decided, that the this money must be used to transform Dubai into a tourist hub, for people from all over the world including America, Canada, France, Australia and other countries.

It took decades, for the major travel destinations of the world, to build up infrastructure for attracting tourists. However, Dubai has surprised pundits everywhere, by becoming one of the major travel destinations. The launch of the first annual Dubai shopping festival is another factor, which catapulted the city to dizzying heights of travel and tourism industry. The local government has very effectively, used this festival as a tool to promote, Dubai as an exotic tourist destination.

Dubai Internet City

Dubai Internet City is an IT park created by the government as a free economic zone for companies, who want to set up business in the city. This zone was primarily set up for the IT and other companies, to get certain benefits from the government. Some of the benefits include exemption from tax, and no ceiling on local partnership or sponsorship for the investors. The investors further have access to a highly advanced technical infrastructure, apart from the tax benefits that they enjoy. Some of the major companies like Microsoft, Canon, and Cisco etc have set up their offices in Dubai.

There are other economic rules in this zone, which permits firms a number of ownership, taxation and custom related benefits that are guaranteed by law for a period of 50 years. It is estimated that Dubai Internet City currently has, over one and half million square feet of office space, in which more than 850 companies with over 10,000 workers are based. Most of the IT companies in the city are located at the Dubai Internet City, which is situated about 25 kilometers south of downtown Dubai city,

IT Industry in Dubai

Along with the other industries, the IT industry has also witnessed a spurt of growth. The tax incentives provided by Dubai to companies, is one reason why major IT firms have set up their offices in Dubai. Apart from the leading names, several indigenous companies have also opened up their offices in the city. To fill up the various job positions in these firms, professionals from all over the world are willing to relocate and enhance their professional prospects. About 80% of the population in Dubai consists of foreigners; this often leads to an increased competition in the job opportunities.

The IT job market in Dubai lacks skilled professionals, and that is why qualified professionals from various parts, of the world are hired. Some of the key aspects of IT jobs in Dubai are handling of computer network, making software according to client requirement, handling IT related projects, looking after network connections etc. Being a tax free haven, the income in Dubai is much higher compared to other parts of the world.

IT job prospects in Dubai

There are job openings in various positions, in the Information technology sector of Dubai. Anyone looking to work in Dubai must be aware of the social, religious, language, dress, work culture and other customs prevailing in there. Knowledge about all these aspects can be, extremely helpful for anyone willing to work there. Anyone who has an IT job in Dubai has wonderful prospects. Already there are a number of leading IT companies operating there and many more are on the pipeline.

Dubai IT job Qualification

The major qualification, which is required for IT jobs in Dubai, is a Bachelors or Masters Degree in Computer Science. The specialized qualification required are knowledge of SQL Server, My Sql, Crystal reports SAP, Ajax, Oracle, C++, .Net Framework, Photoshop, etc. The other qualifications, which are required not just for the IT jobs but any job are good communication skills, ability to work in team, work under constrains (if any), meet deadlines, understanding the system etc.