Dozens of Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions have begun to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of the global event's launch in October.
The boom in recruitment is for guest services, tour guides, chefs, hosts and site managers, as governments and embassies look to hire front-facing personnel to host their pavilions.
There are 192 country pavilions on the 438-hectare site. Some of the larger pavilions require up to 200 staff each.
Millions of visitors are expected to visit Expo 2020 between October 2021 and March 2022.
We are very optimistic that with vaccination and the increased awareness of how to deal with Covid, that people will come to this event
Before the pandemic, the organisers predicted 25 million visitors – a majority of them tourists.
Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, said despite the Covid-enforced travel disruption, he was confident of huge visitor numbers – and that thousands of smiling staff were needed to welcome them.
"We are very optimistic that, with vaccination and increased awareness of the entire world of how to deal with Covid, that people will continue to come to this event," he told The National in an interview this week.
"It's a platform for so many opportunities that the world can benefit from."
David Mackenzie, founder of Mackenzie Jones Middle East, is among the employers now filling roles.
He said: "Everyone is gearing up now for Expo".
He said Global Affairs Canada, which manages the Canadian government's diplomatic and consular relations, is the latest to send out a tender for a recruitment agent to find them 60 staff to work in its pavilion.
The British embassy has already awarded its contract to a consortium led by ServeU to operate and staff its pavilion.
Recruiters are looking for a range of roles, from an overall pavilion manager to visitor experience guides and back office staff – including cleaning and security.
An advert was posted on LinkedIn two weeks ago for an "enthusiastic operations officer to support ground logistics for the USA Pavilion".
We are bringing lots of technicians from different parts of the world – specialists like laser technicians who create experiences
The full-time position "will require the co-ordination of deliveries, vehicles, logistics, accommodation services, accreditation, visas, etc. so similar experience will be highly advantageous".
Big Fish Recruitment has several job adverts on LinkedIn for a "European pavilion", including one for visitor guides and one for receptionist and lounge staff.
Director Gary Segesdy said Big Fish are offering HR consultancy services to embassies looking to recruit staff for their pavilions in the UAE and abroad.
“Depending on the footprint, pavilions need anything from 10 to 200+ staff, if you include all the blue-collar workers for services such as housekeeping as well,” he said.
“Preparations started well over a year ago, and obviously because of the pandemic everything has been delayed," said Mr Segesdy.
“As confidence started growing, and it looked like the event was actually going to happen, countries started to look for manpower and staffing solutions.
“We are expecting this demand to increase as we get closer to the start date, and it’s going to provide a lot of people with jobs.
“It’s going to be a shot in the arm for the employment market, for sure. It can only be good thing,” he said.
The salaries on offer vary depending on the host pavilion and their local employment laws, and also the skillset offered by the prospective employee.
Languages are a key requirement for this global event, and guides or receptionists who can speak English, Hindi, Arabic and Tagalog are in particular demand.
Pavilions are not looking to hire only host nation staff, as the ability to communicate with visitors is a priority.
Recruiters are keen to hire a mix of staff as pavilion guides, from graduates to mums looking to return to the workforce on a temporary basis.
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The impact of the Expo will not only be felt locally, as recruitment agents said they are looking further afield for talent.
Tasc Outsourcing, a staffing agency headquartered in Dubai, has just won a contract to recruit about 190 people for two pavilions, said their senior vice president, Abbas Ali.
“We are bringing lots of technicians from different parts of the world – real specialists like laser technicians who create experiences," he said.
“Contracts are getting awarded as we speak. There’ll be lots of interviews and assessments in June and July."
Even international hires have an impact on the market here, as incoming expats need visa services, compliance help, housing and potentially schools and nannies.
Estate agent Harry Tregoning, founder of Tregoning Property, has already noticed an sharp rise in business.
“I’ve had inquiries from two separate companies looking for more than 150 rooms for seven-month leases for Expo,” he said.
"One needs 25 two-bedroom flats for housing locally employed security staff and hostesses, the other group wants 46 two-bedroom flats for catering staff coming from Switzerland."
While thousands of staff will be coming from abroad, Mr Ali of Tasc Outsourcing believes the majority of the staff needed will be employed locally.
“We specialise in volume hiring, and Expo 2020 is a great opportunity for us. We can provide the experienced people, the client service managers," he said.
“We are looking to provide 2,000 to 3,000 people on short-term contracts.
“The demand is coming – it should be a very productive year," he said.
10 roles available at Expo 2020 Dubai
(Salaries are estimated and per month)
1) Pavilion guides – Dh8,000 ($2,178) - Dh12,000
2) Pavilion operations manager – Dh15,000 - Dh25,000 (depending on the size of the pavilion)
3) Receptionist and lounge staff – Dh6,000 plus accommodation
4) Media officer – Dh10,000 - Dh15,000
5) Protocol and events officer – Dh15,000 - Dh20,000
6) Housekeeping manager – Dh15,000 - Dh30,000 (depending on the size of the pavilion – some have 300 cleaners)
7) Hospitality – Dh2,000 plus accommodation
8) Events chef – Dh18,000 - Dh25,000
9) Events manager – Dh15,000 - Dh25,000
10) Acrobats, stage performers and musicians – freelance and paid per event (depending on skill level and success)
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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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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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
