Dubai-based furniture chain The One has been named the Middle East's best workplace in the medium category in 2022, as companies in the region continue to focus on employee well-being, work-life balance and learning opportunities in the post-pandemic era, a survey by management consultancy Great Place to Work showed.
Dubai Police Academy, financial services provider Century Financial, international fast-food chain Pizza Express and UAE-based property company Metropolitan Group round out the top five best workplaces in the medium category, the survey, released on Thursday, found.
Other UAE companies in the list include Sharjah-based food manufacturing company Global Food Industries, piping materials supplier PetroGas Piping, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, building materials distributor Sara Group and public relations company Hill+Knowlton Strategies, among others, the survey revealed.
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“Despite the challenges we faced during the pandemic, we are proud to witness even more continuous growth in employee culture awareness among leaders in the UAE and the Middle East in general,” Ibrahim Mougharbel, managing director for the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait at Great Place to Work Middle East, said.
“Our best workplaces for this year have persevered through the time of unprecedented upheaval and continued to persevere post-pandemic.”
The survey included companies in sectors such as retail, social services, government agencies, transport, finance and media.
Companies based in the Middle East that fall within these industries and employ 10 or more workers are eligible to participate in the survey. They are assessed based on employee feedback and an audit of management and HR practices.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, employees and jobseekers have been increasingly requesting to work from home at least two days a week, in addition to asking for flexible hours and training opportunities, recruitment company Robert Half said in its 2022 salary guide.
A June survey by global consultancy PwC found that professionals in the Middle East are prioritising opportunities to improve their skills as well as seeking transparency, flexibility and well-being in the workplace.
Meanwhile, Riyadh International Catering Corporation McDonald’s, which holds the fast-food chain’s franchise in parts of Saudi Arabia, was ranked as the best workplace in the large category, the Great Place to Work survey showed.
McDonald’s, Ajman Police, air-conditioning company Leminar and DHL Express round out the top five best workplaces in the large category this year.
Other companies in this category include Five Hotels, UAE food delivery company Talabat, Dubai-based luxury retailer Chalhoub Group, Saudi Arabian clothing retailer Alhokair Fashion Retail and international hotel chain Hilton, the survey findings showed.
“Great workplaces throughout Saudi Arabia compete across different sectors in providing great workplace environments for all employees to ensure winning the war of local talent,” Tanzeel Rehman, managing director for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at Great Place to Work Middle East, said.
Dubai-based foreign exchange and remittance company Hadi Express Exchange was ranked the best workplace in the small category in the Middle East.
Hospitality company Oyo was ranked second in the small category, followed by recruitment consultancy Charterhouse, Saudi Arabia-based car rental company Ashjan Najd and lifestyle app Privilee.
The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority is also listed in this category, the survey showed.
Top 10 best workplaces in the large category in the Middle East in 2022
- RICC McDonald’s
- McDonald’s
- Ajman Police
- Leminar
- DHL Express
- Five Hotels
- Talabat
- Chalhoub Group
- Alhokair Fashion Retail
- Hilton
Top 10 best workplaces in the medium category in the Middle East in 2022
- The One
- Dubai Police Academy
- Century Financial
- Pizza Express
- Metropolitan Group
- Cisco
- Global Food Industries
- International Beverage and Filling Industries
- PeroGas Piping
- TDRA
Top 10 best workplaces in the small category in the Middle East in 2022
- Hadi Express Exchange
- Oyo
- Charterhouse
- Ashjan Najd
- Privilee
- Alkhabeer Capital
- Oxford System Integration
- Tajalla Creative Agency
- Arc Solutions
- Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
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Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Tips to keep your car cool
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- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
Anfield, Liverpool
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
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