The United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoys a strong economy that demands skilled workers in a variety of sectors including healthcare, construction, engineering, technology, finance, and hospitality. These opportunities attract global talent, making the market a highly competitive one. Fortunately, finding a job has been made easy via job portals where you can scout for open positions.
If you’re looking to move to the UAE or already living there and looking for your next work opportunity, Remitly has collected information on the leading job portals. Read on to learn where to look and how to tailor your application for success.
Job seeking as an expat in the UAE
A highly diverse country, 88% of the UAE’s population consists of immigrants from around the world. As a result, UAE employers have a wide pool of incredibly talented skilled workers who enrich the country with their diverse cultural backgrounds.
This means you’ll be competing with people looking to move to the UAE, students studying at UAE universities looking for jobs, and immigrant workers seeking better opportunities within the UAE. It’s important to inform yourself about what jobs are out there and apply to a wide range of positions to enhance your chances of success.
Importance of choosing the right job portal to find UAE jobs
While there are many job portals advertising openings, not all of them are trustworthy. Follow these tips to ensure you don’t waste your time:
- Beware of scams and fake job postings. Reputable job portals vet all posters to weed out scammers. The vetting process means that you’ll only see reputable employers offering high-quality jobs.
- Job portals like LinkedIn also work as professional social media platforms, allowing you to interact with potential employers by following their updates and commenting.
- Some portals offer expert advice on the UAE job market through free support and resources, such as information on salary expectations, in-demand skills, and industry trends.
- Most portals help you save time via easy application processes.
- Advanced filters allow you to search for opportunities you’re most interested in, including salary range, location, and experience.
- High-grade job portals invest in their website and user interface for a smooth application process.
List of top job portals in the UAE
The UAE has invested heavily in world-class technology, so you can expect to interact with high-tech job portals.
Here are our top three job portals with details on what they offer.
GulfTalent
Although focused on the Middle East, GulfTalent has a strong presence in the UAE, attracting local and expatriate job seekers for its high-quality listings, which mostly seek experienced professionals.
- You can create a free account to access listings from over 10000 employers. However, you’ll need a premium account to stand out from other applicants, access exclusive job offers, see who’s viewed your profile/CV, and compare your qualifications/profile with competitors.
- You’ll receive personalised job recommendations based on your personalised profile.
- Filter roles based on your experience, location, how senior they are, and the industry they are based in.
- Save your favourite vacancies to apply for later, as long as they are still within the advertisement period.
- Benefit from their easy application process. You’ll submit your application in a few clicks.
- Track the status of your application.
- Set up job alerts for roles or vacancies that match your profile and interests.
- They provide a mobile application for instant notifications and various login options, such as email or Facebook.
- Take advantage of their courses to improve your skills and level up in your career.
- Calculate your expected salary based on their salary checker to help you negotiate when you land the role.
- You don’t have to worry if you don’t know how to customise your CV to suit the vacancy. GulfTalent offers free CV review services. There’s also a paid CV writing service.
- Fresh graduates can also get guidance to help them land their first entry-level role.
- If you’re looking to employ someone, try the free CV search to reach potential employees who meet your needs.
LinkedIn helps you grow professionally in three main ways—by connecting with other professionals in your industry to build your professional network, connecting with employers, and finding and applying for job opportunities.
This professional social networking platform has several features and benefits that make these three functions possible.
- Search for jobs and apply directly on LinkedIn. You can also notify your network of good opportunities by sharing posts.
- Research companies by visiting their pages to assess culture and hiring practices. You’ll also see if anyone in your network works for a company you’re interested in.
- Create a free professional profile highlighting your experience, education, skills, and achievements. You can invite your friends and colleagues to endorse you. This serves as a recommendation and testament to your skills for potential employers, building your reputation.
- Post sharing allows you to share content and career updates, and participate in industry discussions.
- Join groups relevant to your sector to connect with like-minded professionals.
- Send direct messages to professionals you want to connect with and recruiters if you need clarification.
Naukrigulf
Expat job seekers in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates use Naukrigulf to find jobs.
The website is a recruitment platform and job board offering great features and benefits.
- Their CV search allows employers to look for employees who fit the requirements, using over 27 criteria to shortlist candidates.
- Recruiters enjoy up to five free job postings. This helps attract serious recruiters while weeding out scammers.
- Job searchers can use the salary tool to research appropriate pay.
- Post your CV for free to be added to the talent pool accessible to potential employers.
- Browse for available jobs using filters such as experience needed, location, and skills.
- Create job alerts to be the first to know when a suitable opportunity comes up.
- Access services such as text resume writing, visual resume writing, resume quality score, and resume maker to improve the quality of your CV and application.
