The Mentor EU's Expat Guide to Working in the Middle East

MentorEU's Expat Guide to Working in the Middle

East

Beata Staszkow

An informative guide to working in the GCC states. Featuring salary expectations, industry information, and population statistics, plus a special section for women who choose to work in the Middle East region.

Mentor EU's Ex-Pat Guide to

Working in the Middle East

Mentor EU Company 7234953 22 Faircross Avenue Barking, Essex London, UK Email: [email protected] www.mentoreu.com

Contents The Mentor EU's Ex-Pat's Guide to Working in the Middle East ............................................................ 3

Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Gulf Cooperations Council (GCC) ....................................................................................................... 3

Working in the Middle East - The People that Succeed ...................................................................... 4

Economic Landscape and Opportunities in the Middle East .............................................................. 4

Women in the Middle East ................................................................................................................. 5

Expat Packages .................................................................................................................................... 6

Salary and GCC ................................................................................................................................ 6

Global International Community ........................................................................................................ 6

Expat Populations of the Middle East ............................................................................................. 6

Landing a Job in the Middle East - Showcasing your Value Proposition ............................................. 7

Our Role in Landing your Middle East executive Role ........................................................................ 7

Beata Staszkow - Managing Director and founder of Mentor EU .................................................. 8

What our Clients Say ....................................................................................................................... 8

Contact Mentor EU ......................................................................................................................... 9

Sources .............................................................................................................................................. 10




The Mentor EU's Ex-Pat's Guide to Working in the Middle East

Overview It is well documented that working in the Middle East is lucrative. It provides new and exciting

career opportunities and adds considerable kudos to your CV. The region has also some amazing

cultural experiences form archaeological finds to natural wonders. Despite the view portrayed in the

media, most of the region is safe with the danger zones being well documented.

The economics of the Middle East are changing. It has always been a resource based economy but

now demand has given the Middle East a knowledge based economy too. This means that the

opportunities to work and succeed in the Middle East have increased. Now is a good time to make

the move.

Gulf Cooperations Council (GCC) Some of the favoured Middle East destinations for expatriates consist of the Arab nations of the

Persian Gulf, with the exception of Iraq. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the

United Arab Emirates all have high expat populations.

These countries form the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)i. This is a regional and political union,

which standardises regulations across the region. It also unifies the respective military capability of

the region, and has loftier aims of improving relations between the countries, and a single currency.

Working in the GCC region is not for everyone. There are adjustments to make if you move from

one part of your own country to another, and this is considerably heightened should you move to

another country. Middle Eastern culture is different to western culture, and this makes the

adjustment harder to make.

The idea of this guide is to give you an overview of what you can expect. We will discuss:

What it takes to succeed in the Middle East

The economic landscape of the Middle East

Women working in the Middle East

Expat Packages

Landing an executive position in the Middle East

If you are interested about working in the Middle East, this guide will inform and help you to prepare

for an exciting, rewarding, and diverse life.




Working in the Middle East - The People that Succeed To adapt and succeed in the Middle East you have to accept that the culture you will be living in will

be very different to what you have experienced in the west. The value system in the region is

different to what you grew up with in Europe and North America. The way people are valued will be

different and to a degree this is dependent upon nationality.

It is important to remember that to succeed in the Middle East will require a positive outlook from

the beginning, and a willingness to reach out and make an effort. This is not only true for you; it is

true for your family.

So if you can accept:

Your western views and values will carry little weight in the Middle East, if any at all.

An incredibly hot climate. In Dubai 19°C is the coldest temperature. In August the

temperature doubles to 36°C.

Your earnings can be restricted by your nationality. For example westerners get paid more

than someone from India, for example.

Human prejudices of outsiders are present.

Cities tend to be exceptionally noisy.

You will be working as part of an international team.

You are a guest and not a citizen.

There are some places you simply do not visit due to safety reasons. In essence they are a

bad part of town.

If you can accept these aspects of Middle Eastern life, then you could be ready to work in one of the

most financially lucrative regions in the world.

From a work perspective, succeeding in the Middle East requires diligence, good judgement, the

ability to be a team player, and a talent to see the big picture and the fine detail. As with any job it

also requires you to focus on your role and get results.

Economic Landscape and Opportunities in the Middle East The Middle East is well known for being rich with energy resources. This is not set to change1, and

living standards in the region are set to improve. The oil, gas, and mining industries are still very

strong in the GCC and tend to attract the majority of expats . Over the last twenty years or so the

region has created opportunities outside of the energy sector. This has created more opportunities

to forge a career and a life in the region.

1 http://www.icaew.com/~/media/Files/Middle-east-hub/8196-icaew-me-q1-2014-web.pdf




Most start-ups and technological innovations have started out at least on a conceptual level in the

Middle East. Careers in the hospitality area are also present as well as construction and mechanical

engineering.

