It can be rewarding to live and work in the UAE: the pay is good, the standard of living is great, there are lots of entertainment options and there is a lot of scope professionally. Plus there is the added advantage of working with people of different nationalities and walks of life. However, working in the UAE needs the knowledge of a few dos and don’ts as well.
Though many workplaces do have people who speak various languages such as English, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Farsi and so on, Arabic is the official language. Being multilingual is an asset and it can be a good idea to learn some basic Arabic in deference to one's host country.
Workplaces tend to be mixed and have people from various nationalities. Some amount cultural familiarisation would be in order in terms of appropriate greeting, a mode of address or speech, the way of dressing and so on.
Men are expected to dress formally and women are expected to dress modestly in the workplace. In some cases it may be considered inappropriate to offer to shake a woman's hand so it is best to let the woman initiate any such contact. Formal forms of address and concepts of personal space and touching may also be very different from one’s home country.
The UAE is a modern but conservative country and the official religion is Islam. Public displays of affection are not only frowned on, they may get one into trouble with the law. It is important to know about festivals and religious observances and behave accordingly. For instance it would be most inappropriate to be seen eating during daylight hours during the month of Ramadan.
It is important to know not only about the laws of the land but also company rules and regulations. At first an employee may receive a warning, followed by a fine and then suspension with reduced pay before their bonus being withheld. There could also be serious consequences such as dismissal and withholding of gratuity. So be sure to read up about basic legal provisions and labour laws.
UAE does not guarantee the same freedom of speech as some other countries and as such an employee has to be careful about their utterances online and offline. Making religious jokes would be frowned upon and may even get a person arrested. Making critical political comments may also not be looked upon favourably. There have been instances where people have been dismissed from their jobs because of an unfavourable social media post such as when Michelin star chef Atul Kochar was dismissed for his anti-Islamic tweet.
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