If you're job searching in Dubai on a Dubai visit visa, it's important to stay in the best locations. Staying in the best locations will stop you from wasting time and will help you to maximise your efforts.
Location really does make a difference. Dubai is a big city so you need to position yourself as near to the action as possible. In this article, I’ll outline three top tips for choosing where to stay whilst in Dubai on a job search.
In Dubai, you’ll find many companies from the same industries clustered together in the same location. This is largely because of something called Economic Free Zones.
There are over 30 Economic Free Zones in Dubai and each one is designed to support a specific industry. These Free Zones allow foreign companies to operate in Dubai and the UAE without a local partner.
You’ll find most media companies in Dubai Media City, you’ll find most finance and legal companies in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Jebel Ali Free Zone hosts many logistics and shipping companies and Dubai Internet City is home to many tech companies. You get the idea!
Before deciding where to stay in Dubai, identify where your target companies are located and aim to choose accommodation as close as possible.
This will make attending interviews much easier and will also give you the opportunity to spend more time in your ideal workspace and get a sense of the work culture and local amenities.
Try spending some time at local coffee shops near to your target companies. Get talking to people from these businesses, networking is a powerful job search tool in Dubai!
As I said at the start, Dubai is a big city and it's very spread out. It's often impossible to walk from one area of the city to another. The weather in Dubai during the summer also makes getting around the city difficult.
If you are visiting Dubai for a short period of time, I recommend staying as close to a Dubai metro station as possible. The Dubai metro is the cheapest and most convenient mode of public transport in Dubai.
If you are visiting in the warmer months, make sure any walk to a metro takes no more than 5 minutes. Whilst you may be comfortable with a 20-minute walk in your home country, a 20-minute walk in 50-degree heat will leave you hot and exhausted for the remainder of your day! Not a good look for a job interview.
Dubai now offers short-stay rental accommodation all across the city. This is often much cheaper than staying in hotels and gives you the added benefit of being able to save on food costs as most options come with a kitchen.
What’s more, opting to stay in a residential area will give a greater understanding of true living costs. This insight will prove invaluable when it comes time to evaluate a job offer.
You can also use the stay as a ‘trial run’ to help you decide if the area you are staying in is somewhere you’d be happy to live long term.
When I first moved to Dubai, I ended up renting in the same apartment building that I had stayed in during a short visit. I knew the area and felt comfortable there so it seemed like a safer choice.
A big part of your Dubai job search is going to involve networking, attending meetings and going to job interviews. Most of these things will take place in one of the major hubs of the city. It's easier to arrange to meet people in one of the major hubs because most people know where they are and they are easy to get to.
Situated close to the Dubai metro line, JLT consists of high-rise apartment blocks surrounding a cluster of lakes. There are plenty of great restaurants, bars and cafes, and, in the cooler months, you can walk to top tourist spots such as JBR beach and Dubai Marina.
JLT also has offices and is part of DMCC free zone, so is a great option if you are interviewing at companies located nearby. You’ll also be just a few metro stops away Dubai Internet City and the many Dubai recruitment companies that are located near there.
If you want to be in the centre of the action, then Downtown Dubai is a great choice. You’ll be close to a wide selection of employers located in DIFC, Emaar Square and Business Bay. You’ll also be able to enjoy easy access to Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa as well as many downtown attractions.
Located in the older part of city, Dubai Creek is a bustling hub of old meets new and is typically a cheaper option than the southern parts of the city. Staying here will give you easy access to employers in Dubai Healthcare City and Dubai Airport Free Zone, plus you’ll also be able to easily explore tourist spots such as the traditional Souk markets.
Positioned right next to Downtown Dubai, Business Bay contains a mix of residential and office buildings. It is typically cheaper to stay here than other nearby hotspots, but you’ll still have fantastic access to downtown, Dubai International Financial Centre, Emaar Square and Emirates Towers.
Plus, Business Bay has its own metro stop making travelling very accessible.
If you’re looking for a central location close to Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Mall of the Emirates, then Barsha Heights is worth exploring. This lesser-known area features many nice apartment buildings and ‘The Greens’ development nearby hosts some popular restaurants and coffee shops such as Nandos and Caribou Coffee. You will also be close to Mall of the Emirates and to Dubai Media City.
There are many fantastic places to stay in Dubai whilst looking for work. Don’t limit yourself to tourist spots and hotels. After all, if you plan to make this dynamic city your home, it’s never too early to approach accommodation as a resident and not a holiday-maker!
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