Talent pool of freelancers grows in UAE free zones after government reforms
Government reforms and cheaper licences for freelancers have led to an increase in the number of people working for themselves.
“The world of freelancing here in the UAE is becoming more and more attractive,” said Steve Ashby, the founder of Dubai freelancers consultancy Businessmentals.
“I have four young people working for me right now and every single one of them is a freelancer. They work 70 per cent of their time with me and they have other clients. And it works really well. It suits me because I don’t have to go to the expense of doing their visas.”
Hiring is expensive with visas, medical insurance, flights and other benefits. But employers do not have to cover those costs with freelancers.
Companies can also hire freelancers for short periods when they need extra help.
“It allows the employer flexibility to engage the freelancers’ services as and when they are needed, giving the employer greater control of cash flow,” said Amanda Perry, chief executive of Vitality, which provides support services and funding for women’s new businesses.
“Therefore they will be in a position to be more nimble in their business and make scaling decisions.”
Faisal Amin, 28, from Pakistan, has been in the UAE for six years and has worked in film production for four years. He is licensed through twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media free zone.
Mr Amin has worked on sixfilms, including Hollywood movies War Machine, Mission Impossible and, most recently, 6 Underground.
“My main departments are production and location, but on 6 Underground I was the floor boss for transport,” he said.
Filming has finished so Mr Amin is taking a break before work picks up again.
“I have heard a lot about other gigs, so probably I’ll be busy from January as well,” he said.
Mr Amin says he is doing what he always dreamt of, but it can still be difficult because of the nature of project-based freelance work.
His first two years working for himself were tough, and although things have been easier in the past couple of years, work is still inconsistent, which is a reality many freelancers have to prepare and plan for.
“Summers are very tough, which is why I take my vacations then for three or four months and the rest of the year I’m here,” Mr Amin said.
Fellow twofour54 freelancer Sahil Saudagar, from India, who works as a locations assistant, has also faced hard times. He has been involved in four films this year, including 6 Underground, but there have been months when he was out of work. “I was reaching out to other freelancers and contacts to see if they have any work and can help you out,” Mr Saudagar said. “But we are in the UAE and during Ramadan and the summer there is usually not much work going on.
“I plan on working all around the rest of the year, so when those two or three months hit you can just stay at home.”
He has made a good living from the work he has landed this year and there is an increasing amount of it to go around as Abu Dhabi attracts more films from all over the world.
“The government is incredibly supportive,” said Katrina Anderson, adviser for strategic partnerships and corporate affairs at twofour54. “They understand the importance of the industry, and it is one of the drivers for the Abu Dhabi Economic Plan.
“We get a lot of collaborative support. The things we are able to turn around and deliver for these films is just incredible. Our production slate is the biggest year we have ever had.”
Having quality freelancers on whom they can call quickly is crucial, Ms Anderson said.
“When productions come to town they might need 300 people at once and then through summer they may not want anyone,” she said. “Having people who are project-based is really critical to what we do.
“Our industry is so flexible. We have times where we might be shooting something next week or in other cases there might be six months of planning.”
There are 580 licensed freelancers at twofour54, which has recently launched a service to match companies with those registered in the zone.
It is working well. Mr Amin, Mr Saudagar and many others have landed work through the zone as a result of the service.
Part of the free zone’s success has been in allowing foreigners to set up companies without the need for an Emirati partner. “From our perspective, we don’t just do real estate or rented space, we have a community,” Ms Anderson said. “Thirty-seven per cent of our partners on campus are Emirati. They don’t have to be here. They come because of the community base. They come because there is someone here who can give them a team to support their project. They come here because we feed them work briefs.
“They come here because they get to be part of an industry with post-production suites. They have studios. They have all of the requirements in one place.”
They come here because they have studios ... they have all the requirements in one place KATRINA ANDERSON Strategic adviser, twofour54