Salaries in the UAE are expected to rise by 1.6 per cent on average in 2026, as companies move towards focused increases amid strong population growth, according to a report by recruitment consultancy Cooper Fitch.
Most planned salary increases sit in the 0 per cent to 5 per cent band, with only a small share of companies budgeting 6 per cent to 9 per cent or double-digit raises for “hard-to-replace roles” in areas such as technology, transformation and specialised finance, the UAE Salary Guide 2026 report said.
The study polled business leaders across 800 organisations in the UAE.
There was an average salary increase of 2.6 per cent in the Emirates this year, figures compiled from employers show. Most organisations remained conservative, with 38 per cent approving modest increases of zero to 5 per cent to secure specialist or business-critical talent in “a competitive market”.
“New joiners that don’t have UAE or Gulf experience are likely to come in on leaner packages,” said Trefor Murphy, founder and chief executive of Cooper Fitch.
“But individual contributors stand out in 2026, with 14.3 per cent expected to receive mid-range salary increases of 6 per cent to 9 per cent, almost triple the rate seen in leadership or management levels, pointing to rising competition for specialised operational talent. They missed out on salary increases in the last couple of years.”
The UAE’s population is booming, with both Abu Dhabi and Dubai passing the four-million mark this year.
The Emirates is also facing a surplus of skilled professionals in many roles, particularly at middle and senior management levels, according to recruitment experts. The country’s attractive lifestyle and tax-free salaries continue to draw skilled professionals from around the world.
Eighty-four per cent of employers polled expect to either increase or maintain salary levels in 2026. However, the “era of aggressive salary growth” has cooled, Cooper Fitch reported. As population growth, tightening margins and increased labour market mobility reshape hiring power, organisations are shifting towards focused increases rather than across-the-board adjustment, the report said.
A majority of organisations (63 per cent) believe the UAE has sufficient talent to meet their hiring needs in 2026, while 19 per cent cite continued shortages in securing the skills required, the report revealed.
Positions in demand
“General and mid-level roles remain well-supplied, supported by ongoing population inflows. Specialist and leadership positions are becoming increasingly competitive, particularly where employers require sector-specific expertise or transformation capabilities,” Cooper Fitch said.
“Roles tied to business transformation, digitisation and strategy are harder to fill, while most operational and customer-facing positions face fewer constraints. Supply is strong at the middle of the pyramid. Still, pressure is building at the top.”
Nearly half of employers (48 per cent) expect to increase staffing next year as companies respond to economic activity. About a third (29 per cent) anticipate headcount reduction, the report said.
New joiners that don’t have UAE or Gulf experience are likely to come in on leaner packages
Trefor Murphy,
founder and chief executive, Cooper Fitch
Aviation, defence and aerospace have some of the strongest expansion signs, with nearly half of companies polled reporting expectations of double-digit growth in headcount next year. Public sector organisations also anticipate significant increases, the consultancy found.
A significant number of real estate and construction companies expect to carry out substantial hiring, while others anticipate sharp reductions, reflecting the sector’s exposure to shifting project cycles, according to Cooper Fitch’s findings.
The sector continues to benefit from sustained development activity across residential, commercial and mixed-use projects, supported by strong investor demand and a growing population.
Multiyear construction pipelines, major infrastructure programmes and continuing private-sector investment have driven demand for talent linked to project delivery, development management, advisory services and real estate operations, the study said.
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time – the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany – found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 – around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Some of Darwish’s last words
“They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope.” – Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi – Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) – Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user’s top friends’ list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets