Abu Dhabi - The Capital of Everything

I’ve spent the last 18 months building our Abu Dhabi business as our phase number 2.

Although I was born in Abu Dhabi, there were a lot of big adjustments I had to make for our growth in the Capital, especially after living in Dubai for the last 6 years.

The first thing was: unlearning how things are done in Dubai and then learning how they are done in Abu Dhabi, because quite simply, it is a completely different place altogether and what works in Dubai, does not always work in Abu Dhabi.

·?????? You must have patience and resilience as things can take time

·?????? Calendars can change very quickly

·?????? Strategies can change overnight, and you need to adapt

·?????? There are more jobs than candidates and it is a job driven market (I've had multiple candidates land 2 offers or more and they had to pick one)

Over the last 12 months, I’ve been successful in helping multiple candidates land roles in Abu Dhabi and helped companies of different sizes grow. I’ve also contributed to a few people moving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi (or from other parts of the world).

Over these months, I’ve collated a lot of information and questions regarding the landscape in Abu Dhabi so I wanted to share that information with my network. Here are some stats on placements we have made in the Capital as a starting point:

(pls note that all these stats are taken from our database)

1.????? Number of roles placed: 28 roles ?

2.????? Number of new clients signed: 15

3.????? Percentage on overall revenue for Alchemy: 27%

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Salaries & Financials

Salaries are considerably higher in Abu Dhabi at the senior end. Whilst in Dubai salaries are on the decline, in Abu Dhabi, especially at the senior end, salaries remain competitive.

Benefits such as schooling is widespread and common.

Living costs remain stable, whilst Dubai prices are skyrocketing. Therefore, with higher salaries and consistent living costs, Abu Dhabi offers a strong living standard for all levels.

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Process length (39 days average fill time)

Whilst Abu Dhabi processes may be quite lengthy from beginning to end, it’s mainly due to the security clearances.

The actual process in making a decision on a candidate is very quick, depending on urgency of roles of course.

Patience is key.

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Seniority of roles (52% are senior, 33 % at mid-management level)

Very competitive market for candidates from mid-senior level.

I’ve always thought Abu Dhabi is a place you refine the finer years of your career, rather than somewhere you can kickstart it.

The need for senior talent with already existing skills in key areas is vital for you to land a role in Abu Dhabi.

Below are the industries and skills doing well in Abu Dhabi.

Key skills:

1.????? Group Consolidation

2.????? Project Finance

3.????? FP&A

4.????? Arabic Language

Top preforming Industries:

1.????? Manufacturing (40%)

2.????? Technology (15%)

3.????? Consultancy (15%)

4.????? Family Office/Asset Management/Holding Companies (10%)

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Word of Mouth

This is one of the biggest key areas that would define your success in Abu Dhabi for the long term. Word of mouth (good and bad) travels very quickly in Abu Dhabi. So, if you’re someone whose looking for a role in Abu Dhabi you must be seen, committed and also spend time in Abu Dhabi for businesses to know you’re interested. Once you are in the Abu Dhabi market, building credibility takes time.

Ensure to always remain on the good side of people and never ever bad mouth any previous employer as this can cost you your next role.

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Hybrid/WFH

Most roles in Abu Dhabi require you to be in Abu Dhabi, in the office every single day. The businesses in the capital want to “see” you day in and day out. Commuting between Dubai and Abu Dhabi is massively discouraged, and you will always be given priority if you live in Abu Dhabi.

I have an influx of candidates saying to me, “I would do a role in Abu Dhabi if I can have a hybrid structure” and unfortunately, this is just not going to fly.

Unless you are completely committed to being in Abu Dhabi, don’t waste your time.

This is true even for myself, so much so, that I will be moving to Abu Dhabi in February to accelerate our growth. (Yes, the cats out of the bag!!)

Doing the commute isn't sustainable and employers will think you're here for the short term to fill a gap whilst you look for something else.

Relocation

Senior roles in Abu Dhabi are still open for candidates outside the region. There are a lot more relocations at this level than in Dubai. Especially for roles that are senior and specific in nature. With no room for error for most businesses, they want someone who will be a plug and play. If that doesn’t exist in the UAE, they will consider candidates outside the region.

This is not prominent at the junior-mid level end as there is an oversupply of talent on the ground. So, if you are not at Director level yet, your efforts will go unseen unless you are on the ground.

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2025 for Abu Dhabi

My outlook for Abu Dhabi in 2025 is that of stability and increased curiosity.

I don’t like to be overly optimistic about the market as I am a realist and I take it day by day.

And today, it appears to be still going strong!

December was successful for Abu Dhabi in 2024 and hence I’m anticipating this to flow into the first quarter in 2025. As businesses have finalize their budgets for the new year, I’ve been instructed on a number of new positions which will be active in the next week or two.

Salaries will remain competitive in Abu Dhabi to attract top tier talent from Dubai and also other parts of the world.

Big projects are in the pipeline and hence talent will be needed to ensure the deadlines are met in the Capital City.

If you're someone who is keen to learn more about the Abu Dhabi market, happy to connect and speak.

I'll be spending every day in Abu Dhabi starting February so will be looking forward to help this great city grow.

Bring on 2025.........

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