UAE leads the world on hiring intent as Gulf demand holds
ManpowerGroup's 2026 survey data puts the UAE at a +48% Net Employment Outlook — the highest of any major economy surveyed — with Saudi Arabia at +35%.
Photo: Norlando Pobre (CC BY 2.0)
The UAE continues to post the strongest hiring sentiment of any major economy tracked, at a Net Employment Outlook of +48% in ManpowerGroup survey data for 2026. Saudi Arabia follows at +35%, supported by Vision 2030 programmes, giga-project construction and private-sector expansion, while Qatar, Oman and Bahrain hold elevated demand.
For comparison, the same survey series places India around +37%, Singapore +28%, the United States +22% and the United Kingdom +15%. The wider GCC is projected to add more than five million private-sector jobs by 2030.
The constraint is supply, not demand. Skills gaps persist across engineering, healthcare, technology and skilled trades, and a large share of regional employers report difficulty finding qualified candidates — which is precisely why structured overseas sourcing and trade testing keep their value.
What it means for employers
- Plan for competition: in a +48% outlook market, good candidates hold multiple offers.
- Shorten your interview-to-offer cycle before you raise the salary.
- For volume trades and healthcare roles, overseas sourcing pipelines beat local advertising.
Related pages
Summarised by the Horizon GCC team. Original reporting: Faltara (ManpowerGroup data)
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