Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE
A Dubai resident has raised concerns over the growing frustration among jobseekers facing online vacancies that may not always lead to actual hiring opportunities.
Soumaya Bellafquih, a Dubai-based media and content strategy leader, highlighted the issue of so-called “ghost jobs”, referring to job advertisements that remain online despite positions being unavailable, frozen or possibly never existing.
In a LinkedIn post titled “Ghost Jobs, AI Gatekeepers & The Great Recruitment Circus”, Bellafquih questioned the impact of current recruitment practices on professionals searching for new opportunities.
“If these allegations are true, then it’s about time someone started asking difficult questions,” she wrote.
She pointed to the challenges many candidates face, from repeatedly rewriting CVs and adjusting applications for automated systems to paying for premium job-search features in the hope of improving visibility. “Hope is a terrible thing to monetize,” she said.
Bellafquih also raised concerns about artificial intelligence being increasingly used in recruitment processes, saying qualified candidates may be overlooked because their applications do not contain specific keywords preferred by automated screening tools.
“Apparently, we’re no longer hiring humans, we’re hiring keywords,” she wrote.
The comments reflect wider concerns among jobseekers in the UAE, where the employment market has become increasingly competitive as professionals use online platforms, artificial intelligence tools and networking sites to search for opportunities.
Many UAE residents now rely on platforms such as LinkedIn, recruitment websites and company career portals while tailoring multiple versions of their CVs for different roles. However, candidates often say they face challenges including unanswered applications, lengthy hiring processes and uncertainty over whether advertised positions are actively being filled.
Career experts often advise jobseekers to focus on verified company websites, maintain updated professional profiles, build industry connections and personalise applications rather than relying only on mass online submissions.
For employers, recruitment specialists say transparency remains important, particularly when roles are placed online. Clearly indicating whether a position is actively hiring, building a talent pipeline or temporarily paused can help manage candidate expectations.
Bellafquih called for greater accountability in the recruitment process. “If a company is building a talent pool, say so. If recruitment is frozen, say so. If the position has already been filled, remove the advertisement. It’s called respect,” she said. She added that jobseekers deserve a recruitment process that values their time and professional experience. PIA/Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube page
+ There are no comments
Add yours