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Emirates Group most popular employer in UAE: Survey

Starting salary expectations of expatriate graduates at Dh9,000 per month, compared with Dh27,000 for Emirati graduates from the same university.

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Dubai-based Emirates Group is the most popular employer for fresh university graduates in the UAE, followed by international consumer goods company Unilever, according to the latest research by online recruitment firm GulfTalent.
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The findings are based on GulfTalent's survey of over 300 recent graduates and final-year students at American University of Sharjah (AUS), which hosts a mix of both expatriate and local students from all Emirates.
According to the survey results, construction and finance are the most popular sectors for graduates, followed by consumer goods.

The survey found a sharp divide in preferences by nationality. Among expatriate graduates an overwhelming 91 per cent majority favour working for multinationals. By contrast, 63 per cent of Emirati graduates opt for government-owned organisations.

Most popular employers for graduates in UAE 1. Emirates Group 2. Unilever 3. Chalhoub Group 4. General Electric 5. Nestlé 6. ADNOC 7. Petrofac 8. PwC 9. Procter & Gamble 10. Etihad

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Local UAE private sector firms appear to be the least desired option for both nationals and expatriates, the survey found.

ADNOC, Mubadala and Etisalat were voted the most popular employers among UAE national graduates.

GulfTalent's survey asked graduates about the factors that drove them to choose their preferred employer. The top three factors mentioned were the opportunity to do interesting and challenging work, the quality of the training and development programme, and the company's brand and reputation.
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Interestingly, salary and benefits only ranked 4th in the key attraction factors.

However, the survey did find a significant gap in the expectations of graduates for their starting salary -- with salary expectations of Emirati graduate averaging Dh27,000 per month, compared with Dh9,000 for expatriate graduates.

Overseas experience is also highly valued by graduates. One in two graduates expressed interest in gaining experience working outside the UAE and were drawn to the employers that offered this opportunity.

According to the survey, the most popular country overall for graduates in the UAE to live and work in is the USA, followed by the UK and Canada - among both local and expatriate graduates.