Which city is best for jobs in the UAE, 2025? Shocking outcome

NOTE: The UAE uses many registration channels (mainland + free zones + economic zones). Below are the latest published figures or chamber/free-zone reports (where available); where exact totals aren’t centrally published, I used the most recent chamber / economic-zone figures and flagged them as “reported” or “estimate”.

Emirate	Quick business snapshot (2024–H1 2025)
Abu Dhabi	~158,000+ chamber members (ADCCI membership reported H1 2025). Growing financial & energy companies
Dubai	Hundreds of thousands of licensed businesses across mainland + free zones; DIFC alone reached 7,700 active firms (H1 2025); Dubai saw record private registrations in 2024–25
Sharjah	Chamber memberships ~33,000 (2024 baseline) and recent H1-2025 membership growth; strong SME & industrial base
Ras Al Khaimah (RAK)	RAKEZ reported 13,000+ new companies in 2024 and the emirate notes 40,000+ international business companies registered (RAK factsheet). Fast-growing free-zone activity
Ajman	Chamber / industrial registrations rising (industrial establishment growth reported H1 2025); smaller ecosystem but rapidly growing SMEs
Fujairah	Chamber membership reported ~30,320 (2024). Port & trade hub with growing logistics & industrial firms
Umm Al Quwain (UAQ)	Smaller business base (FTZ activity, industrial units), hundreds to low thousands of active firms listed in directories it is slow but steady growth

 

Context: The UAE had roughly 1.02 million registered companies by mid-2024 (national economic register reporting), so distribution is weighted to Dubai & Abu Dhabi plus rapid growth in free zones

• Latest hiring trends across the UAE (2024 → H1 2025) show these high-demand categories:
• Technology / AI / Data / Cybersecurity — heavy hiring in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and free zones (DIFC, DMCC). Dubai & Abu Dhabi lead in AI investment and firms 
• Financial services/asset management/family offices — Abu Dhabi (ADGM) and Dubai (DIFC), accelerating growth
• Healthcare (doctors, nurses, allied health) — expansion across Abu Dhabi and Dubai hospitals
• Construction, engineering, and property roles — recovery projects across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and RAK industrial growth
• Hospitality & retail — Dubai (tourism) and Sharjah (growing retail) hiring managers and skilled operational staff

I picked realistic salary bands from recent salary guides and cost-of-living estimates (Numbeo, Michael Page, industry guides). For clarity, all arithmetic is explicit so readers see the expected monthly savings if they live alone in a 1-bed city-centre apartment.

Cost of living and rent in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

Living cost (excluding rent): Dubai AED 4,219 / Abu Dhabi AED 3,568 / Sharjah ≈ AED 3,200 (Numbeo & local calculators). Rent (1-bed city centre): Dubai AED 6,398 (market average), Abu Dhabi AED 5,475, Sharjah AED 2,775.

Salaries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

Median monthly salaries (representative bands from Michael Page, Upgrad, Qureos): Software Engineer AED 25,000, Data Scientist AED 30,000, Hospitality Manager AED 14,000, Teacher (international school) AED 12,000, Nurse AED 8,000. (Ranges vary by seniority; see citations.)

Monthly savings = Gross monthly salary − (rent + living costs)

Let us understand it with examples, whether you get a job as a Software Engineer, Data Scientist, Hospitality Manager, Teacher, Nurse and more in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah: - 

Working as a Software Engineer (AED 25,000 / month)

• Dubai: Rent 6,398 + living 4,219 = total monthly cost 10,617 

Savings = 25,000 − 10,617 = AED 14,383 

• Abu Dhabi: Rent 5,475 + living 3,568 = 9,043 

Savings = 25,000 − 9,043 = AED 15,957

• Sharjah: Rent 2,775 + living 3,200 = 5,975 

Savings = 25,000 − 5,975 = AED 19,025

• Working as a Data Scientist (AED 30,000 / month)

Dubai: 30,000 − (6,398 + 4,219 = 10,617) = Total savings AED 19,383 

• Abu Dhabi: 30,000 − (5,475 + 3,568 = 9,043) = Total savings AED 20,957 

Sharjah: 30,000 − (2,775 + 3,200 = 5,975) = Total savings AED 24,025.

