UAE and Saudi Arabia are magnets for global talent

Dubai Tourism

The Gulf’s employment outlook looks positive for the next three to five years, as the UAE in particular is increasingly seen by global workers as a long-term “life destination” amid rising competition for talent from Saudi Arabia.

While salary levels remain attractive because of local tax-free status, the differential continues to erode, especially with the rising cost of living in the last two years.

The UAE remains a magnet for young professionals. Its thriving real estate market, in particular, offers substantial income opportunities to those willing to take the risk of commission-only opportunities. 

An additional indicator of the booming marketplace is the increase in recruiters and talent acquisition specialists, whose numbers in the UAE now exceed 35,000. 

The emphasis within both the UAE and Saudi Arabia on attracting overseas investment and financial expertise to their markets has also led to a boom in the fintech market. 

Numerous startups find these locations attractive in terms of attracting investors, ease of company formation and reasonable startup costs. However, they face problems in finding experienced talent. 

As in any booming economy, the demand for legal and accountancy professionals, especially those with international tax, mergers and acquisitions and reorganisational expertise, is high.

The rapidly growing population also presents opportunities within the healthcare and educational fields as the number of hospitals and schools continues to rise to match the demands of the growing population.

Historically, the expatriate workforce has come predominantly from India and Asia for administration and blue-collar staff. At the same time, management has mainly been made up of Arabic- and English-speaking Western nationals. 

• Russia’s economic outlook has big repercussions for the ‘neutral’ Gulf
• Adnoc would be the most obvious Gulf oil buyer for BP
• Ambitious Oman’s should remain mindful of its heritage

This balance has changed rapidly, with Dubai predominantly becoming a magnet for applications from all destinations worldwide. Part of this is a result of the exposure of brands such as Emirates Airline and a well-managed publicity machine run by the Dubai government. 

Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, continues to focus on globally promoting itself in association with the Dubai brand. 

Saudi Arabia’s leadership has determined that its modernisation programme will ensure that the kingdom’s reliance on oil revenue diminishes over the next 30 years. This will lead to substantial investment in infrastructure and aviation to support the tourism strategy, as a key driver in achieving these goals. 

In the employment market, recruiters are seeing dramatic rises in registrations and applications from overseas candidates. It’s on a scale never seen before and from locations worldwide, rather than the traditional locations that supplied the region in the past.

Job security is becoming the focus as
employees now have a long-term vision
of staying in the region

While employers prefer candidates with current or prior Middle East experience, the flood of overseas candidates, now termed “inpats”, who have no prior exposure to the region, has been a factor in keeping salary levels at an average 5 percent increase over the past two years.

The UAE is increasingly seen as a “life destination” rather than a short-to-medium-term overseas career opportunity.

More of the population are becoming long-term residents rather than following the three- to five-year residency cycle seen in previous decades. This has led to a change in employee priorities, with job security becoming the main focus as employees now have a long-term vision of staying in the region.

The UAE will continue to see rapid growth in population and employment opportunities over the next decade. Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans ensure it will continue to be a rival employment hotspot for expats. 

The attractiveness of both locations as a safe, secure environment with numerous career and lifestyle opportunities will continue to support this trend.

Ian Giulianotti is executive director of recruitment and executive search at Dubai-based Nadia Global. The full Nadia Global employment review for 2024-2025 can be downloaded here