Hundreds of Pakistani engineers are coming to the UAE for job hunt

Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates has become the favourite place for Pakistani engineers as hundreds of them are coming to the emirates to find jobs.

According to Engineers of Pakistan in the Emirates (EPE)— an Abu Dhabi based social networking group of engineers — number of engineers coming from Pakistan to work in the UAE have increased significantly over the last few years. “We are helping them in finding jobs, networking and even advise them on how to prepare for their job interviews, file applications and polish their CVs,” said Malik Zaheer Awan, Chairman of EPE. He said fresh engineers always need guidance to understand the work environment in the UAE.

Speaking at an event organised to mark the fifth anniversary of the EPE in Abu Dhabi, Awan said that the EPE has been working on improving communication and networking among the engineering community. More than 200 Pakistan engineers from across the UAE attended the event held in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

He also advised engineers to look for alternate jobs as well as the market is currently under-pressure. “There are always opportunities to do business and find other related jobs if you do not get specialised jobs,” he added.

He said that more Pakistanis engineers should join the EPE as he is in the process of registering the body with the authorities concerned in the UAE. “Once registered, we will be able to provide professional support and training for all engineers coming to the UAE,” he said.

Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE Ghulam Dastgir hailed the services being provided by the EPE to support engineers in the UAE. “There are more than 1.6 million Pakistanis living in the UAE but most them are unskilled workers. Our professionals including engineers, doctors and bankers enjoy a lot of respect due to their skills and hard work,” he noted.

The Ambassador said that the Pakistan Embassy would provide full support to the EPE and would reach out to stakeholders in the UAE to help fresh engineers and other professionals get respectable jobs.

The EPE also honoured a number of distinguish community members including social workers, engineers, journalists and sportsmen. Ambassador Dastgir presented the awards to Shaheena Ajmal, a social worker, for her contribution to the community schools.

Mohammad Umair, a young engineer received award for young Pakistani engineers while Nadeem Anwar Butt, head of Pakistani Safety Professionals, also got award for his services.

Ambassador also awarded UAE-based Pakistani Taekwondo players Ammar Ashfaq and Sinan Ashfaq for representing Pakistan at international Taekwondo events and winning medals for the country.

UAE-based Pakistani journalists including Tahir Munir Tahir, Khalid Gondal and Mudassar Shah always received awards for their services to the community.