34 Dubai Government entities are recruiting UAE nationals

Dubai: More than 750 Dubai Government jobs are being offered to Emiratis at Ru’ya, Careers UAE 2026, where government and private-sector employers are recruiting national talent for roles ranging from engineering and transport to artificial intelligence and data.

The three-day careers fair was opened on Monday at Dubai World Trade Centre by Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Ru’ya 2026 runs from September 28 to 30 under the theme “Ready for What’s Next? The Future of Work” and brings together more than 150 employers across more than 23 sectors.

The Dubai Government Human Resources Department’s platform brings together 34 government entities and is showcasing more than 750 vacancies for UAE nationals.

The Emirati Human Resources Development Council in Dubai has also opened registration for UAE nationals on its upgraded Emirati platform, which contains data on about 38,000 citizens, including jobseekers and private-sector employees.

The platform is designed to help users identify suitable vacancies and can match a jobseeker’s home location with the location of a job, calculating the distance between the two.

The opening day attracted strong interest from Emirati jobseekers, with several government and private-sector employers conducting immediate interviews. Other organisations allowed applicants to register and learn about available vacancies and job requirements.

Recruitment officials taking part in the event identified seven areas linked to future employment demand: data analysts, artificial intelligence experts, AI partners, cloud computing engineers, digital infrastructure specialists, AI ethics specialists and engineering disciplines connected to transport projects and future technologies.

Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said the next phase required a broader approach to Emiratisation that considered not only employment but also the quality of Emiratis’ professional experience, their ability to progress and their readiness to take on greater responsibilities.

Al Falasi said the role of human resources went beyond matching talent with vacancies and should include creating an environment that supports the development of Emirati professionals and sustained career progression.

Rashid Issa Al Yadouwi, Director of Corporate Communication at the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, said the Dubai Government platform reflected an integrated government effort to connect Emirati talent with labour-market needs and vacancies across public-sector entities, Emarat Al Youm reported.

He said the participating bodies are offering more than 750 vacancies, providing opportunities for jobseekers and recent graduates, while also allowing school and university students to understand the work of government entities and the roles available now and likely to be needed in the future.

Some vacancies were advertised on the Dubai Careers platform a week before the exhibition opened to give jobseekers time to apply ahead of interviews during the event, he said.

Abdulaziz Al Falahi, General Supervisor of Recruitment Operations at the Emirati Human Resources Development Council in Dubai, said registration had opened on the recently upgraded Emirati human development platform.

He said the platform provides services to citizens from the age of 15 through to post-retirement, covering school, university, job searching, career development and retirement.

For jobseekers, the platform allows users to upload their CVs and have them analysed using artificial intelligence to identify areas or skills that could be improved. It also matches available jobs with candidates and calculates the distance between their homes and workplaces.

About 38,000 UAE nationals are currently registered on the platform, including jobseekers and private-sector employees enrolled in the Nafis programme. Al Falahi said users can access the platform through UAE Pass and view services and suitable vacancies.

He said the number of vacancies available through the platform was expected to reach about 800 within a month as more companies join and add jobs.

Athari Mohamed, Executive Director of Human Resources and Development at RTA's Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, said the authority was offering 215 jobs at the exhibition, including 100 positions for recent graduates and 115 for experienced professionals.

RTA is also seeking to recruit 55 graduates through its Future Makers initiative, which aims to prepare specialised Emirati talent to take part in major future projects, including expansions of the Dubai Metro Blue Line, the Gold Line, Dubai Loop and the air taxi project.

Mohammed said technical and technology-related roles were becoming increasingly prominent at RTA with the expansion of artificial intelligence projects.

Emerging areas include AI partners, cloud computing and infrastructure engineers and AI ethics specialists, alongside continuing demand for engineers, experts and consultants in engineering fields.

She said RTA had opened an artificial intelligence centre containing roles and specialisations that did not previously exist in the same form, reflecting the skills required for its future projects.

Emiratis account for about 54 per cent of RTA’s overall workforce and between 62 and 64 per cent of employees in specialised positions, she said.

Azza Al Marzouqi, Director of Human Resources at Dubai Municipality, said the municipality is offering 73 positions across a range of specialisations, with immediate hiring available for candidates who meet job requirements.

The municipality is accepting applications from experienced Emiratis, recent graduates and secondary-school graduates.

Al Marzouqi said most of the vacancies were in engineering, alongside inspection roles and other specialisations.

She also pointed to growing demand for data and artificial intelligence positions, saying the number of data analyst roles at the municipality had increased recently.

Dubai Municipality is also looking to recruit AI experts to help prepare the organisation for future requirements and rapid technological development, she said.

Emiratis currently account for about 57.5 per cent of Dubai Municipality employees.

The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis) said during its participation at Ru’ya 2026 that more than 45,000 UAE nationals had joined the private sector since the start of this year.

More than 175,000 citizens have benefited from Nafis financial support programmes since the initiative was launched in 2021, according to figures presented at the exhibition.

The number of UAE nationals working in the private sector has exceeded 190,000, including 16,274 people who hold work permits from other entities, while more than 32,000 private-sector establishments have hired Emiratis.

Nafis said 172,000 UAE nationals who joined the private and banking sectors since the programme was launched in 2021 remained employed.