Dubai is the capital of the United Arab Emirates which is also known as the UAE and it is known to be the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates country. The city is very large, highly developed and holds the rich culture and economic development of the Arab Emirates. Crude oil is the main revenue of Dubai and it is the biggest business center in the Asian world which does not only generate its revenue from crude oil but also through tourism, trade, aviation, real estate and other financial services. Arabic is the main language spoken in Dubai but English is also widely spoken since more tourists and foreign students come into the UAE each year. The currency of the UAE is the United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED).

Dubai’s culture is surrounded by an avid Arabian descent and this makes the city to be a huge tourist attraction, making it one of its centers of high revenue for the country. The city has a high level of luxurious and extravagant lifestyle and definitely attracts foreign visitors who come into the country all year round. According to Wikipedia, Dubai attracts about a million visitors each year to the city to experience its luxurious lifestyle. The climate of the UAE most populous city is a subtropical desert that experiences winter, and summer in the right proportions.

There are various means of transportation in Dubai and depending on your pocket size. Some of these means are; bus, taxi, renting of a car and through the Dubai metro, the automated, driverless railway system. This creates a great budget system for people as you won’t spend much depending on the means of transportation you opt for. The city is very safe for learning and this definitely attracts international students to choose Dubai as a study abroad option. With its good economy, students can get a job after their studies at any company of their interest or discipline. While still studying, students can also get internships although, these do not pay for the work experiences obtained are great for their future career.

The city of Dubai is very fun-filled with different recreational and fun centers and activities which attract foreigners such as the club, traditional souks, camel riding, belly-dancing, shopping malls, water sports, parachuting, dune bashing amongst a host of others.

Dubai does not allow international students to work while the study without a work permit which allows them to legally get paid jobs in the city, but for local students who are citizens, they are allowed to study and work are granted a 6 hours per day opportunity to work while they study and this is in accordance with the labor law in the UAE. Some universities in Dubai offer on-campus jobs to students where they can work in different sections of the school and get paid as well. Although this can only be made possible if the student meets some of the criteria required in working on-campus. The most common requirements been; the student must be the student must be involved in a full time undergraduate degree program and must possess a minimum GPA of 2.2. During the course of the students’ study, they are permitted to work up to 15 hours per week but when on academic breaks, the students can work up to 40 hours per week.

While working and studying in Dubai, students are not allowed to hold more than one job, and any student found guilty of holding two jobs would be made to forfeit the payment of one of those jobs and your student visa may be canceled. Dubai companies pay their employees quite well and the salary range is about AED 36000 to AED 810,000 depending on your educational qualification and the company you work for.

Cost of Living and Studying in Dubai

Dubai known as a commerce center and the international trading hub in the Asian and Arab world, in recent times are also striving to make its education world class. The cost of tuition fee in Dubai is relatively low and this makes it a good study abroad option for international students. Although, the cost of living in Dubai is on a high side, since the city is very luxurious. Therefore as an international student who wants to come to the UAE to study, you must put more consideration into your general living expenses such as accommodation and other expenses. These are the areas where you are likely to spend more money and not on the tuition fee. Accommodation in Dubai is of two types; off-campus and on-campus.

The on-campus accommodation is relatively on the cheaper side when compared to the off-campus type of accommodation but, the on-campus slots are always quick to be exhausted. There is also private accommodation which comes with all the luxury but as an international student, who wants to survive through your duration of program, private accommodation is not always a top pick, you may try out the shared apartments for off-campus.

After sourcing the accommodation of your choice, other expenses which you must put into consideration are food, entertainment, transportation and books. Although these do not take so much money as in the case of accommodation, they also will require a monthly budget to help you stay on course. Dubai has a safe learning environment for students with great career opportunities at the end of the study, but a work permit will be required to work as an international student or foreigner.

The universities in the city are making use of the UK curriculum in their teaching and they also allow more international universities and bodies to come and established universities in the UAE country to attract more foreign students.

Necessary Steps to Work and Study in Dubai

Not only in recent times when the labor law was amended, international students were not allowed to work while they study in the UAE, but when the law was amended, international students can now get a work permit which allows them to work both part-time and full time while they study in the UAE universities. As an international student who wishes to work while undergoing your degree program in any UAE university must be aware of some of the necessary steps to take in order to avoid getting your student visa revoked and you are sent back to your country.

1. Get a student visa: for an international student going abroad for studies, you must, first of all, get your student visa that is after you have settled the institution you want to attend and the course and program of study has been settled. Obtaining this student visa to Dubai allows you entry to the country without stress.
2. Get a work permit: as it was stated earlier, the UAE country formerly does not allow international students to work until its labor law was amended in the constitution which now allows foreign students to get a part-time or full-time job while they study.
3. Duration of study: for getting a job in Dubai while you study, the student must have completed 12 months of studying in the university and must be on a full-time degree program before the work permit would be issued.
4. Follow all the work instructions: international students are allowed to work for a minimum of 15 hours per week and up to 40 hours per week when on summer or academic breaks. The work permit also allows the students to have just one job, that is, a student cannot hold two or three jobs at once. These are quite important guidelines to follow so as not to get penalized when caught which can lead to you not getting paid for jobs done or complete have your visa revoked and sent back home.
5. Age and academic requirements: The official age requirement for working in Dubai is 18 years. So before you apply for a job in Dubai, you must be up to 18 years with proof of medical fitness for your required job role. There two types of jobs an international student can get, an on-campus job which may include working in the libraries, and different departments of the university, or an off-campus job. For an on-campus job, the student must have a GPA of 2.2 before you can be offered to work in the school.

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Dubai Work Visa Requirements

Generally, before you can work in the UAE, you need to obtain a work permit from the ministry of labor and this will authorize you to work in any sector in the country. Some of the requirements needed to obtain a work visa in Dubai are listed below;

• Work application form
• Emirates ID card
• Passport (original and photocopies)
• Valid company card
• Medical and health checkup certificate
• Entry permit issued by the ministry of labor

Dubai is one of such cities that accommodates and welcomes international students from all around the world to come and study. With its fast-growing economy, one of the best in the Asian world, it possesses great career growth and work opportunities for students. Working and studying in Dubai is now easier to accomplish since the labor law has been amended to allow international students to work for up to 15 hours per week either for a full-time or part-time job. Since the living lifestyle in Dubai is on the high side, this is then the major challenge of most international students which makes them get small jobs to assist them financially. Dubai is filled with a great culture and nice environment which attracts tourists from all around the world. If all the regulations of the UAE are followed, most especially in Dubai, as an international student, you will enjoy your stay there, working and studying with ease.