How big is the UAE and Saudi job market for tech, and where are the IT jobs right now? On Gulf Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026 there were 1,298 tech jobs at 224 companies across the Gulf. Riyadh had the most (278), then Abu Dhabi (261) and Dubai (193). Almost none of them ask for Arabic, 29% are fully remote, and only 24 say in the ad that they sponsor a visa.
This guide puts those numbers next to the official labour market statistics from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, so you can see what the market looks like before you start applying. Our figures count only the ads on this board, not every job in the region. Official figures change every quarter, so check the linked sources for the latest release.
Tech jobs in the Gulf at a glance
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Live tech jobs on Gulf Dev Jobs | 1,298 | Jobs page, 16 October 2026 |
| Companies hiring | 224 | Jobs page, 16 October 2026 |
| New jobs found 1 to 15 October 2026 | 1,242 | October 2026 report |
| Fully remote | 376 (29%) | Remote jobs |
| Visa sponsorship stated in the ad | 24 (2%) | Visa sponsorship jobs |
| No Arabic needed | 1,296 of 1,298 | Jobs page |
| Ad states a salary | 28 | Jobs page |
| UAE private-sector workforce growth, 2025 | 12.4% | MoHRE Labour Market Observatory |
| Saudi unemployment, non-Saudis, Q3 2025 | 1.4% | GASTAT |
IT jobs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh: where the jobs are
The board lists jobs by city. These are the counts on Gulf Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026:
| City | Country | Open tech jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 278 |
| Abu Dhabi | UAE | 261 |
| Dubai | UAE | 193 |
| Doha | Qatar | 65 |
| Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | 12 |
| Sharjah | UAE | 12 |
| Al Khobar | Saudi Arabia | 11 |
| Muscat | Oman | 10 |
| Kuwait City | Kuwait | 9 |
| Dammam | Saudi Arabia | 7 |
| Manama | Bahrain | 6 |
Three cities hold most of the market. Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai together have 732 jobs, more than half of everything on the board. Remote jobs open to people in the Gulf make up much of the rest.
Two things stand out:
- Abu Dhabi is close to Dubai, or ahead of it. Many people search for “IT jobs in Dubai” first, but on our board Abu Dhabi had more open tech jobs. Large employers such as EDGE Group and G42 are based there. If you are open to living in the capital, read our guide to the cost of living in Abu Dhabi.
- Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman are small. Each has fewer than a dozen jobs on the board. Our guide to tech jobs in Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman explains what that means for you.
Which roles and skills are in demand
Our October 2026 report groups the live jobs by role (snapshot of 15 October 2026, 1,307 jobs):
| Role | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other tech roles | 531 | 41% |
| DevOps and SRE | 129 | 10% |
| Machine learning and AI | 87 | 7% |
| Security | 81 | 6% |
| Data science | 77 | 6% |
| Product | 77 | 6% |
| Engineering management | 63 | 5% |
| Backend | 50 | 4% |
| QA and testing | 50 | 4% |
| Design | 43 | 3% |
Infrastructure work leads. DevOps, cloud and security roles together are more than a fifth of the market. Cybersecurity has its own rules in the region; see our guide to cybersecurity jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The most common technologies in the same snapshot (an ad can name several):
| Technology | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 381 | 29% |
| Kubernetes | 226 | 17% |
| Linux | 224 | 17% |
| AWS | 222 | 17% |
| Azure | 207 | 16% |
| SQL | 201 | 15% |
| Google Cloud | 152 | 12% |
| Docker | 142 | 11% |
| Go | 136 | 10% |
Azure is almost as common as AWS, so it’s worth listing both if you have used them.
Seniority: are there IT jobs for freshers?
Most ads on the board are for experienced people. In the October snapshot:
| Level | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Intern | 19 | 1% |
| Junior | 43 | 3% |
| Mid-level | 28 | 2% |
| Senior | 358 | 27% |
| Staff, principal or lead | 171 | 13% |
| Manager or director | 99 | 8% |
| Not stated | 589 | 45% |
So there are some jobs for freshers, but very few: interns and juniors are about 4% of the ads. Employers in the Gulf usually pay for your visa, flights and sometimes housing, so they tend to hire people who can start delivering quickly. If you are a fresher, our advice is:
- Look at graduate programmes at large local employers and international companies with regional offices, and apply directly on their career sites.
- Apply to the “not stated” ads too. Read the requirements, not just the title.
- If you are in the region already, read our guide to finding a tech job in Dubai on a visit or job-seeker visa so you stay within the rules.
Visa sponsorship, remote work and Arabic
Visa sponsorship
Only 24 ads (2%) on the board say in the text that the employer sponsors a visa, at 8 companies (visa sponsor companies). That number understates reality. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, an employer that hires a foreign worker on-site normally arranges the work permit and residence visa as part of the hire; it’s how the system works, so many ads don’t mention it. Our guide to work visas in the UAE and Saudi Arabia explains the process.
What the ads do tell you: 163 jobs (12%) were marked “apply from abroad” in the October report, meaning the ad makes clear that you can apply from another country. See jobs you can apply for from abroad.
Remote work
376 jobs (29%) are fully remote. Many of these are with international software companies that hire across a region or time zone. Read each ad carefully: “remote” can mean “remote within the UAE” or “remote in EMEA”, and you may still need the right to live and work where you are.
Arabic
Arabic is rarely a requirement for tech jobs. On 16 October 2026, 1,296 of the 1,298 jobs on the board did not ask for any Arabic, and the other two asked for basic or conversational Arabic. Some government and customer-facing roles do need it. See tech jobs in the Gulf without Arabic.
