Rise in UAE expats seeking work in Malta, Kore Group CEO says

Kore Group CEO Charlotte Sant Portanier said there has been a definite spike in UAE-based residents applying for jobs in Malta since the Iran war broke out around a month ago. 

Ms Sant Portanier tells MaltaCEOs.mt that many of these applicants are foreign nationals who have either lost their jobs in the UAE or looking to relocating to Europe. 

They are applying for jobs in healthcare, catering and hospitality, but also more technical positions. 

All of these applications are from UAE expats, not from Emirati nationals.

“There is a lot of interest from applicants currently residing in the UAE in Malta-based jobs,” she said.

The Kore Group has a presence in the UAE on two fronts; its Healthmark Training Centre provides training for foreign nurses seeking to work as carers in Malta, while ProKore provides catering to hospitals and schools. 

In line with local guidelines which are updated on a regular basis, the training centre has shifted online, with lecturers continuing to teach on site to conduct live demonstrations in the Healthcare laboratory as part of their teaching.  

While Ms Sant Portanier expressed concern over whether fully online learning can be sustainable in the long term, she said the vast majority of the staff feel safe in the UAE despite the circumstances. 

“We never thought we would be leading two businesses in a country during times of war, but the vast majority of the workforce feel extremely safe in the UAE and don’t want to leave there.”

She partly attributed this to the UAE government’s strict media restrictions and successful interventions on all attacks to date.

“While some could make an argument that this goes against free speech, it also puts a lid on any sensationalism and drama, and our staff appreciate this,” she said. “Our staff definitely feel safe and they’re impressed at how well set-up the UAE are when it comes to intercepting Iranian attacks.”

Meanwhile, she said some of ProKore’s business has suffered since schools shifted online, temporarily eliminating the need for catering, while hospitals have also witnessed a drop in occupancy due to some of the expats who have left the country.

There was also an element of hope last week with the announcement of the ceasefire.  And as the world keeps its fingers crossed over whether the recent ceasefire between Iran and the US will hold, the Kore Group continues navigating through a period of uncertainty in the UAE. 

“The fear is the unknown,” Ms Sant Portanier says. “It’s hard to plan ahead because no one knows how long this will last.”

“Contingency planning, resilience and flexibility are crucial during these times. We need to think about possibilities, such as food supplies not arriving on time, and plan accordingly.”

“We need to forget about the way things are usually done and be flexible in our approaches. We also need to be mentally and physically resilient at all times, whilst continuously trying to ensure the safety of our staff.”

Cover photo: thefoodfactory.com