Filipinos decry ‘gulf experience’ requirement by employers

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Dubai decry a new policy of most employers that requires work experience in the Gulf as a condition for hiring. 

They say the practice breeds discrimination and is used to pressure job applicants, whose visit visas are set to expire, to accept employment for a meager pay.

But employers maintain that a Gulf experience is needed so that the new hire could easily adjust to an Arabic working environment – for the best interest of the company.

“It’s very hard to look for a job,” said Aimee Buton, administrative staff at Arabian Escapes, a real estate company in Dubai. “Competition is very stiff. You are offered a low salary if you have no local experience.”

Buton, who said it took her a long time to get a job because she lacked local experience, also said that the chances of her getting a high-paying job became nil as her visit visa’s expiration neared. 

“You wouldn’t get your dream job,” she said. “Instead,” she added, “You’d take the offer if only to save yourself from exiting the country.”  A visa exit would entail more expenses – food and accommodation, not to mention air fare. 

Buton is finally happily employed, but not after going through the torment of job hunting.

Enrico Cardoniga, course advisor at Safety, Health and Environment Courses Worldwide in Knowledge Village in Dubai, said the city is better than the other places he had worked in because of the tax-free incentive and safe environment.

“What makes life unnecessarily difficult,” he said, “is the practice of most companies to require Gulf experience when hiring.”

Cardoniga said this policy has its drawbacks. “I was surprised,” he said, “seeing incompetent people hired by some companies because they have this ‘Gulf experience.’” 

Karl Medina, an architect and engineer working as project manager for Hyssna International LLC, an interior design company, said the “most intriguing question” he was asked during job interviews back in the Philippines for employment processing to Dubai was about the so-called Gulf experience. 

“I told myself this was my chance to get that so-called ‘Gulf experience.’ However, from that day back in July 2008 (when I was hired) till today, I believe the only Gulf experience I have acquired is having gone up high-rise structures.

“Everything else about interior architecture, especially the technical details, is actually the ones I have with my previous work experiences before I came to Dubai. I still search for that so-valued ‘Gulf experience’ I was asked about,” Medina said.

Employers interviewed by The Filipino Times said, on condition of anonymity, that requiring job applicants to have Gulf experience benefits the employer and employee.

“If they already have an experience working here in the Middle East, they would not have to go through adjustments and the culture shock that comes with being in a different work environment. Of course, that would play well with the company in as far as man-hour productivity is concerned,” said a CEO of one of Dubai’s reputable companies. – Rappler.com

This story was republished with permission from The Filipino Times of the United Arab Emirates.