Salaries in the ads
Very few Gulf job ads state a salary. On 16 October 2026, only 28 of the 1,298 jobs on the board stated a yearly salary. The October report puts the median of those advertised salaries at USD 159,250 a year, with most between USD 80,000 and USD 305,055 (10th to 90th percentile). That sample is small and tilted towards international remote employers, so don’t read it as a typical local salary. Gulf Dev Jobs never estimates pay; we only show what the employer states.
For how local packages are built (basic salary plus housing and transport allowances), read our guide to software engineer salaries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. To compare take-home pay with your current country, use the salary after tax calculator.
Saudi job market: the official numbers
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) publishes a quarterly Labour Force Survey. In its Q3 2025 bulletin (GASTAT):
| Indicator, Q3 2025 | Saudis | Non-Saudis | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% | 1.4% | 3.4% |
| Labour force participation | 49.0% | 82.1% | 66.9% |
| Employment-to-population ratio | 45.3% | 80.9% | 64.6% |
Non-Saudi unemployment is very low because most foreign residents are in the country on a work visa linked to a job. It doesn’t mean jobs are easy to get from outside. GASTAT’s Q1 2026 survey, as reported by Gulf News, put Saudi unemployment at 6.4% and the total rate at 3.1%. Check stats.gov.sa for the newest quarter.
For tech specifically, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) says the Kingdom is “creating over 381,000 quality jobs in the technology sector”, that the digital economy is about SAR 495 billion (15% of GDP), and that women’s share of the tech workforce rose from 7% in 2018 to 35% (MCIT, April 2025).
What this means for you: Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in technology and wants to raise the share of Saudi nationals in private-sector jobs (Saudisation). Senior and specialist tech roles are still open to foreign hires, and the Saudi Premium Residency for tech talent is a route that doesn’t tie you to one sponsor. Engineers in some roles may also need to register with the Saudi Council of Engineers; see our SCE registration guide.
UAE job market: the official numbers
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) publishes headline figures on its Labour Market Observatory (MoHRE):
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Private-sector workforce growth | 12.4% | 2025 |
| Growth in number of establishments | 7.8% | 2025 |
| Private-sector workforce growth | 2.2% | First half of 2026 |
| Change in number of establishments | -0.4% | First half of 2026 |
So the UAE workforce grew strongly in 2025, and growth was slower in the first half of 2026, with the number of establishments roughly flat. The UAE does not publish a separate count of tech jobs in the same place, so these are economy-wide numbers.
UAE job market right now
If you search for the “UAE job market right now” or “after the war”, you’ll find many opinions. We can only tell you what our data shows: on 16 October 2026 there were 193 tech jobs in Dubai and 261 in Abu Dhabi on the board, and 1,242 new tech jobs were found across the Gulf in the first half of October. Our report also warns that new-job counts rise as we add companies, so they don’t show on their own whether hiring went up or down. For trends, compare the official figures above from one release to the next.
How to use these numbers
- Target the big three cities first. Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have most of the jobs. Decide which you’d live in and check the Dubai cost of living guide.
- Match the stack. Python, Kubernetes, cloud (AWS and Azure) and Linux appear in the most ads. Put them near the top of your CV if you have them.
- Don’t wait for “visa sponsorship” in the ad. On-site employers normally arrange your visa. Ask in the interview.
- Expect few salary figures. Ask for the full package, including allowances, early in the process.
- Know the rules before you move. If you already work in the UAE and want to switch, read changing jobs: notice, probation, visa transfer and bans.
Rules and figures change. This guide is general information, not legal or career advice; check the official sources linked above before you make decisions.
Frequently asked questions
How many IT jobs are there in Dubai?
On Gulf Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026 there were 193 open tech jobs in Dubai, at 82 companies where English is the working language. Abu Dhabi had 261. These are the jobs on our board only; the total market is larger. See the current list on the Dubai jobs page.
Is the Saudi job market good for foreigners in tech?
There is demand. Riyadh had more tech jobs on our board than any other Gulf city (278 on 16 October 2026), and GASTAT puts unemployment among non-Saudis at 1.4% (Q3 2025). Saudi Arabia also pushes employers to hire Saudi nationals, so roles that local graduates can fill are harder to get as a foreigner. Specialist and senior roles are where most foreign hires happen.
Can I find IT jobs in Dubai with visa sponsorship?
Yes. On-site employers in the UAE must arrange the work permit and residence visa for the people they hire, so most on-site jobs come with a visa even if the ad doesn’t say so. On the board, 24 ads stated sponsorship explicitly on 16 October 2026; see visa sponsorship jobs.
Are there IT jobs in Dubai for freshers without experience?
Some, but not many. In our October 2026 snapshot, interns and junior roles were about 4% of the ads across the Gulf. Graduate programmes at large employers, and applying directly on company career pages, give you the best chance.
What is the UAE job market like in 2026?
MoHRE reports that the private-sector workforce grew 12.4% in 2025 and 2.2% in the first half of 2026, while the number of establishments was roughly flat (-0.4%) in the first half of 2026. For tech, Abu Dhabi and Dubai together had 454 jobs on our board on 16 October 2026.
What is the best Gulf jobs website for tech roles?
Use more than one. Company career sites are the most reliable source because the ad comes straight from the employer. Gulf Dev Jobs lists tech jobs from employers’ own career sites and applicant tracking systems, and links you to apply there. Be careful with jobs shared in WhatsApp groups or newspaper classifieds that ask you to pay a fee: in the UAE, the employer must pay recruitment and visa costs.