UAE leads GCC in 2Q hiring growth: Hiring in the UAE rose 4% in 2Q 2025, the fastest pace in the Gulf, The National reports, citing a report from recruitment firm Cooper Fitch. Employer confidence, the rollout of the digital work permit service, and a surge of high-net-worth expats helped accelerate recruitment, the report said.

Leading the rally: The recruitment uptick was driven mainly by robust demand in the real estate, financial services, and technology sectors. Senior roles across law, public sector, infrastructure, tourism, and education sectors also saw healthy demand. Notably, the Dubai International Financial Center and ADGM each posted a 2% increase in investment-related hiring, fueled by rising global fund inflows and demand for compliance and risk specialists.

The hiring boom brings its own challenges, with the influx of skilled professionals starting to outpace jobs, particularly at the mid- and senior-management level, leading many candidates to accept lowball offers. Employers are starting to place more weight on local experience, cultural fit, and soft skills.

The rebound comes after a slow 1Q, which saw hiring rise just 1.25% in 1Q as most firms focused on internal restructuring and cost efficiency as new corporate taxes, rising commercial rents, and salary inflation weighed on margins. Once again, recruitment was strongest in the technology, real estate, and law services sectors, and supply outweighed demand.

Elsewhere in the GCC, momentum was mixed: Hiring in Saudi Arabia slowed to 2% from 3.5% in the previous quarter as budgets for mega projects were reassessed, while Oman saw 2% growth after posting a dip in 1Q. Bahrain saw an uptick of just 1%, while Qatar and Kuwait posted declines of 3% and 4%.

Festivities also pushed hiring back, with the Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha holidays, along with the early summer window, contributing to delayed hiring decisions into 3Q in countries with large public or family-run sectors.

Across the region, senior finance roles led job creation with an 8% rise. In-house counsel roles followed with a 7% uptick, while sales and marketing rose 6% and HR roles posted a 4% increase. Digital and AI-related hiring also climbed 4%, but demand for software and cloud engineers dipped slightly.

Tags: