The UAE ranks 13th as the most preferred country for work relocation according to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network. The country’s strong response to the COVID-19 outbreak was stated to be a key reason for its success in the list.
The survey covered 209,000 workers in 190 countries. Out of the country’s participants, 90% were expats with an average age of 38. Country-wise, Canada outranked the US as the first choice for foreign workers. City-wise, London remained the number one work destination globally for the third time.
According to Christopher Daniel, Director of BCG Middle East, “The UAE’s status as being less impacted by the pandemic than other countries is a key factor behind its heightened appeal on the world stage, with several notable cities now considered much less appealing compared to two years ago.”
Truly, UAE’s efforts in aggressively doing vaccination drives helped further improve the country’s image as a safe and secure destination to live and work in. So far, the government has administered more than 6.5 million vaccines. Globally, the country is second best in terms of the total COVID-19 doses administered – second only to Israel.
Dubai & Abu Dhabi ranks in the top 5 most preferred cities for work relocation
The survey also showed that Dubai rose from #6 in 2018 to #3 in 2020; leaving other prominent cities like Berlin (4th), Tokyo (6th), Singapore (7th), New York (8th), Barcelona (9th), and Sydney (10th) behind. While Abu Dhabi closely follows at 5th.
Based on the study, there is now less willing to move globally for work. Respondents show a high level of enthusiasm to work from home while working for a foreign employer. Factors like the difficulty of controlling the pandemic and a sharp rise in nationalism are reported to have altered people’s thinking. However, people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were the exceptions to this. “Perhaps because countries like Nigeria, Yemen, Sudan, and Tunisia don’t offer the same career opportunities as can be found in the West, willingness to relocate hasn’t fallen significantly since 2018,” said the report.
“The job market has witnessed many changes over the past few months. The Covid-19 pandemic has placed companies in every industry under pressure to make the transition to virtual workplaces. As such, the vast majority of professionals and businesses have adopted remote working, enabling them to remain competitive and ensure continuity,” said Ola Haddad, director of Human Resources at Bayt.com.
With the rise of remote working, people feel that progressing in their careers is possible without needing to move. Restrictive immigration policies have already made mobility weak and complicated. However, the promise of Expo 2021 and the restart and support of the private sector despite the challenges of the pandemic are the key incentives why foreign nationals choose the city.
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