The UAE job market is expected to see demand for professionals across artificial intelligence (AI), banking, finance, healthcare, energy, technology and several other sectors in 2027, with salaries for some senior positions reaching Dh200,000 a month, according to a new report.

Michael Page’s UAE Salary Guide 2027 identifies 18 sectors where employers are seeking specialist and managerial talent. The report highlights growing demand for AI and data expertise, alongside professionals with strong commercial, leadership, regulatory and project management experience.

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While technology-related roles are gaining importance across industries, the findings show that employers are also looking for people who can combine technical knowledge with business understanding and the ability to manage teams and deliver results.

Here are the key positions and skills employers are looking for across the sectors covered by the report.

AI, data and analytics

AI and data specialists are among the most sought-after professionals in the UAE. The five key positions identified by the report are agentic AI engineers, applied AI engineers, data scientists and applied data scientists, AI and machine-learning platform engineers, and AI product managers.

Employers are prioritising expertise in agentic AI and multi-agent systems, applied data science and machine learning, AI-assisted software development, production AI engineering and AI platform engineering.

The salary guide puts monthly pay for agentic AI engineers at up to Dh70,000, while agentic AI architects can earn as much as Dh75,000. Chief data officers can command up to Dh120,000.

Banking and financial services

The banking and financial services sector is seeking private banking and wealth managers, vice-presidents and directors in private equity and corporate development, fundraising and institutional sales professionals, compliance officers and money-laundering reporting officers, and relationship managers in corporate and wholesale banking.

The most in-demand skills include relationship management and business development, deep financial product and market knowledge, AI fluency, regulatory compliance and financial modelling.

Senior roles in the sector carry some of the highest salary benchmarks in the guide. Chief financial officers in investment and funds businesses can earn up to Dh200,000 a month, while managing directors in investment banking can command up to Dh180,000.

Consultancy, strategy and change

Companies undertaking business transformation are seeking transformation managers, corporate strategy and strategic planning professionals, AI and digital transformation specialists, operating model and organisational design experts, and change management professionals.

The report identifies enterprise transformation and execution, AI strategy and adoption, business transformation, organisational design, and sector-specific expertise and knowledge of the UAE market as important capabilities.

Monthly salaries for partners in management consulting can reach Dh200,000, while directors can earn up to Dh135,000.

Digital

Digital leadership professionals, engineering managers, product managers, performance marketing specialists and social media marketing managers are among the five roles in demand.

Employers are looking for commercial product strategy and execution, AI integration and business adoption, data-driven decision-making, digital transformation leadership and user experience expertise.

Energy

The energy sector is seeking renewable energy and energy transition directors, sustainability consultants and ESG specialists, renewable energy project directors and managers, operations directors and general managers, and health, safety and environment (HSE) directors and managers.

The most sought-after capabilities include project and engineering management, operations and asset management, reliability, technical expertise, energy transition and renewables, digitalisation, AI, automation and process safety.

The salary guide puts the monthly pay of energy-sector CEOs at up to Dh200,000, while chief operating officers can earn up to Dh100,000.

Engineering and manufacturing

General managers, project directors, business excellence managers, operations managers and research and development (R&D) managers are among the key positions in demand.

Employers are prioritising operational excellence and lean manufacturing, change and transformation leadership, manufacturing scale-ups and greenfield projects, automation and AI, and supply chain and localisation expertise.

Project directors can earn up to Dh90,000 a month, while R&D and new product development directors can command up to Dh78,000.

Finance and accounting

The five most sought-after positions in finance and accounting are tax directors and senior tax managers, financial planning and analysis (FP&A) directors and managers, finance directors, treasury managers and heads of treasury, and financial controllers.

Key skills include business partnering, financial planning, treasury and corporate tax expertise, and experience in specific industries.

Healthcare and life sciences

Healthcare and life sciences employers are looking for commercial sales and marketing professionals, medical affairs and market access specialists, regulatory affairs and quality professionals, specialist healthcare practitioners, and operations leaders.

The most in-demand skills include knowledge of the UAE market and regulatory environment, stakeholder and key opinion leader management, market access, pricing and reimbursement, regulatory affairs and compliance, and commercial strategy and business development.

The salary guide shows that consultant physicians can earn up to Dh100,000 a month, while chief medical officers can command up to Dh120,000. Laboratory and quality directors can earn up to Dh70,000.

