Dubai introduces new freelance work permits for these professionals!

• The package costs Dh7,500 per year.

Dubai Internet City (DIC) on Wednesday launched a new freelance permit for people working in the technology sectors, which will assist professionals to increase their income sources and also help the free zone attract international and local talent.

The freelance package costs Dh7,500 per year, which is inclusive of the freelancer permit and access to the business centre. If the individual needs a visa, DIC will help in this regard through the process.Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Park had also launched a similar package a few months back, targeted at education and media sectors. It was also priced at same rate.

Technology professionals in the domains of web, mobile, software development and architecture, IT and telecommunication networking, data science and analytics, and customer service, as well as stakeholders providing technical support and related services are eligible to apply for freelance package.

The freelancers will have the flexibility to choose the company they work with, the projects they work on, and manage their own schedule.

It is estimated that there are around 100,000 licenced freelancers paid on a short-term contract basis. An increasing number of companies are offering flexible work schedules and the option of working from home, which has not only helped increase productivity levels but also brought down operational costs.

"There is no doubt that independence breeds and encourages creativity and innovation. The technology landscape in Dubai is evolving at breathtaking speed. It is imperative that businesses keep up with the pace at which technology is now being developed and consumed. In order to stay relevant, competitive and profitable, businesses need to ensure that they operate with a flexible business model, one that embraces the concept of freelance talent. GoFreelance is one such solution that businesses can take advantage of to keep up with the constant demand for talent," said Ammar Al Malik, managing director of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource City.

Saadia Zahidi, head of Centre for the New Economy and Society at World Economic Forum, said software and app developers/analysis, data analysts and scientists will be the emerging jobs in the Mena region in the next four years while analytical thinking and innovation, technology, design and programming, system analysis and evaluation will be the skills that will most demand in the region by 2022.

She stressed that many youth in the region have a job on paper that matches with their supposed degree but they don't get jobs because they don't have right kind of skills -- they don't know how to work as team, how to present themselves.