Communication Tops UAE Employers' Wish List as Human Skills Lead Hiring
Communication appears in 22.4% of UAE job postings, ahead of every other skill, new SkillDrift data shows. AI is named in just 0.4%. Here is what that means for your CV.
By Vadim Kouznetsov, published
Communication is the skill UAE employers ask for most, named in 22.4 per cent of job postings, according to SkillDrift data reported by Khaleej Times. For anyone working on their communication skills for UAE jobs, the message is clear: human skills still lead hiring, well ahead of artificial intelligence.
SkillDrift, an AI career platform that scores workers' skills against the roles they want, analysed 7,025 UAE job postings on its platform.
What UAE employers want: the top skills
The most requested skills were:
- Communication: 22.4% of postings
- Problem-solving: 9.1%
- Leadership: 9.1%
- Customer service: 8.4%
Organisational skills, teamwork and time management were also among the skills employers listed most often, Khaleej Times said.
"UAE employers still hire first for people who can communicate, lead and look after a customer," said Deepanker Mahajan, founder and CEO of SkillDrift. He added that communication appears in "more than one posting in five".
Many Gulf employers also report hiring skills gaps.
AI skills: a small share of UAE postings, for now
Only 28 of the 7,025 UAE postings named AI as a required skill, which works out at 0.4%. In the US postings SkillDrift tracks, the figure is 4.1%.
SkillDrift counts 15 core AI terms when employers list them as requirements. It said its UAE postings lean heavily on operations, engineering, sales and hospitality roles, so the AI figure should be read as a minimum, not a measure of the whole job market.
Across SkillDrift's full index, which goes beyond the UAE, Python has now overtaken communication as the most requested skill.
Languages, experience and internships
The data also covers other requirements:
| Requirement | Share of UAE postings |
|---|---|
| English named | 21.3% |
| Arabic named | 7.4% |
| Internships | 3.7% |
Arabic appears in UAE postings at about half the rate seen in Saudi Arabia (13.2%) and Qatar (13.5%). Among the emirates, Sharjah has the highest share of internships at 6.4%, while Abu Dhabi has the lowest at 1.6%.
On experience, across postings that state a requirement, 14.1% are open to candidates with a year or less. At the other end, 35.4% ask for five years or more.
How to show communication skills on your CV
Mahajan's advice to job seekers is to find the specific skills missing between their CV and the role they want, and fix those gaps first. "A skill that is not shown on the CV does not count," he said. For graduates, he said the way in is proof of the few skills a posting actually names.
Practical steps based on that advice:
- Read the posting closely. List the skills it names, such as communication or customer service, and check each one appears on your CV.
- Show, do not claim. Instead of writing "good communicator", describe a presentation you gave, a client you handled or a team you briefed.
- Match the language. Use the same skill words the employer uses, so recruiters and screening software can spot them.
- Check your gaps. A free ATS CV check shows which keywords from a job ad your CV is missing.
Feeling stuck? Read what actually works for UAE job seekers.
Key takeaway
Communication leads UAE hiring, appearing in 22.4% of job postings, while AI is named in only 0.4%. Problem-solving, leadership and customer service follow. The practical lesson is simple: make sure the skills a posting names are clearly proven on your CV.
FAQ
What skills are UAE employers looking for?
Communication is the most requested skill, named in 22.4% of UAE postings in SkillDrift's analysis. Problem-solving and leadership each appear in 9.1%, and customer service in 8.4%.
Do UAE jobs require AI skills?
Few do for now. Only 0.4% of the UAE postings SkillDrift analysed named AI as a requirement, compared with 4.1% in the US, though the company says this is a minimum estimate.
Is Arabic required for jobs in the UAE?
Arabic is named in 7.4% of UAE postings, roughly half the rate in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. English is named in 21.3%.
Can fresh graduates find jobs in the UAE?
Some roles are open to them. Of postings that state an experience requirement, 14.1% accept a year or less of experience, and internships make up 3.7% of UAE postings.
How do I prove soft skills on my CV?
Give short, specific examples of using the skill, in the same wording as the job ad. As SkillDrift's CEO put it, a skill not shown on the CV does not count.
Further reading
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