The UAE is facing a surplus of skilled professionals in many job roles, particularly at the middle and senior management levels, experts told The National.
The Emirates' population is booming and job seekers in many professions now far outstrip the number of available roles, which is reshaping the hiring experience for candidates and employers alike, HR professionals said.
"While there’s still a shortage of specific skills, there’s also an observable oversupply of professionals in certain roles, creating an imbalance between job seekers and actual openings, particularly at the mid-to-senior level," Vivek Arora, managing director of the Society for Human Resource Management MENA.
This oversupply is especially pronounced in the legal, finance, and property sectors. In contrast, areas like technology and supply chain still face skill shortages.
What is causing it?
The UAE’s attractive lifestyle and tax-free salaries continue to draw skilled professionals from around the world.
Earlier this week, data from the Statistics Centre in Abu Dhabi revealed that the emirate's population crossed four million for the first time after a 7.5 per cent surge in 2024. The other emirates, particularly Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, are witnessing similar influxes.
"Each job posting in the UAE today attracts hundreds of applications," Thomas Ogilvie, chief human resources officer at DHL Group, said. "And while the volume is high, finding the right skill set and personal fit to the job remains a task."
Mr Ogilvie said, on average, each role at DHL locally receives between 600 and 900 applications, depending on seniority, and that “over the past two years, the volume has grown by approximately 50 per cent”.
Dubai-based career guidance consultant Shazia Bharuchi echoed this, saying she’s observed that “one job application, one job advert, will attract 1,000 individuals”.
'Lowball offers'
For many, the consequences are both professional and personal. Ms Bharuchi described how “people who are coming in and taking jobs just to get their foot in the door... are taking them for very low salaries".
The result is that “people are looking to hire senior people for junior salaries”, she added.
One communications professional The National spoke to, who wished to remain anonymous, has been searching for a new role for the past 18 months.
Out of five offers he got, three were “not up to the mark” in terms of fair compensation. “On top of that, they want you to do 20 things in one.”
At the same time, he said there’s a clear lack of decisiveness among employers, with many leaving him waiting for long periods before reverting back with an answer, or just not responding at all.
“Some of the businesses don’t know what they want because of the abundance of choice,” he added. “Maybe they’re scared to pull the trigger.”
Employers faced with a flood of qualified applicants are indeed becoming more selective and cautious, said Mr Arora.
Companies are “focusing on hiring fewer, highly critical roles rather than wide-scale recruitment, particularly mid- and senior-level roles,” he said, adding that salary growth is also slowing.
Because of this, there is an increased reliance on short-term contracts, freelancers and offering trial roles to test fit before making a commitment, Mr Arora added.
Employers are also placing greater emphasis on UAE market experience and cultural fit, as well as soft skills, given the abundance of technically qualified candidates.
The rise of AI
Another reason for the oversupply of skilled job seekers is “unconscious bias”, Mr Ogilvie said.
Older employees and job seekers in the 40-plus age bracket are increasingly reporting difficulties getting hired in the UAE. Ms Bharuchi said some employers often perceive older workers as “more expensive” and “set in their ways”.
Mr Ogilvie said DHL faces issues around discrimination by training HR teams and line managers to “recognise and mitigate unconscious bias”.
For candidates over 40, he said, “the conversation is rarely about whether they have the skills – because they normally do. At that stage in a career, what matters more is cultural fit and mindset. Do they bring the right leadership qualities? Are they commercially minded, results-driven and do they promote a culture of respect in the teams they operate in?”
The rise of AI and automation is also reshaping the landscape, by changing the nature of available roles and by slowing hiring in some sectors.
“Artificial intelligence is changing the profile of tasks and, at the same time, creating new jobs,” Mr Ogilvie said.
Ms Bharuchi agreed, adding: “You have to now think of yourself as a lifelong learner. Things are so adaptable now, so you have to continue to upskill right and be a leader, but with a sort of junior mindset... It’s really important now that we not fear AI, but actually collaborate with it to make sure that we secure our future.”
A global market
For job seekers, particularly those with long tenures in the UAE, the adjustment has been jarring. Ms Bharuchi has had clients in senior roles, with plenty of local experience, who are struggling to get hired.
Often, this is down to their CVs being outdated or not tailored for automatic screening systems, she said, emphasising the importance of understanding applicant tracking systems (ATS) and ensuring your applications are targeted and relevant.
Networking, personal branding and adaptability are also increasingly important, said Mr Arora.
Mr Ogilvie, meanwhile, said it is important for candidates to “stay authentic, specific and honest while tailoring your application to suit the requirement of the job you are applying for”.
He added that it is important to highlight your contributions over responsibilities, what goals you have helped achieve in previous roles and the kind of impact you have had on businesses.
“You’re competing in a global market, because everybody wants to come here,” Ms Bharuchi said.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
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Read more about the coronavirus
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
List of UAE medal winners
Gold
Faisal Al Ketbi (Open weight and 94kg)
Talib Al Kirbi (69kg)
Omar Al Fadhli (56kg)
Silver
Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Khalfan Belhol (85kg)
Zayed Al Mansoori (62kg)
Mouza Al Shamsi (49kg women)
Bronze
Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi (Open and 94kg)
Saood Al Hammadi (77kg)
Said Al Mazroui (62kg)
Obaid Al Nuaimi (56kg)
Bashayer Al Matrooshi (62kg women)
Reem Abdulkareem (45kg women)
Poacher
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
