Finding A Job In Dubai As A Canadian
Candians in the thick of finding a job in Dubai should cater their CV and applications to the Dubai recruitment norms, update their LinkedIn account, and become familiar with popular jobs in Dubai. Canadians will also want to apply in January and February since those are peak hiring months in Dubai.
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Are you a Canadian trying to find a job in Dubai? Are you wanting to live in Dubai but aren’t sure where or how to find employment in the UAE? This article is meant for you!
Pacific Prime has gathered 4 simple steps to finding a job in Dubai to make the beginning of your process smoother. We’ve also compiled lists of popular jobs in Dubai for Canadians and the highest-paying jobs in Dubai with their annual salaries to give you some ideas about your future career.
After finishing this article, be sure to check out our posts about what to expect when living in Dubai and our analysis of the cost of living in Dubai.
If you aren’t yet aware of what the healthcare system in Dubai is like or whether or not the hospitals in Dubai are considered high quality, you’ll want to learn more about these topics as well before you move.
Please reach out to Pacific Prime if you get any questions about this or other posts you read from our blog. We’re happy to help!
How Canadians Can Find A Job In Dubai
Canadians can find a job in Dubai by following these easy steps:
- Decide your skill set and interests
- Create a CV that is catered to Dubai
- Beef up your LinkedIn account
- Research jobs in Dubai and begin applying
- Apply during Dubai’s peak recruitment season
Let’s discuss each in more detail.
Step 1: Decide Your Skill Set and Interests
Canadians looking to find a job in Dubai should first decide what their skill set qualifies them to do and what profession they are interested in fulfilling. Some of the most in-demand skills in Dubai right now are in finances, risk management, coding, web development, marketing, and healthcare.
Remember to think broadly about all of the possible careers and fields you have experience in and might be interested in pursuing. Also think deeply into each of the possible fields about the dozens of positions or roles within that field that might interest you.
When you’re ready, narrow down your long list to the few positions you find most interesting, but keep the list in case you don’t find one of those jobs and need to widen your application pool.
Step 2: Create a CV that is Catered to Dubai
If you’ve worked in Canada in the past, it’s likely you already have a CV or resume you’ve used before. Pull this out and update it, but make sure as you do that you tweak it to showcase your value specifically for Dubai jobs in the field(s) you’ve decided you’re most interested in.
Catering your CV to Dubai includes learning what recruiters in Dubai expect from a CV. A few differences from your Canadian CV you’ll want to make sure you include are:
- Your nationality
- A professional photo of yourself
- Context for your work experience. For example, Dubai recruiters may not recognize a Canadian company you worked at, so you may want to give a one-sentence or less description of who they are and their reputation.
- Context for your education. Dubai recruiters may not know the school you attended, so giving a description to convey how prestigious it is or other noteworthy features is wise.
- Your visa status if you already live in Dubai
- Keep your CV to 1-2 pages maximum
- Your availability if you would be able to start immediately or very soon
It is not common in Dubai to send attachments of your passport, degree certificate, or other documents, so only send those if specifically requested.
Step 3: Beef Up your LinkedIn Account
Dubai recruiters use LinkedIn a lot, so if you’re a Canadian who is serious about working and living in Dubai, you better beef up your profile. Make sure it is filled out in its entirety and that it comprehensively displays your unique experiences, qualifications, work experiences, and skills.
Make sure that every aspect of your profile is up to date and thorough. That includes your headline, About section, LinkedIn Banner, profile picture, and contact details.
Step 4: Research Jobs in Dubai and Begin Applying
Canadians can research available jobs in Dubai by using online platforms, networking with people they know in Dubai or the United Arab Emirates, attending job fairs, traveling to Dubai to meet people and companies in person, and connecting with professional Dubai recruiting agencies.
Spread your reach as you do all in your power to discover your future job as a Canadian living in Dubai! Ask friends to get ideas about what they’ve done to find jobs, and network, network, network! Sometimes when it comes to finding a job, it’s more about who you know than what you know.
Here are some of the popular Dubai job sites Canadians should utilize:
As you start sending out your applications, make sure you revisit your CV for every application and make it personalized to each employer you contact. This can help you stand out from a crowd of other applicants who don’t do this extra step.
Step 5: Apply During Dubai’s Peak Recruitment Season
It is crucial for Canadians trying to find a job in Dubai to apply during the months when Dubai employers and recruiters are looking to hire. Year after year, this season is in January and February, stretching out all the way into May. By June, July, and August, it is much less likely to be hired.
Following Dubai’s recruitment cycle is a must if Canadians want to increase their odds of landing a job.