Other job portals to consider in the UAE
- Gulfjobs.com
- Bayt.com
- Indeed.com
- Laimoon
- Dubizzle
How to maximise your job search in job portals
Applying for a job online using your phone or computer is convenient. Unfortunately, this ease of application attracts a higher number of applicants, putting you in competition with many other talented job searchers.
So how can you stand out to make it to the shortlist? Read on for our tips on optimising your job search process.
Creating an effective profile
Ensure your profile is complete and organised, with all relevant information such as work experience, volunteer work, education, short courses, publications, certifications, and achievements.
Most job portals have a search feature to help employers filter out candidates. Use keywords specific to your industry, skills, and experience to increase your chances of appearing in search results.
Explain and quantify your achievements in your profile. For instance, if you wrote a report that helped your organisation to secure funding, share that experience and add details on how much funding you got and the impact on the organisation.
Don’t forget to highlight your soft skills—these can make all the difference when employers are comparing candidates with the same technical qualifications. Show evidence of your emotional intelligence, ability to work in a team, communication skills, punctuality, creativity, problem-solving skills, leadership, adaptability, and critical thinking.
Finally, be sure to update your profile regularly to remain relevant and reflect industry changes—for example, by adding a short course you recently took to understand emerging trends in your field.
Optimising your CV and application
Create a simple, short, and clear CV. Use bullet points and short paragraphs, which make it easy to scan your content. Take advantage of CV reviewing and writing services. A second pair of eyes will help you improve the quality of your application.
Next, customise your CV for each job application using keywords from the job posting. Focus on the most relevant information/skills for that particular job. You can describe your entire skill set when you make it to the interview.
Finally, it’s essential to proofread your entire application to avoid errors and typos.
CV tips for the UAE market
Customising and optimising your CV for the UAE market is standard for the most part, although there are a few non-standard pieces of information it’s useful to include:
- Your date of birth to demonstrate that you’re within the legal employable age. It’s illegal to employ anyone under 15 years in the UAE. However, children between 15 and 18 years old are protected by specific restrictions and conditions. You’ll also need a juvenile work permit.
- Your driving licence status because some roles may require that you drive.
- Your visa status to help employers assess the level of help you need to legally work in the UAE.
- The languages you speak and proficiency level. Although the UAE is largely multicultural, certain language proficiencies can help you stand out, particularly in customer service roles.
Now that you’ve created your profiles on leading job portals in the UAE, here is a step-by-step process for finding work:
- Search for suitable positions online.
- Leverage your professional network to seek out opportunities or ask for references.
- Refine your CV, ensuring it is optimised for the UAE job market and includes the information and skills relevant to the job you’re applying for.
- Prepare an impactful cover letter. This is your chance to tell the recruiter why you’re better than your peers with the same qualifications. Research the company and highlight how you’ll help them achieve their goals.
- If needed, apply for a job seeker visa—a temporary visa that allows you to enter the UAE to look for work. It’s valid for a maximum of 120 days.
- Prepare the documents that you may be asked to show in order to work in the UAE:
- Passport (valid for at least six months)
- Passport-sized photos
- Health insurance
- Medical fitness certificate
- Criminal record check (necessary for some positions)
- Certified education certificates
Other resources for expats seeking work in the UAE
There are several resources that you can leverage to further improve your chances of gaining employment in the UAE.
Networking opportunities and job fairs
Attending networking events and job fairs are a great way to meet prospective employers and make a good impression. Events to look out for include:
- UAE Job Fair
- Tawdheef Recruitment Exhibition
- National Career Exhibition
- LinkedIn UAE networking events
- Careers UAE
Recruitment agencies and classifieds
Recruitment agencies specialising in the UAE job market include:
- BAC Middle East
- Charterhouse
- Adecco
- Michael Page
- Robert Half
- Guildhall Agency
- Accel Human Resource Consultants
- Hays
- Mindfield Resources
Classified ads like those in Gulf News also include job posts and networking opportunities in the UAE.
Protecting yourself from labour and visa fraud
Take advantage of resources aimed at preventing labour and visa fraud in the UAE.
First, you can confirm that the company/your employer legally exists by searching the company’s English/Arabic name in the National Economic Register.
Second, ensure that the employer sends you an offer letter issued by the UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). You can confirm the letter’s validity at the UAE embassy in your country.
These tips will ensure you have a safe and successful job search experience. For more information on moving to the UAE, check out Remitly’s UAE blog.
FAQs
Which job portal is the best in the UAE?
They all have their advantages depending on your needs. Consider LinkedIn, GulfTalent, and Naukrigulf.
How can a foreigner get a job in the UAE?
Seek opportunities via the leading job portals, optimise your application, then apply. Do due diligence to protect yourself from visa and labour fraud.
What is the best way to find jobs in the UAE?
Use job portals, attend networking events, and read the classifieds.