Ditch the '9 to 5 race': Meet the freelancing community of the UAE
Explained: Top fields to work in, how to avoid scams and get paid on time
Dubai: It was the gutsiest thing that she had ever done.
Yvette Kikuyu, a Dubai-based Kenyan expat looks back at her rather long journey to freelancing with a sense of euphoric pride. Kikuyu left behind a career spanning 15 years in the tech industry, to be her “own person”, as she says. “I had the salary, and was relying on a routine. Yet, there was a missing link.”
She found her answers during a rather catastrophic turn of events during the pandemic, after losing her job. Kikuyu recalls slipping into depression, and how she kept mulling over the state of her future.
What next? Nothing seemed to be working out at first; everything seemed rather drenched in hopelessness.
However, after much musing, she started her own mental health podcast that gradually became a platform for people to address their concerns. And, her social media presence began to grow by leaps and bounds, where people began to seek her out for help. This opened her up to different job opportunities of content creation; yet Kikuyu didn’t want to tie herself down to any one job anymore. There was a sense of liberation; she didn’t want to lose that.
It’s 2024, now and Kikuyu is busy “navigating the world of healthcare”, as she says. The podcast continues, but she continues to write for different healthcare departments as a freelancer. Sometimes she often wonders how she managed to veer so freely into the freelancing life, but she is clear on one thing: She will be her own boss.
I had the salary, and was relying on a routine. Yet, there was a missing link.
‘I never thought that I would work alone’
On the other hand, Dubai-based Ipshita Sharma never imagined that she would ever work alone. “I was always a teamwork person,” she says. However, this was put to the test in 2022, when her employers sold off their bookseller agency to an investment company. As the payments grew more fractured, Sharma turned her focus to content creation. “I got the option of working in travel; else I was always working on selling books. Writing, content creation is something that I did on the side,” she explains.
So, she took the chance. She decided to immerse herself in whatever came into her midst, including travel writing, book-selling, or writing for different industries. “To gain that flexibility, I knew that I had to get a freelancer’s visa,” explains Sharma.
It wasn’t the cheapest option, but Sharma found a way to “create a job” for herself, after gaining the freelancer’s visa. “I got the visa done last minute, so I stopped working for the people who weren’t paying me. I gave up on the money that they owed me, and decided to move on. So I managed to create a job for myself at a travel agency, on a part-time basis,” she says. While working at the travel agency, she focused on content writing, gaining projects when she could.
I’m learning so much here, and I don’t want to give it all up. It’s just that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Currently, Sharma juggles between writing, the travel agency and a few international book-selling projects. “Between all that, I’m kind of surviving,” she says, adding that people tend to take the ‘free’ in ‘freelancing’ for granted. “So, they don’t pay me on time, and I have to keep chasing them. I’m not a person who likes talking about money, but I have to be very assertive,” adds Sharma.
Does she sometimes wish that she could just give up and go? Sharma admits that she does. Nevertheless, she reminds herself that she has made a career for herself here, and built several relationships. “I’m learning so much here, and I don’t want to give it all up. It’s just that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Yet, Sharma knows that there are many more like her in the UAE. And so, while keeping up with her freelancing projects on the side on a daily basis, she also created a safe online space for women on Facebook, which has now grown to over 600 women. “I created this group where women can just talk to each other,” she says emphasising that she isn’t an influencer. “I just wanted to build a community,” she says.
‘A day in the life of a freelancer’
Hayley Alexander, a Dubai-based British expat, tumbled into the world of freelancing eight years ago. After writing restaurant reviews, she decided to write blogs on her culinary escapades. One door led to another, and she found herself contributing to lifestyle content across publications. What excited her most was that she could engage with the vibrancy of the Dubai cultural scenes.
“It’s wild that I can call it work,” she says.
Alexander has a packed routine, but she knows how to make time for herself. Mondays are all about the administrative jobs, submitting invoices, following up and getting her week in order. “Midweek, I’m in the zone, writing articles, doing research, reaching out to people for interviews and quotes,” says Alexander, who works closely with public relations agencies and teams to snag quotes and images.