Human resources

The HR sector is seeing demand for multi-territory HR directors, mid- to senior-level talent acquisition professionals, people and culture specialists, HR consultants focused on transformation and harmonisation, and talent management professionals.

Employers are increasingly seeking expertise in AI and HR technology transformation, HR analytics and people data, workforce planning and skills intelligence, talent management and succession planning, and nationalisation and strategic talent acquisition.

A vice-president of HR or chief human resources officer can earn up to Dh130,000 a month, according to the guide.

Legal – private practice

Law firms are looking for newly qualified lawyers, associates, senior and managing associates, counsels and legal directors, and partners.

The most sought-after areas of legal expertise include corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity, real estate, disputes, project finance and funds, and projects.

The salary guide puts the monthly pay of law firm partners at up to Dh200,000, while counsels can earn up to Dh110,000.

Legal and policy – in-house

Within companies, the key positions in demand include senior legal counsels, senior compliance managers, company secretaries, legal specialists and corporate governance managers.

Employers are looking for regulatory compliance and risk management expertise, corporate governance and board advisory experience, data privacy and cybersecurity regulation, ESG and sustainability reporting, and contract negotiation and commercial advisory skills.

Procurement and supply chain

Procurement managers, supply chain managers, heads of procurement, logistics and shipping managers, and strategic sourcing or category managers are among the roles employers are seeking.

The most in-demand capabilities include strategic sourcing and supplier management, logistics and supply chain resilience, AI-driven procurement and analytics, commercial leadership, and regional GCC and localisation expertise.

Chief procurement officers and chief supply chain officers can earn up to Dh150,000 a month, while vice-presidents and executive directors of procurement can command up to Dh120,000.

Property and construction

The property and construction sector is seeking design directors and managers, project directors and managers, development directors and managers, commercial managers, and facilities managers.

The report highlights full life-cycle project delivery, development management, front-end feasibility, fundraising and market research, as well as facilities and asset management experience.

Retail

Regional commercial directors, heads of marketing and brand, heads of digital and e-commerce, category and buying directors, and retail operations directors are among the top five positions in demand.

Employers are looking for regional profit-and-loss ownership across multiple GCC markets, commercial judgement on pricing and profitability, digital growth and customer acquisition capabilities, category expertise and the ability to localise global brand strategies.

Sales and marketing – B2B

In business-to-business sales and marketing, the most sought-after positions are marketing and communications directors, regional sales managers, direct sales and brownfield sales managers, key account managers and directors, and marketing managers.

The report identifies consultative selling and relationship building, business development and new market development, tender and government sales expertise, digital marketing, and industry-specific technical knowledge as key skills.

Sales and marketing – consumer

Consumer-focused businesses are seeking commercial directors, business development and strategic account directors, general managers, marketing directors, and sales and account managers.

Key capabilities include key account management, route-to-market and channel management, trade marketing and commercial activation, category management and consumer insights, and brand management.

Secretarial and office support

The report also identifies demand for office managers, C-suite executive assistants, administration and office assistants, receptionists, and personal assistants.

Employers value bilingual talent, advanced technology knowledge, an understanding of UAE labour laws, visa processes and regulatory frameworks, experience in setting up businesses in the UAE, and flexibility to work across different time zones.

Technology

Technology employers are seeking DevOps engineers, security engineers, cybersecurity managers, platform engineers and infrastructure managers.

The most in-demand skills include cloud strategy and migration, cybersecurity and risk management, technology governance and compliance, enterprise architecture, and technology transformation and change leadership.

Chief information officers and chief technology officers can earn up to Dh150,000 a month, while chief information security officers can command up to Dh120,000.

Skills beyond technical expertise

Across sectors, the report points to a growing need for professionals who combine specialist knowledge with commercial awareness, adaptability and leadership capabilities.

The findings also come against a backdrop of continued hiring activity in the UAE. Previous Khaleej Times reporting found that 80 per cent of businesses expected to maintain or increase hiring in the second half of 2026, while employers reported shortages of AI and machine-learning engineers and cloud architects.

Communication, problem-solving and leadership skills are also important across job categories. An analysis of 7,025 UAE job postings published in October 2026 found communication skills featured in 22.4 per cent of listings, while problem-solving and leadership each appeared in 9.1 per cent.