Hundreds of thousands of teachers applied for roles in the Gulf for the new academic year, with attractive salaries, quality of life and upheaval back home prompting many to make a fresh start.
As many as 1,850 teachers from 57 countries will be joining Gems Education schools in UAE and Qatar for the first day back to school on Monday.
Speaking to The National, Matthew Tompkins, senior vice president human resources at Gems Education, said they got an overwhelming response, receiving “600,000 applications for those 1,850 places”.
“So it's still an incredibly popular destination,” Mr Tompkins said.
The teachers come from “a diverse range of backgrounds” with “29 per cent from the UK, 27 per cent from India and 20 per cent from Egypt”.
Unique career growth
Noorul Choudhury, a 48-year-old British teacher, will be moving from Amsterdam to the UAE for its “dynamic and rapidly growing educational landscape that offers unique professional development opportunities”.
After working in the UK for 15 years and in Europe for six years, he feels “the schools in UAE are a little more forward-thinking than I've been used to in Europe when it comes to educational innovation”.
Mr Choudhry will be taking on the role of head of Secondary at Gems Westminster School in Ras Al Khaimah.
It was Ras Al Khaimah's “quieter lifestyle” with its stunning landscape of “mountains, beautiful beaches” that attracted Mr Choudhry away from the “glitz and glamour of Dubai”.
“The lifestyle that UAE offers is beyond just the sunny climate. To me, it's about the rich cultural heritage that the UAE offers which is an attraction, and the fact that more and more people are adopting the UAE as a second home.”
It was career growth that prompted Salvador Barros from Spain to move from Barbados to Dubai's Gems International School.
“I always heard about the high-quality teaching, the good living standards and how well-resourced schools are,” said the 40-year-old, who has taught in schools in Portugal and Germany.
“I'm excited to see how much this city has to offer.”
Mr Barros, who will be head of department for individuals and societies, said he's also keen on exploring sports clubs, “whether it's running, cycling, climbing, hiking, swimming, triathlons”.
Strong sense of community
Hannah Mcdonald, a 25-year-old Irish early years teacher, said she was willing to move to Dubai for its “strong sense of community and diversity that makes it feel so welcoming”.
She will join Dubai British School Jumeira and hopes that “clubs and groups, like Gaelic football clubs, will help people settle in and feel at home and meet new people”.
Apart from the culture, it's the “attractive pay packages” that make the move worth it, especially for Irish teachers who are dealing with a “huge housing crisis” and “high cost of living” back home, Ms McDonald explained.
Connor Moffatt, a British teacher, also moved to Dubai British School Jumeira said the recent happenings in the UK had motivated him to move “to feel a little bit safer”.
He moved with his partner and toddler after working at a school in the UK for 11 years.
“In the UK at the moment, it's just things are a little bit all over the place. So that was a personal reason, I think, for my family to come to a culture that's a little bit more respectful and to feel safe in the environment,” said Mr Moffatt, who will be working as an inclusion teacher.
“Also in terms of career development, the opportunities seem really amazing.
“I'm really looking forward to the varied cultures and nationalities and really excited to see how that dynamic works.”
Gagandeep Kaur, an Indian business and economics teacher, moved to Gems New Millennium School-Al Khail this month after living in Qatar for 12 years for “the city’s holistic environment for growth, where you feel secure, where you feel safe”.
“With crimes that are going on [in various parts of the world], where women do not feel secure to even go out of their houses after dark, I feel UAE offers safety. And if you're safe, only then can you achieve things,” said Ms Kaur.
Competitive salaries and perks
Most UAE schools offer competitive tax-free salaries, accommodation or housing allowance, private medical insurance, annual air travel to home country, free or discounted schooling and an end-of-service gratuity, but individual schools may have different offerings depending on the role.
Salaries vary from school to school, but typically teachers can expect to make between Dh9,000 and Dh14,000 a month ($2,450-$3,800) depending on experience and qualification.
Top-end schools tend to pay between Dh16,000 to Dh17,000 a month – plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000.
New school openings in the UAE - in pictures
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.”
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