On Fridays, she is out, exploring Dubai. “Perhaps, having lunch with a friend, or checking the city’s business lunches,” she says. Weekends are far more “sacred”, as she says. “I’m all about slow Saturdays and Sundays, a relaxed breakfast or lunch, or doing some DIY.” As clear as she is about not adding pressure to herself, she also knows that there are ups and downs in the freelancer’s life: The punctuality of payments.
Yet, this doesn’t bog her down. “Actually, freelancing has given me the opportunity to travel to a lot of places, including Oman, Saudi Arabia. For me, the pros outweigh the cons that involve the invoices, as sometimes we do get paid a little later down the line,” adds Alexander. That’s the only annoying part, she maintains, but it doesn’t cloud her life.
Freelancing has given me the opportunity to travel to a lot of places ... For me, the pros outweigh the cons ...
Meanwhile, Natalie Hore, a Dubai-based wellness expert has been a freelancer for over two years. While income varies considerably week to week, she enjoys the flexibility of her schedule and helping people. “My work sees me teach yoga, sound-healing classes, host empowerment and mindset coaching sessions, as well as facilitate wellness events both online,” she adds. Patience is key to being a freelancer she explains, as networking, and being comfortable with self-promotion are crucial for building a client base.
My work sees me teach yoga, sound-healing classes, host empowerment and mindset coaching sessions, as well as facilitate wellness events both online.
What are the top fields for freelancers?
If you, too, are looking to jump in to the world of being your own boss, there are some aspects of the freelancing community in the UAE that would be helpful to know about. For example, certain activities such as marketing, IT, social media influencing, education and design are some of the fields that have the most number of freelancers, according to Yuliya Kireeva, Company Formation Manager at Virtuzone, a Dubai-based company that specialises in a company formation .
“The freelancing community is quite big in the UAE and we receive different types of inquiries. Some are from people who are enquiring about an option to go solo, basically. Sometimes, they are looking to change their employer while some prefer to do it right after graduation and test the waters before they go ahead with the full legal requirement of setting up a business and investing a large amount of money. Or there are people who are looking for a temporary solution between jobs. Freelancing often serves as a temporary bay for them, to see if they can actually have their own business or if they should go back to employment. The trend currently is of more people joining activities such as marketing or IT, as these are fields where they can work independently – they can jump on a project, work on it and then go to the next one,” she said.
So, if you are someone who is considering starting off as a freelancer but don’t know how to go about it, a good way to assess your future chances is to first look at whether you have the necessary skills, experience or qualification to be eligible for a freelance permit. Also, consider what kind of a client base you want to have. Do you have contacts with companies and clients who you can approach to get projects? This is important as you need to be able to set up professionally once you decide to become a freelancer and have potential projects lined up.
If you do want to speak to a business set up consultant, it is advisable to first be clear about these two aspects.
“Normally, what we need to gather is whether they are looking to expand, whether they want to get more clients and who they want to work with, because the freelancing space can come with certain restrictions. For example, you cannot have a corporate bank account, so you can only open a personal bank account and if your plan is to jump on a big project, where your payout will be high, you will have more security if you are a business instead. When it comes to the overall patterns in the sector, it is that freelancing is more helpful at the entry level, if you want to explore business opportunities, because it allows you to gather experience without the cost of renting an office or applying for a business licence,” she said.
For people who are ambitious and who want more for their professional and personal life and don’t just settle for less, we want to give them the message that freelancing is a great way to start your own business and explore your field further.
Which is why, when she is speaking to clients about freelancing, she also tries to see a few steps ahead in terms of their journey as a professional.
“So, it is not just about the immediate solution, like the visa being cancelled, for example, but also, where you want to be in a few years’ time. What kind of clients do you want to have? You will have more security getting bigger projects if you are a legal entity with a business licence, for example,” she said.
“For people who are ambitious and who want more for their professional and personal life and don’t just settle for less, we want to give them the message that freelancing is a great way to start your own business and explore your field further,” she added.
But what are the practical challenges that you would need to consider when setting up your one-person operation?
Which permit or licence should I get?
