You are not only hiring them. You are sponsoring their life here.

A UAE executive hire is not a British one with a different currency. The company sponsors the person's residency, the salary a candidate compares is the one they keep, and the obligations that replace a pension arrive at the end rather than monthly. All of that changes the offer before it changes the fee.

The fee

20% to 30%

of first-year base salary, agreed in writing before anything starts.

Charged on

Base salary

Conventions vary more here than in London or New York, and packages often bundle housing and schooling allowances. Establish whether those sit inside the fee base before agreeing a percentage.

What they pay

Nothing, ever

The person hired pays no fee and gives up no share of what they earn, in any market.

What it comes to

Across first-year base salary at the two ends of the range. Local currency, and the exact figure for a given search is written down before the work begins.

First-year base salary	Fee at 20%	Fee at 30%
AED 400,000	AED 80,000	AED 120,000
AED 600,000	AED 120,000	AED 180,000
AED 900,000	AED 180,000	AED 270,000
AED 1,200,000	AED 240,000	AED 360,000
AED 1,800,000	AED 360,000	AED 540,000

What is different about hiring here

The company sponsors the residence visaAn expatriate executive's right to live in the country is tied to the employer that sponsors them. That makes the hire a larger commitment than a UK one in both directions: leaving is a bigger decision for them, and ending the relationship carries obligations for you. It also means the start date depends on a process that is not yours to speed up.

There is no personal income tax on salary, so candidates compare netA figure that looks generous next to a London salary can be less generous than it appears once housing, schooling and the cost of living are counted, and a figure that looks modest can be worth far more. Neither side should convert gross to gross. Work in what the person actually keeps, and be explicit about what the allowances cover.

Gratuity replaces the pension, and it lands at the endInstead of monthly auto-enrolment contributions, private sector employees accrue an end-of-service benefit that is paid when they leave. It is a real liability that builds quietly through the engagement rather than an expense that shows up each month, and a company hiring its first UAE executive frequently fails to account for it until somebody resigns.

Mainland and free zone are different hiresWhich one you are, and which one they will be employed by, decides the permit route, the contract, and whether Emiratisation obligations apply to your headcount. It is the first question a search should establish, not a detail to resolve at offer stage.

What to ask before signing anything

Are we hiring onto a mainland licence or into a free zone, and who is the sponsoring entity?
What is the offer worth net, with the allowances itemised rather than rolled into one number?
Has this person held a senior role in the region, and do they have a track record of staying?
What is our accrued gratuity liability going to look like in three years?
If we are mainland, what does this hire do to our Emiratisation position?

Hiring somewhere else

The same service runs in the United Kingdom and United States, each through a search practice working in that market rather than one firm reaching across borders. If the job turns out to be two or three days a week rather than five, the cost calculator will say so before you spend anything.

Common questions

How much does executive search cost in the UAE?

20% to 30% of first-year base salary. Conventions vary more here than in London or New York, and packages often bundle housing and schooling allowances. Establish whether those sit inside the fee base before agreeing a percentage. The figure for a given search is agreed in writing before the work starts.

The company sponsors the residence visa?

An expatriate executive's right to live in the country is tied to the employer that sponsors them. That makes the hire a larger commitment than a UK one in both directions: leaving is a bigger decision for them, and ending the relationship carries obligations for you. It also means the start date depends on a process that is not yours to speed up.

There is no personal income tax on salary, so candidates compare net?

A figure that looks generous next to a London salary can be less generous than it appears once housing, schooling and the cost of living are counted, and a figure that looks modest can be worth far more. Neither side should convert gross to gross. Work in what the person actually keeps, and be explicit about what the allowances cover.

Does the person being hired pay anything?

No. Not to be approached, not to be placed, and never a share of what they earn. That holds in every market and every tier.

Check it yourself

UAE employment rules differ between mainland and free zone, and between free zones. Visa, gratuity and Emiratisation obligations depend on your licence and your headcount. This is general information rather than legal advice; take proper local advice on your own structure before relying on any of it.

United Arab Emirates

Start with the job, not the fee

Send the role, the market and what it has to get done in the first year. You get a written brief back and a number, both agreed before any work starts.

Email the role →