How to succeed in Dubai’s executive job market?

Dubai and the United Arab Emirates have become one of the global hot spots in attracting international talent. The county has been successful in attracting investments for many reasons. Emirates has distanced itself from global geopolitics. This has resulted in money streaming from all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, China, the US, Europe, and Russia. The government has created a business-friendly and safe environment. Immigration is easy for educated global talent. Dubai has an energetic, dynamic, and vibrant business atmosphere, and they have promoted heavily on social media. The very friendly tax policy with 0% income tax is a strong incentive for many. All this has resulted in an influx of international executive talent to the market. We see a strong interest in building a new career in Dubai from all over the globe, but especially from India and Central Asia. Many executives with family ties in Central Asia or the Middle East who have a successful career in North America or Europe now want to relocate to Dubai or the GCC.

The influx of international talent has led to a rise in living expenses and real estate costs. Some mid-management salaries are declining. Strong growth and competition have also resulted in a high attrition rate.

The economy and business in the region are booming. Construction and property development are growing at about 30% annually. Need to provide housing for the growing population and facilities for the fast-growing hospitality business is a big challenge. Businesses that are related to real estate development, like hospitality, construction materials, interiors, white goods, etc., are growing.

In terms of need for talent information and communication technology leads sector growth, ranking first for skilled worker expansion in 2025. The digital transformation wave drives consistent demand across digital transformation, Fintech, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence applications.

Professional, scientific, and technical activities rank second for skilled worker growth, reflecting the UAE's commitment to knowledge-based economic development. This sector encompasses consulting, research, engineering, and specialized professional services.

The financial services sector continues its strong expansion trajectory, with 36% of organizations having added more than 10% to their workforce in the previous year. Banking, including banking, fintech, investment services, and insurance providers, maintain aggressive hiring postures.

Healthcare is on a fast growth trajectory and will need leadership talent across the region.

With the strong growth and the opportunities, there is a strong influx of foreign leadership talent to the market. This has resulted in increased competition. To survive in this, one must stand out, which has become increasingly challenging. 

In addition to industry experience and knowledge of best practices, executive recruiters are looking for leadership and people skills, experience working in a cross-cultural, international environment, and experience from the region and culture. In the screening process, knowledge of the Arabic language is sometimes appreciated.

I have advised executives looking for a new challenge to directly approach companies where they are interested in working. To be noticed, I suggest fine-tuning their approach and CV by emphasizing their experience and achievements according to what the company is interested in and what the position in question requires. However, in Dubai, this approach is no longer effective. With the help of AI, many fine-tune their CV. For instance, from Central Asia, there is a massive number of digital approaches to recruiters. Thanks to AI, they all look very professional but have standard executive jargon, look similar, and often it is challenging to understand what this person is bringing to the table. Recruiters do not have time to read all approaches, and they have started relying on other means of recruitment, like AI and networks.

Today, old-fashioned face-to-face meetings and the real physical network have become important. Also, prior experience from the region is an important screening criterion. This has become a threshold for many executive job seekers who are not living in the UAE. Presence in the region is required, which costs money, and there is the risk element of not getting the job.

To build your network, I recommend you go through all your past employers, peers, superiors, colleagues, clients, suppliers, people you know from alumni, hobbies, relatives, etc, and try to understand who has the ability and network to help you find a position in Dubai. You may also use LinkedIn to network with people and then set up a f2f meeting when you are in Dubai. When you are approaching people, I recommend that you approach them with a business topic-how you may help them in their business or in their pain point, and initiate the discussion from there. This way, people will be more interested in meeting you, and you will have a meaningful discussion, which may lead to finding a new opportunity. In a fast-moving market, for many executive positions, despite the need, there is no ongoing recruitment process, but if your timing is right, a new position for you may be created.

In parallel, I suggest you apply the passive job search strategy by approaching executive recruiters. For instance, local family offices that are involved with several businesses have their trusted executive recruiters. However, top executive recruiters are typically busy, and they may not be interested in talking to you unless they are working on an assignment matching your experience or unless you are an exceptional candidate.

Despite the competition, the market offers many opportunities. I encourage you to do your due diligence, find your competitive edge, set your career strategy, and start building your new career in the region.