Working as a Hospitality Manager (AED 14,000)

• Dubai: 14,000 − 10,617 = Total savings AED 3,383
• Abu Dhabi: 14,000 − 9,043 = Total savings AED 4,957
• Sharjah: 14,000 − 5,975 = Total savings AED 8,025

Working as a Teacher (AED 12,000)

• Dubai: 12,000 − 10,617 = Total savings AED 1,383 
• Abu Dhabi: 12,000 − 9,043 = Total savings AED 2,957 
• Sharjah: 12,000 − 5,975 = Total savings AED 6,025

Working as a Nurse (AED 8,000)

• Dubai: 8,000 − 10,617 = −AED 2,617 (i.e., not enough to cover rent + living if renting in-centre single room). Consider employer housing allowance or sharing
• Abu Dhabi: 8,000 − 9,043 = −AED 1,043 (again negative without housing benefit)
• Sharjah: 8,000 − 5,975 = AED 2,025 (positive thanks to lower rent)

Salary, Cost of Living and Savings in Ajman, UAE

Job Role	Salary / Month	Total Monthly Costs (Rent + Basics)	Estimated Monthly Savings
Graphic Designer	AED 6,000	2,300 + 3,400 = AED 5,700	AED 300
Mobile Phone Technician	AED 3,500	2,300 + 3,400 = AED 5,700	−AED 2,200 → may need housing help or sharing
Video Editor	AED 7,500	AED 5,700	AED 1,800
Sales / Marketing Executive	AED 10,000	AED 5,700	AED 4,300

 

Salary, Cost of Living and Savings in Fujairah, UAE

Job Role / Salary Band	Approx Monthly Salary (AED)	Typical Monthly Living Costs (Rent + Basics)	Estimated Monthly Savings*
Software Engineer	~ AED 7,000	Rent for 1-bedroom (~ AED 2,500-4,000) + utilities & groceries etc (~ AED 3,500)	AED (approx) 7,000 − (say 3,500 + 3,000) = ~AED 500-1,500
Manager	~ AED 4,506	Same cost base: rent (~2,500-4,000) + basics (~3,500)	Usually negative or small positive: 4,506 − (~5,500-7,500) = ~ −AED 1,000-0
Driver	~ AED 2,500 (could go up to AED 3,000)	Rent + basics (~AED 5,500-7,500 as above)	Negative: likely −AED 2,500-4,000 unless sharing housing or employer gives allowances
Accountant	AED 3,000-6,000 depending on experience / company size	Same cost base (~AED 5,500-7,500)	Could be small negative or small positive: e.g. if AED 6,000 salary and cheaper rent/basic costs, savings maybe ~AED 500-1,000

 

Salary, Cost of Living and Savings in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Role / Scenario	Monthly Gross Salary (AED)	Typical Monthly Cost of Living* (Rent + Basics)	Estimated Monthly Savings
Average Worker	~ AED 13,700	Rent (1-bed city centre): AED 2,000-5,000 + Basics (food, utilities, transport, internet): ~ AED 3,500-5,000	Savings ~ AED 3,700-8,700 depending on rent and lifestyle
Human Resources (mid-senior)	~ AED 13,100	Same cost assumptions: ~ AED 5,500-8,000	Savings ~ AED 5,100-7,600
Cost Estimator (experienced)	~ AED 11,300	~ AED 5,500-8,000 (similar rental + living cost)	Savings ~ AED 3,300-5,800
Assistant Manager	~ AED 7,000-7,400 average reported	~ AED 5,000-7,000 depending on rental choice + basics	Savings ~ AED 0-2,400
Lower income / Entry Level	~ AED 5,000-6,000 estimated in many small roles (e.g. admin, junior tech)	Cost would still be ~ AED 4,000-6,000 for modest lifestyle; lower rent (outside centre or shared) helps	Savings often close to zero, maybe AED 500-1,500, or negative if rent & lifestyle are upgraded

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah provide high-paid tech/finance roles and even ample savings, AED 14,383 (Dubai), AED 15,957 (Abu Dhabi), and AED 19,025 (Sharjah), considering the same post as “Software Engineer” and out of all 3. Sharjah unlocks the maximum savings, where there is a difference of AED 5,000 compared to others.

And even if you compare it with Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain, then also, Sharjah has shown the maximum saving of AED 24,025 as a Data Scientist in the UAE, so think wisely and plan your job and lifestyle in a place that can give you safety, security, and quality living for opportunities.