HUNDREDS QUEUE FOR CHANCE TO JOIN RANKS OF DUBAI TAXI DRIVERS
Hopefuls stand in line for hours with aim of securing coveted job that pays Dh5,000 a month
What do an Egyptian policeman, a Nigerian soldier and a Filipino call-centre operator have in common?
All three were among hundreds hoping to be selected in the latest round of Dubai taxi driver recruitment at an open day in Abu Hail on Friday.
They queued for hours for the chance of a job behind the wheel of one of the thousands of Dubai Taxi Corporation vehicles operating in the city.
Dubai Roads and Transport Authority recruiters hosted interviews for the positions, which offer a monthly salary of up to Dh5,000 ($1,360).
One of those hoping to be employed was Dauda Rasheed, 31, from Nigeria.
The former helicopter gunner with the Nigerian army fought against Boko Haram insurgents in Sudan.
He survived a bullet wound to the face before he left the military to work as a security guard at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai four years ago.
“I was in the military for five years. It is how I was injured by a stray bullet in 2015,” said Mr Rasheed.
“I was an anti-aircraft gunner, so working in Dubai has been very different.
“With the skills and knowledge I have, I should be using these, but this is the best job for me now.
“My salary as a security guard was around Dh2,000, so driving a taxi pays much better and there are more advantages – as long as I don’t get fined.”
Mr Rasheed’s visa was close to expiry and he hoped a government position as a taxi driver would allow him to remain in the UAE, from where he can send his salary home to support his wife and two children, aged eight and three.
Although the vacancies were also open to women, young men dominated the lines of applicants hoping to secure a steady job working 12-hour shifts, with free accommodation and health insurance.
Egyptian Mohamed Breakaa, 28, travelled from Cairo on a tourist visa in the hope of finding work in Dubai.
If selected, the former policeman’s salary as a Dubai taxi driver would amount to 10 times what he would earn in the same role in his home city.
“I came here looking for work on March 1,” said Mr Breakaa, who is single.
“I looked at a security job because of my background in policing but I was told I needed a certificate to become a security supervisor here.
“I have good communication skills and can work easily with different cultures. The job is to give tourists the best experience, communicate well with them and keep them safe.”
Adverts called on applicants to be hard-working and prepared to work long shifts during the day or night.
Prerequisites included a high school or secondary diploma, valid UAE driving licence, good eyesight, good communication skills, valid visa and fluency in English.
Mr Breakaa said the roads of Dubai were easier to navigate than those in Cairo.
“Driving on the road in Dubai does not compare to Egypt. It is much safer here,” he said.
“There are highway rules in
Egypt, but only in the cities and people do not always stick to them.”
It has been a busy time for taxi drivers in Dubai, with Fifa World Cup visitors and a bumper winter tourism season making it one of the most hectic periods in recent years.
The industry is on the cusp of change, with more electric and driverless vehicles added to the DTC fleet and restrictions on street-side hailing coming into force in some areas, forcing people to pre-book rides online.
Sunnie Banquite, 36, from the Philippines, recently lost his call-centre sales job with an American company in Jumeirah Lakes Towers.
“I’m not afraid to try new things,” said Mr Banquite.
“I drive my own car in Dubai so I know the roads well and this kind of job will be a nice change.
“I enjoy the roads, to see beautiful places and meet new people.
“I am interested in what the life of a taxi driver is and want to feed that curiosity.”
Driving a taxi pays much better than my security guard job and there are more advantages – as long as I don’t get fined DAUDA RASHEED
Former helicopter gunner