# Companies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia that hire English-speaking tech talent

> Many tech teams in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh work in English, and many tech roles don't require Arabic. This page lists companies on our board where English is the working language, based on evidence from their careers pages and job ads. Every company is reviewed by hand and has open tech roles now.

Source: Gulf Dev Jobs, https://gulfdevjobs.com/guides/companies-hiring-english-speakers-uae-saudi-arabia
Category: Companies. Last updated: 2026-09-25.

Many tech teams in the UAE and Saudi Arabia work in English. Engineers come from all over the world, and English is the shared language in stand-ups, code reviews and documentation. Arabic is the official language in both countries and helps in daily life, but many tech roles don't require it.

This page lists companies on our board where English is the working language. The list updates automatically from our data.

## How we choose these companies

A company appears here only if all of these are true:

- **We have approved it.** We review every company by hand before its jobs go live.
- **English is the working language.** We look for evidence on the company's own careers pages and job ads. We mark this as "verified" when a public page says so, or "likely" when strong signals point that way, such as all job ads in English with no Arabic requirement.
- **It has open tech roles** on our board right now.

## Companies hiring English speakers

Want roles rather than companies? Browse all [tech jobs](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs) and tick the No Arabic required filter.

## Where these companies are based

- **Dubai.** Some employers are on the mainland and some are in free zones. Free zones have their own employment rules, and free zone employees are sponsored by the free zone authority rather than the company ([u.ae](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/working-in-free-zones)). See [tech jobs in Dubai](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs/in/dubai).
- **Abu Dhabi.** The UAE capital, with both mainland and free zone employers. See [tech jobs in Abu Dhabi](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs/in/abu-dhabi).
- **Riyadh.** The Saudi capital. See [tech jobs in Riyadh](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs/in/riyadh).

## How to read a job ad for language requirements

Each job page on our board shows the local language level and English level we detected in the ad. Some phrases to look for:

- **"Arabic is a plus"** or **"Arabic preferred"** usually means the role is open to non-Arabic speakers.
- **"Fluent Arabic required"** or **"bilingual Arabic/English"** means Arabic is part of the job. This is common in customer-facing, sales and some government-related roles.
- **No language mentioned** in an English ad usually means English is enough. When in doubt, ask the recruiter.

Our guide on [getting a tech job in the Gulf without Arabic](https://gulfdevjobs.com/guides/tech-jobs-gulf-without-arabic) explains which roles need Arabic and how localisation rules (Emiratisation and Saudization) affect hiring.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to speak Arabic to work at a tech company in Dubai?

Usually not for engineering roles. Many tech teams in the UAE use English in stand-ups, code reviews and documentation, because engineers come from all over the world. Arabic is the official language and helps in daily life, and it can be required in customer-facing, sales and some government-related roles, so read each ad.

### What does "Arabic is a plus" mean in a job ad?

It usually means the role is open to people who don't speak Arabic. "Arabic preferred" usually means the same. "Fluent Arabic required" or "bilingual Arabic/English" means Arabic is part of the job. When an English ad doesn't mention a language, English is usually enough, but ask the recruiter if you're unsure.

### How do you know a company works in English?

We look for evidence on the company's own careers pages and job ads. We mark it "verified" when a public page says English is the working language, and "likely" when strong signals point that way, such as all job ads in English with no Arabic requirement. We also review every company by hand.

### Who sponsors my visa if the company is in a Dubai free zone?

The free zone authority, not the company. Free zone employees are sponsored by the free zone authority, and each free zone has its own employment rules. Before you accept an offer, ask the company which authority will sponsor you and which rules apply to your contract.

### How can I see the Arabic level a job needs?

Each job page on our board shows the local language level and the English level we detected in the ad. To see only roles that don't need Arabic, browse our [tech jobs](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs) with the No Arabic required filter. You can also filter by city, such as [Dubai](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs/in/dubai), [Abu Dhabi](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs/in/abu-dhabi) or [Riyadh](https://gulfdevjobs.com/jobs/in/riyadh).

## Related guides

- [Companies that sponsor visas in the UAE and Saudi Arabia](https://gulfdevjobs.com/guides/companies-that-sponsor-visas-uae-saudi-arabia)
- [Software engineer salaries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh](https://gulfdevjobs.com/guides/software-engineer-salaries-dubai-abu-dhabi-riyadh)
- [Work visas for tech jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia](https://gulfdevjobs.com/guides/tech-work-visas-uae-saudi-arabia)

## Sources

- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/employment-in-the-private-sector/skill-levels-of-jobs-in-the-uae
- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/working-in-free-zones