As such, with traditional and new industries springing up in the Middle East the demand for

increasingly diverse positions has expanded. This means that though you may not have direct

experience with a certain industry, opportunities for you exist.

Consider:

Accounting

Medical expertise

IT and Telicom Expertise

Art/creative

Marketing

Education

Legal knowledge

Marketing

Purchasing/procurement

Quality control

Logistics

All of these roles are in demand across the region. With the exception of medical, IT, and telecom

expertise, none are specific to an industry.

Women in the Middle East The demographic of women working in an expat environment has increased dramatically over the

last decade. According to the Global Mobility Trends Survey commissioned by Brookfields, around 1

in 5 expatriates are women2. Although the Middle East is often portrayed as an oppressor of

women, it is worth bearing in mind that many Arab women that work in the Middle East hold

powerful positions and are have considerable responsibilities3.

Our female clients who have obtained roles in the region often talk it about favourably. Some like

the adventure and challenge of working at a high level in a man's world, while others just like the

family life afforded to them by the region. In many respects it is a part of the world you will take to

or you will not.

2 http://www.brookfieldgrs.com/knowledge/gmts_2014-gmts/

3 http://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/en/lists/read/2014/-most-powerful-arab-women/listid/180#.VIBGfzGsVIE




Although the region does have some hostile areas, these tend to be localised and avoiding them is

often quite easy. In essence you are an asset to your company, and as such they will support you in

any way they can.

Expat Packages Despite the trend to reign in Middle East packages, working in the region is still highly lucrativeii.

Prior to the recession you could expect to be paid living allowances and guaranteed bonuses. A

recent survey of expats found that 92% receive a salary, together with rent and transport costsiii and

little else.

Salary and GCC

Salaries in the region tend to be high. In a recent surveyiv 80% of expats employed in the Middle

East stated they saved more money every month than they did in their country of origin. Of the GCC

countries this was the lowest. The highest was 92% in Qatar.

Similarly, of those surveyed 85% stated they paid less tax than they did in their home country with

the exception of expats in the UAE. Here the figure hit 94%.

The salary package you can expect will be dependent upon several factors. As in the West the level

of responsibility will be the dominant factor, but other aspects come into play as well, such as how

well you negotiated your salary package. This last factor could make a significant difference to your

quality of life while living and working in the Middle Eastv. Although bonuses are no longer

guaranteed they can often be negotiated.

In terms of real numbers, accountants for example make between $7500 and $8500 dollars per

month depending on which country they work in. Similarly construction project managers/ chief

engineers can expect a minimum of around $10,000 per monthiv.

Global International Community Over the last few decades more and more people have opted for a life working abroad in countries

which offer the most lucrative packages. The numbers are increasing all the time, and the GCC

countries of the Persian Gulf still offers a big draw. Other regions such as Asia are also increasing

rapidly.

Expat Populations of the Middle East

The number of expats in the Middle East runs into the millions. In 2010 for example, there were just

under 8.4 million expats in Saudi Arabia accounting for just over 30% of the populationvi.

In the UAE 91% of the population is now comprised of expatsvii It is a similar story in Bahrain where

50% of the population are expatsviii, while in Kuwaitix, 1 in 3 are from a different country. Omanx has

a 25% expat population, and Qatarxi like the UAE, has a population of around 90%.




Although the expat population is not entirely western in all of the GCC countries you will not be

alone. The friendships and professional connections you make in this region will open doors for you

around the globe.

Landing a Job in the Middle East - Showcasing your Value Proposition Once you've decided you want to make the leap to the region it is time to ensure your CV, LinkedIn

profile, network of contacts, and personal branding is up to speed.

These are the tools that will show Middle Eastern head hunters, recruiters, and employers what you

can do and subsequently land you the role. What follows is a general guide on what they will be

looking out for:

CV - This document should showcase your achievements, experience, and skills. Good CVs will show

these three elements and emphasise achievements. The importance of this document cannot be

overstated. When viewed by decision makers it will be in competition with your competitors. It

needs to be professional, it needs to be concise, and it needs to showcase your abilities.

LinkedIn Profile- There are two elements to your LinkedIn profile which need to be in place for

success. One, it needs to match your CV in terms of achievements, abilities, experience, and dates.

Differences will lead to executive job rejection, and two, it cannot be boring. Good profiles engage

the reader and hold their attention. LinkedIn profiles which fail to engage generally get overlooked.

Networking - Networking is essential to your career and your executive job hunt. It is especially

important in the Middle East. Once your CV and LinkedIn profile are good, it is recommended that

you start to contact head hunters and recruiters who work for Middle Eastern corporations. This

should be done face to face and on LinkedIn.

Personal Branding - Personal branding is becoming increasingly more important to your career and

to find executive roles. Like company branding, it is about defining a set of values and adhering to

them, as well as discussing aspects of your job through blogging and social media. Good personal

branding will showcase your value proposition and subsequently make you more marketable as an

executive job candidate and progress your career.

