Jobs in the UAE: These sectors are hiring and these skills could get you noticed

Dubai: UAE job seekers looking for their next role are seeing demand build across technology, financial services, healthcare, logistics, real estate, construction and professional services, while recruiters say getting hired increasingly depends on AI fluency and demonstrable experience.

Hiring conditions remain uneven across sectors, with Dubai continuing to generate a broad range of opportunities, Abu Dhabi adding roles across finance, technology, energy and infrastructure, and Ras Al Khaimah seeing recruitment linked to new consumer-facing businesses.

Mahesh Shahdadpuri, Group Chairman of TASC Outsourcing, expects technology, financial services, healthcare, logistics, real estate, construction and professional services to remain among the strongest areas for recruitment.

Nicki Wilson, Owner and Managing Director of Genie Recruitment, is seeing demand across F&B, retail, FMCG, marketing, customer service and other consumer-facing roles.

Dubai is expected to remain a major source of vacancies, while Wilson said Ras Al Khaimah is also seeing recruitment linked to Wynn Al Marjan Island.

Hospitality remains more mixed in the near term. Wilson said hiring in the sector is still down, although she expects some recovery heading into the winter season.

Sarah Brooks, founder of Fikrah HR, has also observed pressure across hospitality, tourism, real estate marketing, retail and trade and logistics during 2026. She described the slowdown as selective, with some companies using unpaid leave, shorter shifts or slower salary growth instead of large-scale job cuts.

Candidates trying to secure roles face a more demanding hiring process, with all three experts pointing to practical skills, experience and the ability to show what they can contribute.

Brooks said AI fluency and data literacy are becoming important across functions including finance, HR, marketing and operations, while employers also value adaptability, critical thinking, cross-cultural communication and knowledge of the UAE market.

Shahdadpuri explained that the employers increasingly want candidates who can contribute quickly and understand how technology applies to their own profession.

“AI is becoming relevant across almost every profession. Employers are looking for candidates who understand how AI applies to their field and can use these tools effectively in their day-to-day work.”

Communication, problem-solving and commercial awareness also remain important, particularly when employers are examining each hire more closely.

Graduates and entry-level candidates face particularly strong competition, according to Wilson, who said employers have increasingly sought experienced hires over the past two years.

A degree on its own is becoming less effective as a differentiator, with employers looking more closely at experience, attitude, commercial awareness and what candidates can contribute to the business.

Wilson explained that the candidates also need to improve how they present themselves before approaching employers.