UAE Jobs: Communication Tops Employers' Wish List as Human Skills Lead Hiring
Communication skills are the most frequently requested ability among employers in the United Arab Emirates, according to an analysis of 7,025 UAE job postings by SkillDrift, an AI-powered career platform that evaluates candidates' skills against job requirements.
The analysis found that communication was mentioned in 22.4% of job postings. Problem-solving and leadership appeared in 9.1% of listings, while customer service was mentioned in 8.4%. Other important skills included organisation, teamwork and time management.
Deepanker Mahajan, founder and CEO of SkillDrift, said employers in the UAE continue to prioritise candidates who can communicate effectively, lead teams and serve customers.
Demand for AI skills
Artificial intelligence was listed as a required skill in 28 out of 7,025 UAE job postings, representing 0.4% of the listings analysed. By comparison, AI skills appeared in 4.1% of US postings indexed by SkillDrift.
The platform noted that its UAE listings mainly cover operations, engineering, sales and hospitality roles. Therefore, the AI figure should be considered a minimum estimate rather than a complete measure of demand across the entire UAE job market.
Across SkillDrift's wider index, Python has overtaken communication as the most requested skill. The analysis also found that 14.1% of postings specifying experience requirements were open to candidates with one year or less of experience, while 35.4% required five years or more.
Language skills and internships
Arabic was listed as a requirement in 7.4% of UAE job postings, compared with 13.2% in Saudi Arabia and 13.5% in Qatar. English was mentioned in 21.3% of UAE listings.
Internships accounted for 3.7% of UAE job postings. Sharjah recorded the highest share at 6.4%, while Abu Dhabi had the lowest at 1.6%.
Mahajan advised jobseekers to identify the skills required for their target roles, compare them with the skills listed on their CVs and work on closing the gaps. Demonstrating skills clearly on a CV can help candidates show employers that they meet a role's requirements.
The findings highlight the importance of communication, leadership, customer service and other practical skills for people seeking employment in the UAE.
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