These degrees could lead you to the highest paying jobs in UAE

Degrees in engineering and business-related programmes are among the best for graduates looking to secure well-paid jobs, experts have said.

Qualifications in IT and related fields, artificial intelligence, robotics and nanotechnology are also likely to lead to high-paying jobs.

Choosing a place to study is increasingly influenced by average salaries after graduation, and some senior academics in the UAE have identified subject-by-subject salary trends.

“When we look at the graduate employment range of salaries, those with technical backgrounds, like engineering programmes, have a higher salary range than say business programmes or any other programme,” said Dr Kavita Shukla, vice president for student affairs at Amity University Dubai, the local branch of an Indian institution.

People very rarely have difficulty in finding employment as a result of having done a business degree

Dr James Trotter,
Murdoch University Dubai

“In the business programmes, master’s programmes, like MBA, those going into operational roles, like logistics or project management or operations, are slightly lower paid than the ones in sales or marketing.

“The insurance industry is a very big sector here and they do hire a lot of management graduates. That’s where the higher salaries are paid.”

Business is “by far the most popular” subject in UAE universities, said Dr James Trotter, dean of Murdoch University Dubai, the UAE branch of an Australian university.

“People very rarely have difficulty in finding employment as a result of having done a business degree,” Dr Trotter said.

“The UAE is such a vibrant and growing economy and constantly growing population. There’s almost an ever-increasing need for highly skilled employees.”

There is an array of fields that people with business degrees can go into in the UAE, according to Prof Ammar Kaka, provost of Heriot-Watt University Dubai, which is headquartered in Scotland.

“There’s a lot of job opportunities which require those skills from students who have business degrees,” he said. “A large proportion get jobs within the first six months of graduation.”

Increased use of technology

Dr James Trotter, dean of Murdoch University Dubai, the UAE branch of an Australian university, says business is “by far the most popular” subject in UAE universities. Photo: Murdoch University Dubai

In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for graduates with technical backgrounds, Dr Shukla said.

IT and related fields, aerospace engineering and nanotechnology are popular. All fields, including retail, are seeing the increased use of technology, which creates opportunities for those with the right skills.

“Then we have medical diagnostics, where robots are going to replace a lot of the work that humans are doing. Large warehouses are going to be run by robots, so there’s a renewed emphasis on technology,” Dr Shukla said.

“India is one of the biggest sources of IT professionals across the world. In our India campuses also, technical and Btech (engineering) programmes are most popular, which has been reflected here in the UAE because it is a mega-trend. It is a trend which is in line with industry demand now.

“So if you look at the job generation in the coming years, almost 130 million jobs will become redundant, they will be replaced by another 130m jobs of a different profile, which are more linked to technology and behavioural sciences.”

It is a trend that institutions such as Heriot-Watt University Dubai see themselves as being well placed to capitalise on.

Graduates secure jobs quickly

Dr Kaka said his institution’s focus is on engineering, business, science, computing, design and psychology.

There are “quite specific” subjects including renewable energy, artificial intelligence and robotics, while data analytics and computer programming are other popular courses.

“The programmes we offer in these areas are quite technical,” he said. “We can say students get jobs very, very quickly after they graduate because there’s very, very big demand.”

But where does a growing emphasis on technology and related fields leave students who may be interested in, say, literature?

In recent decades there has been a trend away from arts subjects, Dr Trotter said, something he considers “unfortunate”.

He thinks the pendulum may swing back in favour of these subjects, since they equip graduates with “a breadth of knowledge, adaptability, these soft skills” that are useful in many careers.

For a graduate in, for example, literature, or history and French, the job opportunities are “not so obvious”, according to Prof Kaka. However, if these subjects are what the student is interested in, he would not advise against these choices.

“I strongly believe students need to follow their passion,” he said.

Students with artistic leanings can combine them with skills that are in demand from employers, according to Dr Shukla. She said Amity University Dubai’s bachelor of fine arts in animation offers an example.

“It’s a techno-creative programme,” she said. “It has a lot of artistic bent to it, it is creative in nature, but it is technological in nature, because it’s involved in animation. There is software to be learnt from and a lot of technical aspects to it.”

Reskilling a growing trend

Applicants are well advised, Dr Trotter said, to be “open to a range of possibilities” and not to limit their options to courses that might appear fashionable.

While cybersecurity, for example, has a high profile, and all corporations need experts to protect their networks, there are “less glamorous” fields with “excellent prospects”.

“I strongly encourage our students to think beyond their first jobs,” he said. He added that double majors — such as marketing with communication, and IT with criminology or psychology — are particularly good springboards to successful careers.

In any case, a person’s first degree need not define the whole of their career. Prof Kaka says there are opportunities later on to specialise in a particular area of a person’s current field — known as “upskilling” — or to learn about a new area, termed “reskilling”.

These career choices may involve studying for a master’s degree, and the “vast majority” of students at Heriot-Watt University Dubai enrolling on such advanced degree courses are “working professionals”.

One example involves people with a construction background taking a master’s degree in facilities management, a field that might offer more stable career opportunities if construction slows.

“We see demand for reskilling growing,” Prof Kaka said.

Top global universities in graduate employability - in pictures

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

Results

Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)

Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)

Five expert hiking tips

Always check the weather forecast before setting off

Make sure you have plenty of water

Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon

Wear appropriate clothing and footwear

Take your litter home with you

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How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars

Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.

Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.

After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.

Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.

It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.

MATCH INFO

Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)

THE BIO

Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain

Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude

Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE

Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally

Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science

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Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Getting there

The flights

Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.

The stay

Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.

Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com

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Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”

PRISCILLA

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COMPANY%20PROFILE

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These degrees could lead you to the highest paying jobs in UAE

Three top academics identify subject-by-subject salary trends for graduates

Increased use of technology

Graduates secure jobs quickly

Reskilling a growing trend

Top global universities in graduate employability - in pictures

THE BIO

Tomorrow 2021

Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Results

Five&nbsp;expert&nbsp;hiking&nbsp;tips

More from Neighbourhood Watch:

How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars

MATCH INFO

THE BIO

MATCH INFO

Getting there

%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher

Quick pearls of wisdom

PRISCILLA

COMPANY%20PROFILE

Five expert hiking tips