![]() So please click this link or the icon above. ![]() Often, job advertisements are aimed exclusively at UAE nationals.It’s our December donation drive. In the UAE employment laws allow recruiting companies to exclude certain nationalities without breaching discrimination covenants. “It’s all going on in the background, with few people willing to acknowledge it as an issue.” “There’s obviously an oversupply of these candidates looking for roles in the UAE and this is prompting a blanket response to stay clear of these nationalities,” said another banking recruiter in Dubai. There’s a reluctance to hire Bahraini, Egyptian, Lebanese and Syrian nationals – as well as those from Canada, with which the UAE has had a long-running dispute over aviation rights – suggest financial services recruiters who claim that no explanation was given. and European citizens are still largely going through the visa allocation process relatively stress free, those from other nations – particularly those involved in the Arab Spring uprisings – are largely being locked out. Some suggest that the motivation for this could be political. When approval eventually came through, both the salary and job title had been reduced. He had been living in the UAE for six years and had the necessary documentation including a visa and Emirates ID card. One financial services professional in Abu Dhabi tells us that he was offered a job in July last year at a government institution, but has only just been given the go-ahead to start the role. “This is particularly the case for those seeking new jobs in sovereign institutions.” “A lot of people are trapped in their current role, feeling that if they lose their sponsorship a new employer will find it incredibly difficult to extend a new visa to them,” said another financial services recruiter in Dubai. Losing your job means leaving the country – after a 2-3 month grace period – and if the green light is never given, you’re essentially locked out. In the region, an expat is entirely beholden to their employer sponsorship. “Firms are so keen to hire locals that they’re willing to extend the recruitment process to extremes in order to find the right person.” “Candidates are becoming frustrated with the whole process and can be left hanging on for up to a year before their visa is approved, by which time they’ve either given up on the role or looking for employment elsewhere,” said one financial services recruiter in Abu Dhabi who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. The Tawteen Council in Abu Dhabi assesses whether any job in a government could be done by an Emirati before giving the thumbs up to a visa for an expat to fulfill the role.This process can take months. Related articles: Zombie bankers in Dubai reluctantly eye a voyage home Six hot profiles for finance jobs in the Middle East How expat bankers can still succeed in Saudi The preference for local candidates is so high that firms are having to extend the recruitment process for ever-longer periods of time in order to be able to hire expat candidates. Recruiters, bankers and financial institutions are becoming increasingly exasperated with a visa allocation process that is locking some expats out of the labour market for months. The Middle East financial sector has traditionally been reliant on expat expertise, but a new focus on localisation – combined with concerns over the Arab Spring – has led to a visa backlog that is providing a frustrating gridlock in the recruitment processes.
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