ljb26

Hi,

As I'm sure you see a lot in these forums, I'm a 24 year old guy that's looking to attempt to find some opportunities in the gulf region. I have been reading forums and googling job opportunities on sites like gulftalent.com and naukrigulf.com, but basically I'm a little lost and would appreciate any help.

Just for some background, I'm a grad with good grades and a couple of years experience as a software engineer in java (J2EE, JBoss etc.). I have a long term partner who is a Yemeni national that is due to qualify as an immigration lawyer in August, 3 days before her work sponsorship in the UK is not renewed and she has to go back. I will finish my job at a similar time. She's keen on attempting to find work in the Gulf with me, trying to utilise her Arabic language. She favours places like Kuwait and Qatar.

I realise from browsing we're both a bit under experienced to find work like this, most things seem to require 3 years minimum, even though I feel I've progressed quite far in my 2 years, this isn't enough. In light of this situation does anyone have suggestions for good locations for jobs? Ease of getting visas? Cheaper living etc...Advice and help? Due to our partnership, going to Yemen is not much of an option being known in the community. Somewhere liberal enough to turn a blind eye would be good. I have considered Asia but it seems unless I want to teach English or work for very low chinese programmer wages I have little chance.

Thanks

Meow

Nowhere in the Middle East is what you would term as liberal.

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meonline

Referring to your 3rd paragraph, I am in a similar boat to you career wise. Don't really like it in Dubai, and I am here without my family which is back in the UK but will have to sit tight for the time being. I have an aunt who is just moving from Qatar, Doha to Dubai and she says Doha has more going for it than any other place in the Middle East simply because of their oil wealth and the fact that they are properly investing in infrastructure. How about applying for a job as software engineer for one of the key companies there in oil and gas as it is the countries mainstays. Just a suggestion. Good luck.

TGFKASE

Can't speak about the work side, but I CAN tell you that it is nigh on impossible for a Yemeni national to get an entry visa into the UAE.. I have been trying to get visa's for people to attend courses etc and every Yemeni I attempt to get into Dubai gets knocked back....

meonline

Yeah, I know what you mean. Agree all the way. It seems that in this day in age and in particular this region, your nationality/passport pretty much determines where you can go work wise.

Roadking

Yep, totally agree. We tried everything to get one Yemeni guy in and failed, no hope!

Blue Cat

why though? why doesn't the UAE like Yemeni's

Madam Medusa

lot's of political differences...it's not part of the gcc for starters (although is trying to be, so maybe things will change)...

MM, xx

Roadking

might also be that loads of Yemeni come here to work (legal and illegal) and they are trying to limit the numbers.

...or it could be that there's a population of 20 million in Yemen and 50 million guns!

busybee2

i know people in abu dhabi that are from yemen and have been here as long as me prob more.

MataHari

that's nice but it would have been more helpful if you knew people from Yemen that have only just arrived...

Euc-

I know of at least a few Yemenis who are in and out of the country all the time..

Had no idea they had so much trouble getting a visa! Must be like a Filipina going for a Schengen/US visa I guess

ljb26

Thankyou for your responses.

Meow I realise nowhere is liberal in a western sense, but I just mean slightly more liberal than Yemen, to accept us if we posed as a married couple.

Meonline, thanks, I do know she is keen on Qatar. I just didn't see it come up much on the job sites. I'll look further now and see if I can find something.

Thanks for the information on getting Visas. I do seem to get the impression Yemen seems to be looked down on a little by the other arab countries. Her immigration does not worry me as much due to a key fact I failed to mention. Her family has recently obtained American passports due to her father studying and living there for over 10 yrs. She should have hers within a couple of months hopefully. It also looks like her job opportunities as an arab speaking person with legal qualifications are more hopeful than mine.

Any more information from any IT workers/developers would still be appreciated. Thanks for the help.

Ethos83

If she's a long term partner (serious, is it?) just marry the damn girl and get her a proper western passport. Problem solved.