Our Role in Landing your Middle East executive Role As skilled global career consultants and career coaches, we can address your CV, LinkedIn profile and

personal branding. We can ensure they are Middle East ready. Once this first stage is done, we can

provide you with a comprehensive list of recruiters and head hunters to approach. Depending on

what service you choose, we can also help you tailor job applications you make for Middle East

based roles. This will make you a competitive contender for each job you apply for.




Beata Staszkow - Managing Director and founder of Mentor EU

Beata Staszkow is an accomplished MBA-calibre Global Careers

Management Consultant and Executive Manager, with international

and UK experience in managing professional services, higher

education and membership organisations. The Founder and General

Manager of Mentor EU she has been working on multiple career

transition and outplacement projects with Workstream Consulting,

KGHM Ecoren or Career Intelligence. With 20 years of a fulfilling

management and consulting career in Europe and profound

expertise in the global market place, she has been successfully

helping senior executive clients across the globe, looking for more rewarding careers.

Profound multi-industry expertise and experience of working with executive clients combined with

learning and development background allow Beata to empower her clients to take necessary actions

to achieve their careers goals quickly and efficiently.

Prior to her move into careers management consulting, Beata joined KGHM Polska Miedz - Polish

Copper, a blue chip company, a top producer of copper, silver and rhenium with 30,000 employees.

Promoted to Deputy Director of Employers' Organisation of Polska Miedz, Beata successfully

represented extractive and metal industry in Poland and Europe.

From September 2001 until March 2006, she successfully managed The Institute of Personnel and

Development - a start-up consultancy which successfully delivered training and consulting services

to blue-chip and medium sized companies across industry sectors. They successfully assisted

corporate clients going through most dramatic business transitions including privatisations, mergers

and acquisitions as we as redundancies. Beata has got expertise in managing successful turnarounds

and managing private higher education institutions. Apart from academic lecturing and managing

the English Department of the Polish Open University, in 1995 she took over an ailing campus of the

POU and transformed it into a leading business school in Poland.

Outside her professional interests, Beata is a voracious reader and a classical music fan.

What our Clients Say

Ramzy Maalouf

VP, Sales Operations at Trade International

I had been in my job for a couple of years and I felt that it was high time to make a move. I had no

experience of looking for a job since I had been always headhunted for my previous positions and I

was worried that I would waste a lot of time before I start getting interviews. I did some research




and I thought that I need to find an experienced careers management consultant to accelerate my

career transition. I started working with Beata and she made it clear that a career transition at a

senior executive level is a complex project and we need to combine her expertise and my hard work

and commitment in order to succeed. We started from reformatting my CV, learning how to apply

for jobs efficiently and ensure that my CV is actually noticed and read. We looked at all aspects of

career transition including building relationships with recruiters and executive search consultants,

networking and direct approaches. Beata helped me to improve my LinkedIn profile and build my

personal brand through social media. The honest and sincere feedback that Beata provided, helped

me achieve a position with the one of the most recognizable corporation in my line of work. Within

three months of working with Beata, I achieved my goal; however, her helpfulness and feedback

with my professional career didn’t end.

Giovanni Fabbio

Management and Consultant at Consilia

Beata is very familiar with the field of human resources, the needs of companies and her coaching

services offered both at company level and at individual level are extremely effective in guiding and

optimizing choices of her clients.

Dilip Savaikar

Re - order Regional Supply Chain Director , Latin America

Beata is a highly respected coach and career consultant with a strong reputation for achieving

excellent results for her clients. Her deep insights about the market and what exactly are corporates

are looking for is absolutely spot on. Interacting with Beata has helped me focus more on my

strengths and he helped me to work on some of my weak spots. She is professional, diligent,

positive, well qualified and offers extensive experience combined with first-class communication and

interpersonal skills.

Contact Mentor EU

Phone: +44 77 3858 5207

Email: [email protected]

Skype: beatastaszkow25

Site: www.mentoreu.com

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Sources i http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperation_Council_for_the_Arab_States_of_the_Gulf ii http://www.expatarrivals.com/article/a-comparison-of-expat-salaries-in-the-middle-east

iii http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/is-expat-package-dead-in-uae-here-are-most-outrageous-

ones-2013-06-10-1.509717 iv http://www.expatarrivals.com/article/a-comparison-of-expat-salaries-in-the-middle-east

v http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/129366/six-things-to-push-for-in-expat-packages-in-the-middle-

east/ vi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_workers_in_Saudi_Arabia#Composition_and_numbers

vii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expatriates_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates

viii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain

ix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migrant_workers_in_Kuwait

x http://www.expatarrivals.com/oman/working-in-oman

xi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Qatar

The Mentor EU's Expat Guide to Working in the Middle East

Career

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