Builders are facing a shortage of talent despite the slowdown in the construction industry as their counterparts in Hong Kong, China and South Korea pluck experienced people from the UAE to staff their projects, recruitment experts say.
Thousands of jobs were cut across the country's construction industry as projects ground to a halt following the global financial downturn.
Some builders are now starting to rehire as they bid for or win new work in lively markets such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but they no longer have the rich pickings of the past as professionals migrate to the Far East and elsewhere in Asia.
"Over the past couple of months, we've been asked continually to find people here for jobs in Hong Kong and Macau," said Simon Hobart, the managing director of the recruitment company Millennium Solutions, based in Dubai.
"It's a trend that's picking up; a lot of contractors are looking for people in the Middle East. I wouldn't call it a brain drain, but there are certainly a lot less suitable people here now."
The UAE construction boom attracted people from all over the world as they sought to boost their experience and their salaries on ambitious projects.
The country also provided an alternative to the slower employment conditions in their home markets such as the UK, where a significant number of senior-level construction staff came from.
But the financial crisis prompted these expatriates to move on, said Maria Brown, an associate director for the MENA region at the recruitment firm Reed.
"The economic climate encouraged people to re-evaluate where they were," she said.
"As there were redundancies in the region, they asked themselves 'where next?' and Asia became the next market. So clients in the Middle East are seeing the knock-on effect of that."
Now employers in the booming economies of Asia are taking advantage of the experience professionals gained in the Emirates, she said.
Meanwhile, the opportunities may be plentiful elsewhere: the World Bank predicts that by 2015, half of the world's construction will take place in China. "Someone who has had the experience of working in an emerging market is going to be able to support an economic boom," said Ms Brown.
"Everyone's talking about China at the moment and it makes sense for companies to look for people that have come from within the Middle East. Hong Kong, Singapore and [South] Korea are also really good markets."
After living in Dubai for six years, a former project manager with a local contractor, who asked not to be named, has decided to accept a job in Macau. He said he was making the move in search of more stable prospects. "We lost a lot of projects and the ones we were bidding for were taking a long time to come through," he said.
Salaries for expatriates working in the property and construction sectors in the region have fallen by about 30 per cent since the start of the economic downturn, according to APG Global, a recruitment agency based in Australia.
This means salaries in Asia, including the Far East, are now similar to those in the Middle East, said Mr Hobart.
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
FIXTURES
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5