Considering Moving to Dubai - Feedback Needed

Dear all,

I'm a first time poster and, first of all, let me say that I'm really thrilled to have discovered an online expat community for Dubai!

Now, onto my question - I'm currently a non-EU resident living in Switzerland on a student work permit. I am in the process of completing my second graduate degree (I already hold an BA in International Relations/Economics and an MA in Management & Leadership) in HRM.

I am 25 years old and have about 4 years of work experience, mostly in HR and Administration. Today, I discovered that, unfortunately, my Swiss work permit application has been declined, leaving me with no choice but to leave Switzerland within a few months.

I have been told by several friends that Dubai authorities are fairly liberal when it comes to recruiting international white-collar personnel; namely, that work permits usually aren't an issue.

From your experience, can you please clarify whether or not this really is the case? Also, considering my profile above, how would you rate my chances of finding a job in Dubai? Obviously, I speak fluent English, in addition to Russian and a bit of French.

Lastly, are there any reliable websites for finding employment in Dubai that you can recommend? I have visited a few, but they seem quite shady and dodgy, for the most part.