UAE needs 150,000 white-collar jobs to fill office projects

The UAE needs to create at least 150,000 white-collar jobs to absorb the amount of commercial real estate expected to hit the market in the next two years, Nomura has said.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi need to create at least 100,000 and 50,000 white-collar jobs, respectively, to satisfy future supply of commercial real estate in the two emirates, the investment bank said in a note to investors.

Commercial real estate space in Dubai is expected to increase by 20m sq ft while the Abu Dhabi market could add another 10m sq ft.

In the residential market 65,000 and 15,000 additional units are expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

“This is in an environment where jobs, still real estate and construction related, are being cut,” Nomura analyst Chet Riley said.

“Capital values are stabilizing in Dubai, but growth is not expected until the latter part of 2010.”

Residential rents in Dubai could fall another 10 percent, he said.

“The residual risk has not fully unwound yet, in our view. When the risk does unwind and the financially weak developments are sidelined for good, we will become more positive on the macro real estate fundamentals.”

Consolidation among small developers would take less time if banks withhold financing, he added.

“The banking sector will not move until the current risks have been mitigated adequately, but when it does, we feel we would have passed the current pinch point,” he said.

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