Coronavirus: Fresh graduates look to start their careers in UAE as job market begins gradual recovery – The National

Coronavirus: Fresh graduates look to start their careers in UAE as job market begins gradual recovery – The National

Many candidates said they had seen job offers and internships delayed or revoked in recent months

















Khalid Abdelkareem was fortunate to secure a graduate job in engineering, but expects his starting salary to be reduced. Pawan Singh / The National







Fresh graduates whose job plans were knocked off course due to the Covid-19 outbreak hope to kick-start their careers as restrictions ease.



This week, more than 17,000 university students and graduates from across the Middle East took part in a three-day virtual career fair.



Recruiters from 58 companies, including the UAE offices of Amazon, Ernst & Young and Etisalat, virtually met potential hires.



The event, hosted by Localized.world, which connects students with potential employers, was aimed at kick-starting young careers after the pandemic led to a near halt in the local and global jobs market.



Anthony Haddad, chief of staff at Amazon's Middle East division, said he was impressed by the number of graduates with technical qualifications and expertise.









The situation in Lebanon is really bad and unemployment is high. I want to work in Dubai or Canada - I just hope I can make that happen