A ll over the world, big cities have always offered better career prospects to individuals than smaller towns. The work environment in major metropolises is fast-paced, workers generally earn higher wages, they can acquire more of a global perspective and are likely to be promoted faster.
This applies to the UAE, which is why it is no surprise that young Emiratis from Northern Emirates continue to be drawn to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Consider the case of Omar Abdelrahman, who is about to graduate from Khalifa University in computer engineering and has been looking for jobs in his home emirate of Sharjah. He was offered a position at Dh18,000 a month, while a similar post in Abu Dhabi would pay as much as Dh45,000 and involve a shorter working day. Pay and hours are just part of the appeal, with workplaces in Dubai and Abu Dhabi also putting more emphasis on career development.
Normally, this would simply be an example of the market in action but there is one problem posed by this exodus of workers from the other emirates. As The National reported, it is affecting Emiratisation efforts.
That is a sufficiently serious an issue to warrant attempts to tip the balance a little further towards the Northern Emirates. There is no need to highlight the lifestyle benefits of taking jobs locally, so the focus ought instead to be on encouraging the provision of more highly-skilled and high-paying jobs outside of the main cities.
The housing market is already showing the way on this issue. As rents have increased in the most sought-after areas of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, there has been a flow of people to cheaper areas in Sharjah, Ajman or on the Abu Dhabi mainland. There is no reason why the same cost imperatives should not also tempt businesses to re-locate – particularly if the Northern Emirates were to offer incentives such as rent holidays for an initial period or by offering better infrastructure, such as the highest speeds of internet connections for tech companies. Etihad Airways's siting of its call centre in Al Ain shows companies need not be wedded to big cities. Other companies may also find the lower costs in the regions work for them.
