Gitex firms hiring 300% more part-time staff

Gitex Technology Week (October 12-16) will also sees a number of tech firms hiring contract staff

The ongoing Gitex Shopper and upcoming Gitex Technology Week are seeing a big increase in the number of staff being hired in Dubai on contract basis by firms.

The spike in the number of employees by various companies participating at the event is a phenomenal 300 per cent, says an industry player.

According to TASC Outsourcing, a people management solutions company, while it isn’t unusual to see a spike during the Gitex season, this year the increase has been particularly prominent.

“It is not unusual to see a spike in technology retail activity during the Gitex season, however, this year there has been an extraordinary jump in the volume of contract staffing requirements for the event. Some [firms] have increased their staffing requirement by 400 per cent,” says Mahesh Shahdadpuri, Executive Director at TASC.

The announcement comes as the UAE consumer technology industry is witnessing huge growth, with consumer IT spending set to cross the $2 billion mark in 2014, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

One of the most anticipated technology events in the region, Gitex Shopper runs from September 27 to October 4, with overt 100 consumer IT and electronics brands showcasing over 35,000 consumer technology products at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

With event organisers forecasting increased footfall this year, in excess of 210,000 visitors, consumer technology firms are increasingly choosing to outsource trained retail staff support, which is in high demand over the eight-day Shopper event.

This will be followed by the Gitex Technology Week (October 12-16), which is the older, corporate version of the Gitex Shopper.

The Technology Week too sees a number of tech firms hiring contract staff to man their pavilions and stalls although several firms tend to keep their own senior staff at hand for finalising deals, etc.

With UAE economy expected to continue robust growth, contract staffing is expected to be in demand particularly led by the technology and retail industries.

Even part-time jobs are expected to see a big demand as it is completely legal for employees to go for such jobs. Since 2010, the UAE’s Labour Law has provisions that allow an employee to opt for a part-time job along with a full-time one. If certain conditions are met, a person who is already employed by an entity may work for another employer – legally.