Popular Jobs For Canadians In Dubai
Canadians moving to Dubai should consider being a financial manager, regional business director, advertising sales director, and other popular jobs in Dubai. Canadians can find a job in a wide array of fields just as they can in Canada.
Our list of popular jobs comes from Salary Explorer.
Below is a chart with ten popular jobs in Dubai for Canadians and expats. Included is the range of their average annual salaries in both AED and CAD.
| Profession Title | Annual Salary in AED | Annual Salary in CAD |
| Financial Manager | 208,800 – 630,000 | $77,800 – $235,000 |
| Regional Business Director | 177,600 – 597,600 | $66,200 – $223,000 |
| Advertising Sales Director | 180,000 – 516,000 | $67,100 – $192,400 |
| Architectural Manager | 176,400 – 532,800 | $65,700 – $198,700 |
| Automotive Branch Manager | 144,000 – 411,600 | $53,400 – $153,400 |
| Aviation Manager | 213,600 – 646,800 | $79,600 – $241,200 |
| Bank Regional Manager | 218,400 – 660,000 | $80,800 – $246,100 |
| Construction Manager | 164,400 – 471,600 | $61,200 – $175,800 |
| Psychologist | 147,600 – 435,600 | $54,800 – $162,300 |
| Customer Service Manager | 126,000 – 414,000 | $46,500 – $154,400 |
If you’re not completely set on living in Dubai, you may want to check out the best places to live in the UAE to explore your options.
Highest Paying Jobs In Dubai For Canadians
Candians interested in the highest paying jobs in Dubai should apply for positions as surgeons, doctors, judges, lawyers, bank managers, CEOs, CFOs, orthodontists, college professors, pilots, and marketing directors. Expats with these or similar skill sets have the potential to make the big bucks.
This list comes from Salary Explorer.
Below is a chart with ten of the highest-paid jobs in Dubai for Canadians and expats. Included is the range of their average annual salaries in both AED and CAD.
| Profession Title | Annual Salary in AED | Annual Salary in CAD |
| Surgeons/Doctors | 386,400 – 1,176,000 | $144,200 – $438,800 |
| Judges | 260,400 – 829,200 | $97,100 – $309,350 |
| Lawyers | 235,200 – 769,200 | $87,800 – $287,000 |
| Bank Managers | 192,000 – 644,400 | $71,500 – $240,400 |
| Chief Executive Officers | 216,000 – 604,800 | $80,600 – $225,700 |
| Chief Financial Officers | 213,600 – 597,000 | $79,600 – $222,700 |
| Orthodontists | 186,000 – 594,000 | $69,300 – $221,600 |
| College Professors | 165,600 – 528,000 | $61,600 – $197,000 |
| Pilots | 142,800 – 480,000 | $53,300 – $179,100 |
| Marketing Directors | 138,000 – 416,400 | $51,400 – $155,300 |
If you’d like to see how the average cost of living in Dubai compares to the average in Canada, read our blog post that breaks it down. You can also read our tips about moving to Dubai from Canada.
Conclusion
Canadians looking to get hired in Dubai and move there as expats will have the highest potential of getting hired at the beginning of a year; however, they can still be successful at other times in the year.
You may find it helpful to get some more tricks about finding a job as an expat in our blog posts titled Finding a Job as an American and Finding a Job as a UK Citizen.
We also have a comprehensive guide about moving to Dubai that can fill you in on other topics to consider before you board a flight to the UAE. One such topic may include what happens if you don’t have health insurance in Dubai. There is a law that requires it for all residents, so you’ll want to know what is expected of you.
If you’d like to speak with an insurance professional about your health insurance options and requirements in Dubai, reach out to Pacific Prime, and we will walk you through the process one step at a time. We have helped over one million clients around the world secure health insurance, so we know what expats need and how to serve you.
You can also take advantage of our free insurance quote tool that allows you to compare dozens of Dubai insurance plans from a number of Dubai insurers at the same time. That way, you can get an idea of what works in your budget and what meets your needs.
Happy job hunting!
Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).
Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
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What are the differences between public and private healthcare options in Dubai for Canadian expats, and how does insurance coverage typically vary between them?
In Dubai, public healthcare is government-subsidized and offers high-quality medical services, but it’s primarily intended for UAE nationals, and expats may have limited access without a government health card. Private healthcare, on the other hand, is popular among expats for its accessibility, shorter wait times, and availability of specialized services, though it can be more costly. Health insurance coverage varies widely between the two, with private plans offering more extensive options tailored to private facilities, while public healthcare may require supplementary insurance or out-of-pocket costs for expats.
If you’d like personalized guidance on insurance coverage for Dubai, please reach out to us through the Pacific Prime Contact Us page.
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