Gulf job market report: October 2026

JobXDubai Hiring Index

New job postings each week from a fixed group of employers, against the four weeks from 3 August 2026 (= 100). The group never changes, so the index only moves when those employers hire more or less, never because we add a source.

New and closed jobs, week by week

Complete weeks only, for employers we were already tracking at the start, so a new source never looks like a hiring spike.

Which fields are hiring

New jobs in the last 30 days, and the like-for-like change against the 30 days before.

Employers stepping up, and slowing down

New jobs in the last 30 days compared with the 30 days before, for employers we have tracked throughout. Recruitment agencies and job boards are left out.

Skills employers ask for

The skills named most often in new adverts over the last 30 days. General soft skills are left out.

What employers ask for, and what CVs show

For each field: the skills named most in new adverts, and how often CVs uploaded to JobXDubai mention them (5,791 anonymous CVs). A CV mentions far more skills than an advert lists, so compare down each column, not across.

Where competition for jobs is highest

Each field's share of the CVs uploaded to JobXDubai against its share of new jobs. Above 1 means more job seekers than openings, relative to other fields. Our CVs are a sample, so read this as a comparison between fields, not a count of applicants.

What employers require

From the requirements in 28,675 open adverts. The typical ask is the median.

Advertised pay, as employers state it

Only adverts where the employer published a salary (1,365 open jobs). Typical (median) monthly range, in AED, for fields with at least 30 such adverts.

What open jobs pay: our estimate

Most Gulf adverts don't state a salary, so these bands use our own estimate for each open job (the employer's figure when they give one). Individual estimates can be well off, so read this as the shape of the market, not a salary guide.

Who the jobs are for