Report: What Are The UAE Nationals Job Search Methods and Preferences
Table of Contents
The UAE companies are hiring big time in 2025. Below are the best ways to find jobs by UAE nationals.
- NAFIS: 55.96%
- LinkedIn: 57.27%
- Job Portals: 54.79%
- Recruitment Agencies: 35.85%
- The Company’s Website: 47.81%
- Falek Tayyeb: 7.88%
- References: 23.69%
Finding the right job in today’s competitive market is a tough task – but knowing how and where to look makes all the difference. The UAE has a vast job market with multiple opportunities across various sectors, be it health, finance, IT, entertainment, real estate, oil & gas, etc. With the right skill, expertise, and a strategic approach to job hunting, one can easily land a job in their desired sector in the UAE. A hybrid job model has also been introduced, which gives the working individuals an opportunity to work from either the office or their own comfort place. This is a key change in the usual on-site and remote work models. Check out this article on the most in-demand jobs in UAE for 2025 to explore opportunities by sector.
The Emiratisation initiative taken by the government has proven to be really beneficial for UAE nationals, allowing them to gain skills and employment in the government as well as the private sector. The Government of the UAE has launched NAFIS, an initiative to empower Emiratis by offering them jobs through a mobile app and website. In this blog, we’ll be discussing the report made by TASC Outsourcing related to Emiratisation in the UAE. This blog will include a proper analysis of how Emiratis hunt for jobs. For more insights, check out the UAE Emiratisation efforts report.
What Are The UAE Nationals Job Search Methods?
Numerous platforms and sources have emerged for hunting a job, not just in the UAE, but all around the world. From recruitment agencies to social media job posts, there are numerous ways to find a suitable job in the UAE. However, if we take a look at the statistics of what are the UAE nationals job search methods in the report made by TASC Outsourcing, we’ll be able to see that the competition is quite tough. With LinkedIn and Nafis having almost similar rates on how much job seekers and employees rely on these platforms for job hunting, several others still stay behind and are not that popular among the UAE nationals. Let’s explore those stats briefly.
1. Nafis
The NAFIS application and the website are some of the best ways to find a job by UAE nationals. Job seekers and employees heavily rely on this platform to look for potential job opportunities, as it gives them multiple benefits such as workshops and training programs, a pension program, unemployment benefits, and child allowance. Despite all these amazing perks, the percentage of Emirati job seekers using this platform has declined from last year’s 77.65%. While employees have also started exploring other avenues for seeking jobs, considering the slight decrease from last year’s 37.47%. The stats are as follows:
- Job Seekers: 55.95%
- Employees: 35.14%
2. LinkedIn
LinkedIn and other social media sites like X, Facebook, and Instagram have always been key targets for hunting jobs. The UAE nationals have also proved to use these platforms to search for jobs. Employers post numerous jobs on these platforms, hoping to receive potential candidates for the position they are offering. The stats for job seekers and employers who use social media for job hunting are as follows:
- Job Seekers: 57.27%
- Employees: 17.36%
Want to stand out? Read our best CV format for Dubai in 2025.
3. Falek Tayyab
Falek Tayyeb is a recruitment and job-seeking platform brought by TASC, helping employers find Emirati talent across industries. It is an innovative approach and simplifies the process of how Emiratis hunt for a job. Emirati businesses can post jobs, and job seekers can easily respond to those through their applications or websites. The platform is new and yet to gain recognition among Emiratis, so there are a few employees and job seekers who use the platform. This gives the platform an opportunity to make a name for itself. Stats for Falek Tayyeb are given as:
- Job Seekers: 7.88%
- Employees: 1.20%
4. Job Portals
One of the most used methods to find a job is through trusted job portals. Not only Emiratis, but people from all around the world search for stable jobs, whether online, on-site, or hybrid, on different types of job portals. According to the report, Emiratis seem to use and trust job portals for hunting for potential jobs. The stats are shown below.
- Job Seekers: 54.79%
- Employees: 17.47%
Explore free job posting sites in UAE if you’re job hunting or hiring.
