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The idea for the free platform jobegic.com is to bring users together with the business community, government agencies, charities, investors and schools and universities.

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Jobegic.com will be forum for job seekers and entrepreneurs

DUBAI // A new social-media website is aiming to become the place to go to for everything from a change of career to charity work.

Jobegic.com is the brainchild of Mohamad Kassem, an economic consultant who works with the UAE Government.

The idea for the free platform is to bring users together with the business community, government agencies, charities, investors and schools and universities.

“This site is not just for the UAE or Middle East, but open to the world,” said Mr Kassem.

“We set up the website not just to help people find new jobs or get investment for their ideas, but also as a way to get them to play a more active and positive role as a citizen.”

Jobegic aims to bring together a range of subjects in one place, making it easier for users to get to the information they need.

It will, for example, connect entrepreneurs with potential investors.

“The difference between Jobegic and Facebook or Twitter, for example, is that it allows you to connect directly with the relevant individual, business or institution.

“If you want a job at Microsoft, then once Microsoft has signed up you will be able to contact their HR manager.”

The network focuses on what Mr Kassem calls the six “Es” – entrepreneurship, employment, education, economy, ecology and events.

“For a country to be successful, it needs to have all six of these elements,” he said. “It needs people to be able to set up businesses or be employed, but the environment is also important, as is education and targeting people directly to attend your event.

“The Middle East, as a region, has the highest levels of youth unemployment anywhere in the world, so it’s vital that we create good jobs through knowledge exchange.”

In the UAE, 22 per cent of Emiratis drop out of school and the reasons why needed to be investigated, he said.

“They become a burden on the state because they require state benefits and the Government has to find jobs for them,” Mr Kassem said. “We need to find why this is the case. The website can help in that respect because it can be a forum for discussing these issues.”

Although it has already soft launched and people can sign up and use it, an official launch is expected soon.

Mr Kassem, from Lebanon, is working in partnership with Emirati Maher Khansaheb, of Khansaheb Investments.

The thinking behind the website has been welcomed by people in Dubai.

“The idea is a good one because it has all these different sections to it,” said Paul Williams, 24, from the UK, who works in finance. “I’ll definitely check it out as I’m already on Facebook pretty regularly.

“I think once it catches on and people understand how to use it properly, then it will become popular.”

Shop keeper Naveed Ismail, 21, from Pakistan, was waiting to see if his friends signed up before joining the social network.

“I’m on Facebook and had signed up to Google Plus when it first launched but none of my friends did, so it was a bit pointless and now I hardly ever go on it,” he said.

“The idea is good but there are so many social-media sites now that I think it’s getting very confusing for people.

“I’m already on Facebook on a daily basis, but if this new site does become popular then I would join as well.”

Briton James Wheeler, 35, who works for a construction company, believes there are too many social-media platforms.

“I really like the idea of it becoming the place to go if people want to do voluntary or charity work in their area,” he said.

“Twitter and Facebook can be a bit random in that respect, so if there is a site that has groups that can advertise what they are doing and whether they need help, that would be very convenient.”

For details visit www.jobegic.com.

nhanif@thenational.ae