Despite what most media agencies want you to see, the majority of the Middle East is full of thriving businesses and meaningful opportunities for young professionals and students seeking professional experience abroad. Whether you are looking to develop a specific skill to help with your future job search or you want to make a difference in the world while connecting with other like-minded people, there are internships in the Middle East to fit your interests.

Many countries in the Middle East are home to booming cities filled with large corporations, which is why business internships are among the most popular in the region. Interns can take their pick of marketing, sales and customer service, and accounting placements, as well as a more specific fields within the business work, such as engineering or IT. Because the Middle East is such a large tech hub, many young professionals flock to this region for technology internships with innovative, international businesses too.

Another popular industry for internships in the Middle East is conservation, whether focused on environmental work or animal science. As a place of natural and historic beauty, there are tons of places all over the Middle East that are desperate for interns to help with restoring ruined temples and studying the pollution and density levels of the surrounding seas. If you want to help your host country during your internship in the Middle East, but want to work with people rather than wildlife, then you may be perfect for an internship in social work. This can include working in politics, with religious groups, or with children at schools.

Structurally, your internship in the Middle East could either be a business professional environment where you will be working 40 hours per week in a suit and tie or it could be part time and very casual. For independent paid internships, you will probably need some previous experience or education on the subject, but usually program-based internships require no experience.