Malta is located just under 60 miles away from the tip of Sicily and just under 200 miles from the tip of North Africa and consists of 3 islands – Comino, Gozo and largely populated Malta. Some of us may have already seen Malta on the big screen as it has recently featured heavily in multiple Hollywood blockbusters such as 13 hours, World War Z and Captain Phillips. With an ever-increasing amount of opportunities for professionals we recently visited the island to explore and find out what it is really like to live and work on the island.
History
The islands of Malta have a very colourful history mainly due to its tactical geographical location in the Mediterranean, historically occupied by the French, the Italians, and most recently the British. In 1964 Malta was awarded its independent status and released its formal ties with the United Kingdom. There are however many remnants of the connection with UK, the careful eye will notice the iconic British red telephone box, the red post box, and that cars drive on the left hand side of the road. In addition to this English is one of the official languages alongside Maltese.
Economy
More recently the Maltese economy has been expanding rapidly and areas such as Financial Services, Gaming, Film, Tourism and Manufacturing have benefitted hugely from Malta joining the European Union in 2004. During the 2008 recession Malta was one of the only countries in the EU to show positive growth in terms of GDP.
The main island of Malta is about 16.8 miles long and 9 miles wide at the largest point. Public transport is readily accessible and it is possible to explore the island both by bus and by car. The commuting distances are small but the travel times can be long at peak periods. With the well-connected public transport it is possible to live on one side of the island and work on the other side making it much easier to find accommodation.
Malta is extremely well connected with the rest of the world with 1 airport serving 71 destinations in Europe as well as multiple sea ports (day trips operate to Sicily). You will also expect to see many cruise liners visit the beautiful Grand Harbour to make use of Malta as a stop-over for most of their Mediterranean routes.
Work / Lifestyle
In the office a typical working day will be from 8.30am – 5pm with many firms closing early in the summer on a Friday afternoon so that employees can make use of the weekend.
Outside of the office there is plenty to do from scuba diving in Malta’s notoriously clear blue sea, exploring the beautiful winding streets of Valetta at night, or for the more adventurous – hiking across the island to see the world famous Azure Window. For afterhours fun head to Paceville which has recently played hosts to DJs such as Annie Mac, Kygo and many more.
Food
The cost of living in Malta can vary. It goes without saying that Malta is an island and a large amount of the produce is imported however there is also a huge amount of fresh local fruit and veg as well as freshly landed fish on a daily basis. If you eat locally then you will obtain great value for money!
The Maltese food is as to be expected from an island nation that has such a rich history, it is a complete fusion of Italian, French, British and North African flavours. Staple dishes are Pastizz (buttery thin layered pastry filled with either ricotta or peas), Ġbejniet (small round cheeselets made from goats cheese and rolled in pepper), Hobz Biz-zejt (sourdough bread, tomatoes and sometimes with tuna).
Weather
The weather in Malta is typically Mediterranean with average temperatures in winter around 15 degree Celsius and average temperatures in summer of 30 degrees Celsius. The hot summers are contrasted with the cool breeze which act like a cooling blanket to the exposed island.
Living Costs
1 Bedroom Apartment – €400 per month
Single Journey Bus Ticket – €1.50
Milk (1 litre) – €0.90
Dozen Eggs – €2.00
Average Mid-Range Restaurant Meal for 2 People (3 courses) – €50
Local Wine (75cl Bottle Supermarket) – €6
Local Beer (33cl Supermarket) – €0.95
Opportunities
Due to the growth of the economy there are a huge amount of new opportunities with Big 4 and Mid-tier Accounting practices, IT companies and Legal firms. If you are interested in finding out more about the current opportunities in Malta then please do not hesitate to contact one of the International team – international@fpsg.com / +44 131 270 6666.
About Us
FPSG is a Specialist Recruitment Consultant within the Professional Services market working on a global basis to assist and partner leading professional service firms and multinational organisations across a variety of engagements/service areas such as Finance & Accountancy, Legal and IT.
