Top 4 sectors driving jobs in UAE and 5 future professions set to dominate labour market

Source: OFFICIAL UAE NEWS · Emirates 24/7

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Skills Platform, launched by the Ministries of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Human Resources and Emiratisation, has revealed a new map of the country’s labour market needs, including the most in-demand specialisations, emerging jobs, declining professions and the highest-paying roles.

It showed a growing demand for jobs related to digital transformation, artificial intelligence and the non-oil economy, in contrast to the decline of some traditional professions due to automation and technological development.

Highest-paying jobs in UAE

The Emirates Skills Platform identified four fields with high employment opportunities, led by business administration, which accounted for 20% of job advertisements. This was followed by finance, banking and insurance at 8%, and marketing and advertising at the same percentage, while the hospitality and food service sector accounted for 6% of job advertisements.

The platform also showed that the highest-paying jobs in the UAE labour market include CEO, airport CEO, COO, venture capitalist and head of higher education institutions.

Jobs in demand

It explained that the most in-demand jobs currently in the labour market include accountant, sales manager, restaurant manager, administrative assistant and civil engineer.

The strong demand for accountants is driven by the increasing need for regulatory compliance and financial reporting, along with business growth and cross-border trade, as well as the rapid shift towards digital accounting and financial technology adoption.

The demand for sales managers is attributed to the need to boost revenues, expand digital sales channels and support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups that rely on modern sales strategies.

Restaurant managers are also in high demand due to the expansion of the tourism and hospitality sector, diversification of the non-oil economy and increased trade and travel across GCC countries.

The rise in administrative assistant roles is linked to the diversification of the non-oil economy, expansion of digital government services and the growth of tourism and logistics, all of which require enhanced administrative support.

Civil engineers are also in demand, supported by infrastructure expansion, tourism and logistics projects, as well as the shift towards green transformation and sustainable development.

Emerging jobs

The platform highlighted five key emerging jobs: data analyst, user experience analyst, operations manager, project manager and artificial intelligence engineer.

These roles are experiencing rapid growth due to digital transformation, the expansion of smart services, economic diversification and increased reliance on data and artificial intelligence.

Demand for data analysts is rising with the growth of digital services and data-driven business models, while user experience analysts are increasingly needed due to digital government initiatives and smart service development.

The growth in operations and project management roles is driven by infrastructure expansion and large-scale projects across tourism and logistics, alongside digital transformation programmes.

Artificial intelligence engineers are among the fastest-growing professionals, supported by the rapid adoption of AI and cloud computing technologies across sectors.

Jobs in decline

The platform noted several professions experiencing declining demand due to automation and technological advancements. These include ambulance drivers, refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump technicians, debt collectors, oil and gas production managers and legal administrative assistants.

The decline is mainly due to increased reliance on smart technologies, automation and digital systems, as well as the shift towards renewable energy and improved operational efficiency.

Telemedicine and smart emergency systems have reduced the need for some ambulance driver roles, while predictive maintenance technologies have lowered demand for traditional technical roles in refrigeration and air conditioning.

Automation and artificial intelligence are also replacing routine tasks in debt collection and legal administration, reducing the need for entry-level roles.

In the oil and gas sector, the expansion of renewable energy, sustainability goals and automation has led to reduced demand for certain operational and administrative jobs.

Highest-paying jobs

The platform revealed that leadership and executive roles top the list of highest-paying positions, with some monthly salaries reaching AED 163,000 at senior levels.

CEO roles range from AED 60,000 to AED 91,000 for mid-level positions and up to AED 150,000 for senior executives, reflecting responsibilities such as strategic leadership and organisational vision.

Airport CEOs also earn up to AED 150,000 per month due to their responsibility for managing operations, safety, commercial performance and regulatory relationships.

Chief Operating Officers (COOs) earn between AED 60,000 and AED 150,000, depending on experience, as they oversee day-to-day operations and execution of company strategies.

Venture capitalists earn between AED 47,000 and AED 72,000 at mid-level and up to AED 105,000 at senior levels, reflecting their role in evaluating and investing in start-ups.

Heads of higher education institutions earn between AED 64,000 and AED 96,000 at mid-level, rising to AED 163,000 at senior levels, due to their responsibility for academic, financial and strategic leadership.

Required qualifications

The platform emphasised that academic and technical qualifications play a crucial role in employability and career progression.

A bachelor’s degree is the most sought-after qualification, required in 52% of job advertisements, particularly in IT, engineering, business administration and finance.

Master’s degrees rank second at 21%, mainly for leadership and specialised roles in management, data science, AI, healthcare and finance.

Diplomas and technical certificates account for 18% of roles, especially in construction, maintenance, aviation, logistics, hospitality and technical support.

High school qualifications are required for 9% of jobs, mainly in retail, customer service, security, hospitality and administrative support.

Key highlights

• Data analyst and artificial intelligence engineer roles are among the fastest-growing jobs in the UAE labour market.

• Telemedicine and smart emergency systems have reduced demand for ambulance drivers.

• 20% of job advertisements are in business administration.