Emirates Group opens aviation, tech and graduate career paths for Emiratis

Roles span pilots, engineering, technology, cargo, customer service and internships

Last updated: September 25, 2026 | 12:30

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

2 MIN READ

Emirates Group opens aviation, tech and graduate career paths for Emiratis

Dubai: Emirati students, graduates and experienced professionals will be able to explore a wider range of careers across aviation, technology, engineering, cargo and customer-facing roles when Emirates Group returns to Ru’ya Careers UAE in Dubai this month.

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The careers event will run from September 28 to 30 at Dubai World Trade Centre, where Emirates Group will showcase opportunities across Emirates airline and dnata.

Available programmes and roles include the National Cadet Pilot Programme, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Licence Programme, IT Graduate Programme, Khatwaty High School Graduate Programme, cabin crew, internships, graduate programmes and positions for experienced professionals.

The opportunities span flight operations, engineering, airport services, cargo, technology, data, commercial, customer experience and corporate functions.

Beyond traditional aviation roles

Emirates Group said the range of available careers is expanding alongside the UAE aviation sector, including the ongoing development of Al Maktoum International Airport and continued growth at Emirates and dnata.

That expansion is opening career paths beyond roles traditionally associated with aviation, particularly in technology, data and corporate functions.

For the Emirates Group, Emiratisation is about giving UAE Nationals the opportunity to build meaningful careers, take pride in contributing to an organisation that connects Dubai and the UAE with the world, and play a role in the nation’s continued growth and ambition.” He said the group engages with Emiratis before they begin applying for jobs through career fairs, school visits and open days. “Whether someone is just starting to explore their options, entering the workforce as a graduate, or looking for their next move as an experienced professional, these initiatives help them discover the breadth of careers across the Group.

Yousuf bin Lahej, Vice President, Emiratisation and Government Relations at Emirates Group

Focus on long-term development

Emirates Group said employees can build globally relevant skills through training, new responsibilities and exposure to experienced colleagues across the business.

“We want Emiratis to feel supported from the moment they join us and throughout their development. We’re proud to return to Ru’ya Careers UAE and look forward to another successful event,” bin Lahej said.

The company said its Emiratisation approach combines career opportunities with continuous development and support, with the aim of helping UAE Nationals build long-term careers and take on greater responsibility over time.

Emiratis and their families will be able to meet recruitment teams at the group’s 300-square-metre stand in Zabeel Hall 3, Legacy Hall, Stand Z3-1 during the three-day event.

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Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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