5. References
Many people have friends or family working at a good place and can refer them to a good job position. References have been considered one of the many effective and best ways to find jobs by the UAE nationals. The report concludes that despite emerging platforms like NAFIS and Falek Tayyeb, Emiratis are leveraging their networks more to get jobs. However, references still play a small part in the list of “What are the UAE nationals job search methods”.
- Job Seekers: 23.69%
- Employees: 5.89%
Learn more about how to write a self introduction for freshers when referred for interviews.
6. The Company’s Website
It is better to apply for jobs directly on the company’s website as it is authentic and places your job application in the company’s inbox. The report has revealed that a large number of job seekers favor the idea of applying directly on the company’s website and follow this practice. While not many employees agree with the ideaand still stick to other methods like NAFIS or social media.
- Job Seekers: 47.81%
- Employees: 9.85%
Read about job description tips before submitting your application.
7. Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies play a big role in the process of how Emiratis hunt for jobs. These types of agencies act as a bridge between businesses and job seekers, helping them to connect with each other. Successful and reliable recruitment agencies like Career Pro continue to help Emiratis find their dream jobs, with more job seekers using their services than employees.
- Job Seekers: 35.85%
- Employees: 8.28%
Check out the importance of recruitment agencies and how they support your job search.
Emiratis’ Job Search Preferences
Among the various methods mentioned above along with their statistics, the most preferred methods by Emiratis are applying through NAFIS, job portals, the company’s official website, and LinkedIn. While other methods are also equally beneficial, these four seem to have struck a chord with Emiratis. It is mostly because of the exceptional services and the vast sea of job opportunities on these platforms. Here’s our take on why these four must be the top choices for Emiratis to search for jobs.
1. Nafis
NAFIS not only offers great employment chances but also other exciting advantages. This places it in the top four methods through which Emiratis find employment opportunities.
2. Job Portals
Job portals have endless job postings by top-notch companies from all around the world, including the UAE. A person can easily search for a job according to their own preferences regarding the industry, position, salary, working hours, working mode, etc.
3. Company’s Website
What more can be authentic and reliable than a company’s own website? Directly applying is a great way to stand out in the competitive market. With the job application landing right into the company’s email or recruitment system, the chances of getting noticed increase.
4. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is also a great platform to search for jobs, as almost all the businesses post jobs and recruit talented individuals from there. HR managers and recruitment experts are always in search of potential candidates for various job positions across different industries, such as IT, human resources, finance, healthcare, etc. There are openings for fresh graduates, mid-level professionals, and seasoned experts, making it a dynamic platform.
Opportunity Alert: The Market Wants You
The UAE’s job market is experiencing significant growth in 2025, thanks to the emerging technology as well as the need for managing business operations across industries such as IT, Fintech, Healthcare, BI, etc. According to recent reports, 92% of business owners plan to increase their workforce in 2025 by hiring talented individuals for on-site, remote, or hybrid positions. This is a golden opportunity for Emiratis, whether fresh graduates or seasoned professionals, to apply for jobs through their preferred method. Who knows, this might be your chance to skyrocket your career in the UAE’s fast-paced, hyper-competitive industry.
Explore AI in recruitment to understand how hiring is evolving with technology.
Wrapping Up
In this blog, we discussed the statistics related to what are the UAE nationals job search methods in the report made by TASC Outsourcing. There are various methods to search for a potential job in the UAE for UAE nationals, offering exciting benefits along with enticing job opportunities. However, all the methods can’t work the same for everyone or every industry. Different types of jobs require different approaches. For instance, you may not be able to land a job through a trusted job portal that your friend got a job from; instead, you get your desired job through LinkedIn.
The bottom line is that you need to research properly about your skillset and the type of job you are looking for, and then choose the best method accordingly. Suggested strategy is that if you need a job, it is always better to search for a job using multiple methods. This increases your chances of landing the perfect job in the UAE as an Emirati.
Also read: What not to do in an interview.
