11 Well-Paying Jobs In Dubai For Foreigners (With Salaries)

Updated 19 September 2023

Dubai is an attractive destination for prospective foreign employees due to its economic prosperity, impressive infrastructure and safe environment. Dubai's job market is diverse and competitive. Qualified candidates can expect to earn high, tax-free salaries in their industries. Learning about the available employment opportunities for foreigners in different sectors in Dubai can help you decide if moving there for work can suit your career aspirations. In this article, we list 11 in-demand jobs in Dubai for foreigners, provide salary information and describe their primary duties.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

What Are In-Demand Jobs In Dubai For Foreigners?

The in-demand jobs in Dubai for foreigners are work opportunities in various industries that require advanced educational qualifications, high-level professional skills and several years of work experience. The United Arab Emirates also has an increasing demand for labourers to handle low-skill jobs. Employers generally prefer candidates with excellent English language proficiency, and knowledge of Arabic can improve your chances of getting a job offer. Check online job portals, recruitment agencies and social media for jobs, and apply directly to Dubai-based companies. After an online or in-person interview, you may require a medical assessment before being hired.

After signing an employment contract, you can obtain a work visa, a work permit and a residence visa. It is advisable that you research the traditional culture and abide by the local laws while working in Dubai. Some of the sectors in Dubai that hire foreigners include the following:

Technology
Construction
Finance
Business
Tourism
Hospitality
Healthcare
Education
Aviation
Engineering
Oil and gas
Logistics
Real estate
Security

In-Demand Dubai Jobs For Foreigners

Here are some in-demand and lucrative jobs in Dubai for foreigners that you can apply to for furthering your career goals:

1. Store Manager

National average salary: AED 74,864 per year

Primary duties: Store managers work in stores and supermarkets, and are responsible for managing staff, ensuring customer satisfaction, increasing retail sales and meeting profitability goals. They develop business strategies, undertake financial planning, monitor market trends, research customer buying trends and procure merchandise. Store managers recruit, train and supervise staff, and undertake staff performance appraisals. The role also involves responding to customer complaints or concerns, overseeing the aesthetic and strategic display of goods, setting product prices, preparing promotional materials, checking stock and placing new orders.

2. Human Resources Manager

National average salary: AED 94,164 per year

Primary duties: A human resources manager handles various human resources functions in an organisation. These can include writing job descriptions, advertising available positions on job portals, reviewing job applications, short-listing candidates, interviewing them and recruiting staff. Human resources managers also provide orientation and arrange training sessions, and workshops for new staff. Additionally, these professionals evaluate the quality of staff work performances, resolve employee disputes and improve employee relations. They provide counselling to help staff adjust well to the organisation, boost their work performance and become more productive. Their responsibilities include managing salaries, benefits and legal compliance.

3. Management Accountant

National average salary: AED 114,167 per year

Primary duties: A management accountant works for government agencies and companies in different sectors to manage, maintain and update their financial records. They generally collaborate with senior management, other accountants, auditors and bankers. Management accountants gather financial documents, analyse financial data, evaluate business performance, do risk analysis, create forecasts, suggest organisational improvements, recommend investments and assist with business decision-making. They also calculate project expenses, plan budgets, prepare payments, maintain financial records and write financial reports. They use financial software for much of their work, oversee the work of junior accountants and ensure the accuracy of accounting procedures.

4. Stress Engineer

National average salary: AED 128,215 per year

Primary duties: Stress engineers work in the aerospace, automotive, nautical, construction, plastics and medical sectors. They assess how different materials, structures and objects react to the strains, and stresses of external forces and loads. The role involves testing prototypes, reviewing data on their structural shapes, material properties and interconnected parts, and noting how temporary, long-lasting or maximum-level forces impact them. Stress engineers use stress analysis methods to ascertain that the materials, structures and objects can withstand specific loads without bending, breaking or warping and are safe to use for relevant purposes.

5. Development Operations Engineer

National average salary: AED 156,754 per year

Primary duties: Development operations (DevOps) engineers have expertise in software development, IT operations processes and the DevOps methodology. They use their knowledge to facilitate communication and collaboration between the software development, and IT operations teams of IT or technology-driven companies. They close the process gaps that can arise when teams work in silos, correct problems and minimise work prioritisation conflicts. DevOps engineers automate repetitive manual tasks, improve productivity, undertake continuous integrated testing, ensure continuous delivery and increase customer satisfaction. They also check that software applications work on all platforms and manage key performance indicators.

6. IT Security Specialist

National average salary: AED 165,604 per year

Primary duties: IT security specialists protect technology-dependent businesses, companies, institutes and organisations from cyber security threats, breaches and vulnerabilities. They instal, configure and update security software to prevent cyberattacks from compromising email accounts, business data, computer devices, servers and networks. These specialists monitor IT network systems, research impending threats and devise countermeasures. They test security measures, optimise security software and implement new security protocols. These professionals also prepare cyber security reports, recommend effective security safeguards, educate staff on being vigilant about data security and make security-related presentations to senior management.

7. Cloud Engineer

National average salary: AED 165,832 per year

Primary duties: A cloud engineer is an IT professional responsible for designing, developing, implementing, debugging and managing cloud-based systems. Working for tech companies or technology-dependent organisations, cloud engineers collaborate with IT teams, identify appropriate cloud solutions and work with cloud service providers. After overseeing the migration of existing on-premise software applications, they provide cloud support and troubleshoot deployment issues. The role involves maintaining cloud infrastructure, reviewing data storage solutions, identifying security threats, installing effective security measures and staying updated on new technologies, trends and threats.

8. Risk Manager

National average salary: AED 238,199 per year

Primary duties: Risk managers identify potential risks to companies and assess how they might affect their security, business viability, profitability and reputation. They review company operations, read documentation, check reports and monitor market trends. After analysing a company in depth, they determine its risk levels, create a risk management methodology, prepare a budget and set aside funds to cover claims. Risk managers maintain records of risk management measures, such as insurance policies, safety protocols, business continuity and recovery plans, employee retention programmes and fund allocations. They draft risk records and present these to senior management.

9. Aeronautical Engineer

National average salary: AED 257,398 per year

Primary duties: Aeronautical engineers work for aviation companies designing, developing and manufacturing aeroplanes, and their components and subsystems. They review proposed projects, evaluate designs, determine their technical feasibility and calculate project costs. Aeronautical engineers assess whether a project adheres to aerodynamic engineering principles and ensure it meets aeronautical design criteria, achieves safety goals, complies with environmental regulations and fulfils customer expectations. They design aeroplanes, helicopters and remotely piloted aircraft for general, special, commercial, executive or military purposes. Additionally, they inspect and repair malfunctioning, or damaged aeroplanes, and aeroplane systems.

10. Internal Medicine Physician

National average salary: AED 304,123 per year

Primary duties: An internal medicine physician is a healthcare specialist who diagnoses, treats, manages and prevents diseases of the internal organs. They conduct clinical laboratory research on health conditions affecting the internal systems. These physicians may collaborate with other medical specialists to diagnose and treat conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune disorders, tumours, kidney issues, asthma, pneumonia and dermatitis. They prescribe medications and therapies, maintain patient records and stay updated on medical advances.

11. Software Architect

National average salary: AED 326,201 per year

Primary duties: A software architect leads software development projects, creates business strategies and makes technical decisions. They plan project costs and schedules. They also ensure the quality, scalability and security of software before release.

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