First women-only job portal launches in the UAE
A women-only internet jobs portal has launched in the UAE, to exclusively cater for women professionals to help them meet their career goals.
Women First Jobs said it was committed to supporting the UAE’s Gender Balance Council’s initiatives, ensuring equal pay, promoting gender equality in recruitment and promotion, mainstreaming a gender balance perspective, and maintaining transparency.
Founder Priyanka Sengar, CEO at Women First Jobs, said the platform addresses “a critical need by offering a dedicated space for women professionals to explore career opportunities”. It will primarily focus on sectors including banking, fintech, edtech, hotels, hospitals, hospitality, food, beverages, logistics, and IT. The platform caters to senior-level roles as well as junior and middle management positions.
She said Women First Jobs “is positioned as a transformative solution, addressing the scarcity of a comprehensive women-talent database and the impersonal nature of traditional recruitment”.
Women First Jobs will also offer mentorship and training for women returning from maternity leave or resuming their corporate careers after a break.
The company said: “Women First Jobs offers a unique sanctuary for talented women, celebrating their skills and providing a platform for them to thrive. The platform boasts a rapidly growing database of skilled women across the globe, making the reach limitless.
“Through strategic collaborations with diverse industries and an extensive network of highly qualified female candidates, Women First Jobs aims to broaden its horizons, deepening its impact, and weaving a tapestry of successful placements across various industrial sectors.”
Women First Jobs also said it was committed to supporting the UAE’s Gender Balance Council’s initiatives, ensuring equal pay, promoting gender equality in recruitment and promotion, mainstreaming a gender balance perspective, and maintaining transparency.
For every successful placement, Women First Jobs makes a donation to NGOs worldwide, with a primary focus on women’s and children’s development.
GDP growth in 2024 set to beat expectations
The UAE’s gross domestic product is expected to be above 5% this year, surpassing global economic projections, leading rating agency S&P Global is predicting.
Tatiana Leskova, associate director of corporate ratings at the company, said the growth in the UAE’s gross domestic product, particularly in Dubai, will be driven by strong momentum in the hospitality, wholesale/retail and financial services sectors.
S&P Global also predicted that the global GDP is projected to expand by 2.8% in 2024.
Leskova said UAE’s GDP expanded by over 3% in 2023, at a time when the global economy showed sluggish growth.
She said: “While the global economy remained subdued operating at subpar growth levels, we estimate that the UAE’s GDP expanded at over 3% in 2023, including close to 6% percent growth for the non-oil sector.
“In Dubai, we expect continued strong momentum in the hospitality, wholesale and retail, and financial services sectors to drive growth in 2024-2025.”
On the real estate sector in the UAE, Leskova said that the country, and more specifically Dubai, have been immune to global economic headwinds thanks to the limited sensitivity to interest rates and contained inflation.
“Despite higher interest rates, the number of mortgage transactions continued to grow in Dubai, where over 80% of real estate transactions are completed on a cash basis. In contrast, the European real estate market has been marked by weakened purchasing power since 2022 due to high-interest rates and relatively higher inflation.”
She added that amid global economic headwinds, the UAE has been witnessing strong growth in its non-oil sector, aligned with the Emirates’ economic diversification efforts.
According to S&P Global’s latest PMI report released this month, the UAE’s PMI reached 57.4 in December 2023, compared with 57 in November. Any PMI reading above 50 indicates growth, while readings below 50 signal contraction.
