Zalfa Mumtazah (25) recently started working as a document controller in our Abu Dhabi office. She moved here from Indonesia in May 2024 and is happily exploring her new job and life. “It’s a great place to work and learn about different cultures.”
After graduating in Dutch Studies and working as a Dutch tutor in Indonesia, Zalfa wanted to keep developing her Dutch skills by working for a Netherlands-based company. That’s when she saw Boskalis’ vacancy for a Dutch speaking document controller in Abu Dhabi. “I applied immediately and three weeks later I packed my bags to move abroad.”
320 colleagues offer remote support to Boskalis’ projects across the world from the so-called Building 7 in Abu Dhabi (Buildings 1 to 6 are located on the Boskalis campus in the Netherlands). Unlike most of her colleagues there, Zalfa exclusively supports Boskalis Nederland because she speaks the language. “It’s quite challenging but very interesting to handle the documents of major Dutch projects – such as the Meandering Meuse dike reinforcement project – from such a distance. I really appreciated that they invited me over to the Netherlands for a two-week trip to get to know my colleagues and gain a better understanding of their way of working.”
Moving to Abu Dhabi on such short notice was quite a major undertaking for Zalfa. “Of course, it was hard to say goodbye to my friends and family in Indonesia, but the warm welcome in Abu Dhabi really helped me settle in quickly. I’m very happy with all the support Boskalis offered me during the big move. They took care of nearly everything, such as my flight, visa and temporary housing.”
Because of the international nature of Abu Dhabi, everything here is done in Arab and English. So Zalfa had no problem finding her way around, exploring her new living environment and making new friends. “I’m really enjoying working with colleagues from so many different cultures here in Building 7. Combined with the open and honest Dutch working culture, it’s a fun adventure to work together for Boskalis as such a diverse team. A perk of all the different cultures on the work floor: we get to celebrate a different national holiday every month.”
Zalfa is very happy at the moment, getting to know Boskalis as a document controller and settling into her new home country. Would she recommend others to do the same? “Definitely. If you’re looking for a challenging job and enjoy meeting new people from different countries, you will love the Abu Dhabi experience.”
Do you like the sound of working and living in Abu Dhabi? We also welcome non-Dutch speaking colleagues to start exclusively supporting Boskalis Nederland from building 7. Have a look at our current vacancies: go to overview
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