Getting a tech job in Dubai from India

Is it worth it in rupees?

Start with the money, because it decides most moves. A software engineer in Bengaluru earns about ₹17 LPA before tax. In Dubai the median is AED 366,000 a year (about ₹95 LPA), and there is no income tax on it. The gap is real, but so are the costs: a family of three spends about AED 21,700 (≈ ₹5.6 lakh) a month, most of it on rent and school fees.

A useful rule: to live comfortably with a family of three and still save a fifth of your pay, aim for about AED 27,000 (≈ ₹7.0 lakh) a month. Our free check compares your own pay and household in three minutes. Take the check, or see pay by role and costs for a family of three.

Where the jobs are, and who they're for

Dubai hires from abroad by default. 74% of the UAE's residents were born in another country, and only about 171,000 Emiratis work in private companies across the whole country. Emiratisation asks companies with 50 or more staff to fill 10% of their skilled jobs with Emiratis by the end of 2026, so an ad for UAE nationals only is the exception, and we flag it on every job. Sources: UN and World Bank (opens in a new window), MoHRE (opens in a new window), u.ae (opens in a new window).

Right now we list 239 IT jobs in Dubai from 98 tech companies. Most sit in a few places: Dubai Internet City and Media City for software and product companies, DIFC for banks and fintech, and Dubai Silicon Oasis for start-ups and enterprise software.

Backend, data and DevOps roles are the most common, followed by frontend and mobile, and AI roles are growing fast. Fintech, e-commerce, logistics and travel companies hire the most from abroad. Start with the IT jobs in Dubai and the tech companies, and follow those companies' careers pages directly.

The hard part: standing out

Being allowed to apply is easy. Being noticed is not. A Dubai job ad on LinkedIn gets about 285 applicants in its first week, the most of the 122 cities in one study, across all industries. (Resume.io (opens in a new window)). Tech ads are no quieter:

In LinkedIn's survey of UAE job seekers, 63% said the crowded field was their biggest problem and 35% heard nothing back after applying. (Gulf News (opens in a new window)). So you don't get picked by applying more. You get picked because someone recommends you, or because your work is easy to see.

Referrals matter most. Across tech companies worldwide, 40% of referred candidates got an interview, against 3% of people who applied cold. (Ashby (opens in a new window)). What works:

1. 1

   Get recommended

   Find people who work at the companies you want, on LinkedIn: former colleagues, people from your college, your city or your stack. Ask for a short call about the team, not for a job; a referral often follows. Dubai's tech meetups and online communities work the same way.
2. 2

   Make your work easy to see

   A portfolio or GitHub with two or three finished projects, ideally close to the company's field (payments for a fintech, a data pipeline for a data role). Write a short post about something you built. Recruiters search LinkedIn: put your stack, level and "open to relocating to Dubai" in the headline.
3. 3

   Be specific

   "Backend engineer, Go and Kafka, payments" gets calls; "open to any IT role" doesn't. Pick one role and one kind of company, and say it everywhere.
4. 4

   Tailor every application

   Fewer, better applications beat hundreds of clicks: the ad's own words in your CV, your notice period, and your expected salary in AED a month.
5. 5

   Go to the hiring manager

   For senior roles, a short, specific message to the engineering manager or CTO often works better than the application form.
6. 6

   Use good recruiters

   Licensed agencies that place IT people get CVs in front of hiring managers. They're paid by the employer, never by you.

How others did it

In their own words, as they posted them. These are personal accounts, not advice from us, and each one links to the full post.

The pattern across the stories: LinkedIn, both applying and being found by recruiters; someone inside the company; and something to show. Most were hired from home. A trip to Dubai brings more calls, but it costs money and weakens your hand on pay, so go with interviews already lined up.

How hiring works from India

1. 1

   Apply online

   Apply on the company's own site where you can, ideally with a referral. Tailor your CV to the Gulf: a short summary, your notice period, and the stack you use every day. See software engineer CV for Dubai.
2. 2

   Recruiter call

   A 20–30 minute call about your experience, salary expectations and notice period. Say your expected package in AED a month, not in LPA.
3. 3

   Technical rounds by video

   Usually two or three: coding or a take-home task, system design for senior roles, and a talk with the team. Some companies now add a round where you build with AI tools.
4. 4

   Final round

   Often with a senior manager, sometimes in person if you're already visiting. Most companies are happy to finish over video.
5. 5

   Offer letter

   You get an offer and later a MOHRE offer letter, which the visa process uses. Read both before you resign in India.

Notice periods of 60 to 90 days are normal in India, and Dubai employers are used to them. Some will buy out part of it; ask.

What to ask for in the offer

A Dubai package is split into parts: typically around 60% basic salary and 25% housing allowance, with the rest for transport and other allowances. The split matters, because your end-of-service gratuity is worked out on basic pay only.

• The total monthly package and how it's split (basic, housing, transport).
• Health insurance for you, and whether it covers your spouse and children.
• An annual flight home, and whether it's for the whole family.
• School fees or a school allowance, if you have children.
• Relocation: flights, a hotel or serviced flat for the first weeks, and shipping.
• Probation (by law at most six months) and notice period after probation.
• Who pays for the visa: by law, the employer pays for your work visa and Emirates ID.

Not sure the number is fair? For a senior backend engineer the median is about AED 29,000 (≈ ₹7.5 lakh) a month. Use Is my salary good? on the salary page with your level.

Papers to start now

Attestation takes the longest, so start while you're still applying.

• Attest your degree with your state, then the Ministry of External Affairs, then the UAE embassy in New Delhi and the UAE foreign ministry together, in one online application.
• Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your start date.
• If your family will join you: attest your marriage certificate and your children's birth certificates the same way.
• Keep scans of everything, and bring the originals with you.

See degree attestation from India for every step.

Recruiters: helpful, but never pay one

Licensed recruitment agencies can get your CV in front of hiring managers, and good ones know the market well. They are paid by the employer. If anyone asks you to pay for a job, a visa or “processing”, walk away: it's against UAE law and a common scam. See our list of IT recruiters, each with its MOHRE licence.

After you accept

Your employer applies for your work permit and entry permit; the whole visa usually takes 1–4 weeks. You fly in on the entry permit, do a medical test and give fingerprints for your Emirates ID, and your residence visa follows. Then you can sponsor your family. The employment visa page has every step, and your first two weeks in Dubai covers where to stay and what to do when you land. For the full picture in rupees, read moving to Dubai from India.