Liam Doherty, enterprise director at Connect Resources, a UAE-based company that offers freelance advisory and set up services in the UAE, said that one challenge that freelancers may face is not getting the right licence, or worse, going for an online offer for a freelance permit without doing their due diligence.
“Fake websites (created internationally) and fake profiles can sell you a freelance visa cost, which looks cheap. Sometimes, people may directly visit these websites and when they see a low price, enter their credit card details and get scammed. So, my first advice would be to not rush in when you see what looks like the cheapest price in the market,” he said.
Get all your options on the table and then look at what is going to be compliant and what fits your business best. Don’t focus too much on the price and focus instead on what would help you get the right clients. Money won’t mean anything if you close business.
It is also important to understand what the permit you are applying for means for your business operations.
“If you want to work primarily with free zone companies, I would advise to get a free zone permit. If you are looking to work with trading companies, then I would advise for a permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). For example, if you are working with a logistics company and they are hiring you for marketing, then because they may be a mainland company, they would want to work with a mainland company. It limits you if you are only a free zone company. The cost also differs between mainland and free zone. Speak to companies that give free consultations, and take more than one free consultation. Get all your options on the table and then look at what is going to be compliant and what fits your business best. Don’t focus too much on the price and focus instead on what would help you get the right clients. Money won’t mean anything if you close business,” he added.
But how will I find new clients?
Another challenge freelancers face is when it comes to getting clients – how do you get the business as a solopreneur? This is another common question asked by freelancers, according to Doherty. An early solution, according to him, is to capitalise online platforms and resources.
“Freelancer platforms like Upwork, The Talent Point, FreelancerHub or Fiverr, may be a good start. Put up your profile, upload some of your work and people can then reach out to you. So, for example, if you are a photographer, clients can come on and book you on an hourly or daily basis,” he said.
“These are global platforms or those focused on the Middle East, so it is a good place to start. Many freelancers also use social media. They have their marketing strategies, build their own brand and can catch people’s eye. Also, if you are going through a consultancy, speak to them about where you should be trying to get your projects,” he added.
What if I don’t get paid on time?
This is one of the most critical aspects of operating successfully as a freelancer on the long term, and having the right contract in place can go a long way in assuring you of payment.
“Some online platforms have a specific payment mechanism, which makes it secure for the freelancer and makes most of the assignment payments upfront. So, the client has to make the payment and it perhaps won’t be released until the work is done. But if you are finding your own clients, make sure you have your own contract and payment terms that suit you. Be realistic and state that you need this money once you have completed the work. You can then start to build your client base. But, if you give unrealistic terms, like agreeing to get paid a month down the line or longer, you are going to put yourself under a lot of pressure. Once you have completed the assignment you should be getting paid. Have strong contract terms,” Doherty said.
So, if the world of freelancing sounds like the right fit for you, taking on this new role in a systematic manner can make a big difference in determining your success. Doherty also provided a handy checklist that can help you navigate the world of being your own boss.
“We obviously work with a lot of freelancers and the first thing is to look at why you want to be a freelancer. This is a very important aspect. Sometimes a client will come to us wanting to become a freelancer, but they may require a business licence, instead,” he said.
“There are a few questions you need to ask to understand whether or not freelancing is the right choice for you,” he added.
Want to become a freelancer in the UAE? Use this checklist
1. What business activity will you perform? Depending on the activity type, you can then find out if a freelance permit is available to you.
2. Where are your clients based? Are they in the UAE, or are they international clients? If they are in the UAE, are they mainly in a free zone or located on the mainland? You can select the type of freelance permit accordingly.
3. Will you be expanding this to a business licence or do you wish to continue operating as a freelancer?
4. Do you need a corporate bank account? What do your clients require?
5. Do you need to register for VAT? Do your clients need you to have a TRN (Tax Registration Number)? If so, you need to look at a business licence.
If you still need advice, online groups on social media platforms can help you connect with professionals who are already in the freelancing space. Many business set up consultants also offer freelancer set up services, which can help you get expert advice and guidance, in order to start your new life as a solo professional.