January saw another round of job losses in the Dubai construction industry, with two leading architecture and engineering firms making deep cuts.
UK-based design and engineering company WS Atkins is cutting 200 jobs in the Middle East amid a sharp decline in the construction industry.
Most of the job losses are falling within the building design team in Dubai, the company said.
A spokesman said, “Roles will be made redundant in those parts of the Group which are experiencing increasing uncertainty and worsening market conditions and we have deferred our annual salary review for six months.”
Meanwhile, architecture design firm Burt Hill has announced 111 redundancies in its Dubai office following a review of its business due to market conditions.
The upheaval comes in light of the economic downturn which has resulted in the slowdown of the property sector in Dubai, making it necessary for the firm to adjust its staffing requirements in order to meet market demand.
‘This staffing adjustment has come as a result of the slowdown that the property sector as a whole is experiencing,” said Haydar Hassan, Director of Burt Hill and member of the board of directors and executive committee. “We firmly believe in the future growth of Dubai and will continue to move forward and contribute to the long term vision of Dubai’s construction and development sector” he added.