Lookin' for work in Dubai

January 23, 2006 9:09 PM

Looking for a job in Dubai (for a friend). Does anybody know of any good companies with operations in Dubai or Qatar for internship or full-time work in public relations (or marketing, investor relations, event management etc...)

Any helpful advice on looking for or applying for jobs in the Middle East are much appreciated.

posted by onalark to Work & Money (9 answers total)

I used to live in Qatar but don't have a whole lot of job ideas and the place has probably changed a lot since I've been. If you want information on the country and culture and how it was living there, feel free to email.

One job suggestion would be the American and English schools. American School of Doha (ASD) is where I went to school and there was Doha College, a British school, not a University. It might also be worth contacting the embassies in the countries for ideas although I don't know how easy it would be to get in touch with one.
posted by 6550 at 9:28 PM on January 23, 2006

For a PR type job, try Al-Jazeera.

Is a job in PR what's important or just working in the Middle East? As I'm not sure how much call there is for what I think of as a PR position.
posted by 6550 at 9:32 PM on January 23, 2006

There seem to be job boards that are specific to the area and the fields your friend is looking for.

Specifically, I know Landor (the brand consultant/design firm) has an office there and has a solid internship program in their other offices. They'll be more brand strategy, marketing writing, etc. than PR.

It might be worth looking into the large, international groups that own advertising, marketing and PR agencies (Omnicom, WPP, etc.) and finding their middle eastern offices as well. There seem to be quite a few agencies (independent and owned) there.

And, although you don't give citizenship details, if you're not from there, going in with an international employer is always easier than getting the work permits from a local employer.
posted by Gucky at 9:42 PM on January 23, 2006

Some of the large investment banks have offices in Dubai: Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, UBS, JPMorgan (Bahrain) and I'm sure a few others. I'm not sure which divisions of these banks are located at these offices but it's probably a mix of investment banking, private banking (high net-worth individuals), asset management, project finance, etc. They will certainly have marketing/PR/IR support to go along with those businesses.
posted by mullacc at 11:51 PM on January 23, 2006

It seems like everyone in London is moving to Dubai. Most people I know are going with the big firms: D&T, PWC, etc.
posted by k8t at 11:51 PM on January 23, 2006

There are lots of companies that have offices in Dubai. In Dubai, it is so hot, they use refrigeration on their swimming pools. I learned this from someone living there whom I met over the holidays. On cold winter days, it may get down to about 30c (86f).
posted by Goofyy at 2:56 AM on January 24, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks for the leads, I'll try to post a follow-up on where she ends up.
posted by onalark at 7:09 AM on January 24, 2006

Halliburton KBR has opportunities in Dubai and other countries of the Middle East.

There are currently three jobs listed specifically in Dubai. One, "Associate Expediter," is for a recent college grad. Probably not the exact position you're hoping for, but it's a big company that might have some unposted openings better suited for your interests.
posted by mumeishi at 8:08 AM on January 24, 2006

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posted by itchychin at 11:56 AM on February 11, 2006