UAE jobs: employers focus on well-being and work-life balance in 2023

Companies in the UAE are introducing creative ways to connect with employees and continue to offer well-being initiatives for a healthy work-life balance, according to a survey by management consultancy Great Place to Work.

“Despite the challenges we have faced during the pandemic, we are proud to witness even more continuous advocation for work-life balance among leaders in the UAE and we are here to celebrate them,” Ibrahim Mougharbel, managing director for the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait at Great Place to Work Middle East, said on Monday.

The survey covered sectors such as retail, social services and government agencies, transportation, finance and media.

Companies in the UAE 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.

The top five UAE companies to work for in the large category include fast-food chain McDonald's, air-conditioning company Leminar Group, family conglomerate Al Dabbagh Group, fashion retailer Centrepoint and luxury retailer Chalhoub Group, the survey found.

The consultancy defined large companies as those with more than 500 employees.

The UAE jobs market has made a strong recovery from the coronavirus-induced slowdown, boosted by the government’s fiscal and monetary measures.

Flexible working — a legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic — remains a top priority for employees in 2023, with the most popular arrangement for workers being three days in the office and two days at home, recruitment specialist Michael Page said in its 2023 salary report.

“Learning to embrace a hybrid work model proves to be key in attracting and safeguarding employees,” Michael Page said.

In today’s knowledge economy, employees and jobseekers are also focused on acquiring new skills to succeed in their careers, with training, career development and private health care among the most wanted employment benefits, it said.

Meanwhile, Dubai-based furniture chain The One has been named the best UAE company to work for in the small to medium category, the Great Place to Work survey found.

Financial services provider Century Financial, Pizza Express, Shift Electronics and Accuracy round off the top five in this category.

“The organisations that made it to the list have proven that employee well-being does not need to be compromised in order to achieve growth,” the survey said.

“In fact, both go hand-in-hand. Maintaining employee well-being in a post-pandemic era is not plain sailing; hence, these organisations exerted tremendous efforts.”

In the government category, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority was ranked first as the best place to work.

UAE salary guide 2023 — in pictures

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority followed in second place and the Sharjah Electricity Water and Gas Authority was ranked the third-best place to work.

The Sharjah government’s eGov department was ranked fourth, followed by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority in fifth place.

“Leaders this year got even more creative in the ways with which they connect with their employees, thus continuously building up on a solid foundation of trust,” the survey said.

“With perpetual communication across all-levels of the organisation, employees felt resonated with and cared for.”

Top five best UAE workplaces in the large category in 2023

1. McDonald's by EFC

2. Leminar Group

3. Al Dabbagh Group

4. Centrepoint

5. Chalhoub Group

Top five best UAE workplaces in the small to medium category in 2023

1. The One

2. Century Financial

3. Pizza Express

4. Shift Electronics

5. Accuracy

Top five best UAE workplaces in the government category in 2023

1. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority

2. Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority

3. Sharjah Electricity Water and Gas Authority

4. Government of Sharjah — Department of eGov

5. Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority

Citizenship-by-investment programmes

United Kingdom

The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).

All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.

The Caribbean

Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.

Portugal

The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.

“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.

Greece

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.

Spain

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.

Cyprus

Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.

Malta

The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.

The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.

Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.

Egypt

A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.

Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties

Key findings of Jenkins report

Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer