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Jobs in UAE: These sectors are hiring in GCC as firms expand after ceasefire
After contracting in March, recruitment activity rebounded across the Gulf countries in April 2026 following the April 8 ceasefire announcement, says Cooper Fitch
- PUBLISHED: Thu 14 May 2026, 1:15 PM
The hiring market in the UAE and Gulf countries bounced back in April after contracting in March due to the regional military conflict, according to a new survey released on Thursday.
The latest findings from a survey conducted by recruitment and HR advisory firm Cooper Fitch revealed that companies resumed hiring after the ceasefire was announced on April 8 by the US, Israel and Iran.
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“Before the conflict, the GCC was on track for stronger economic growth in 2026, meaning April's flat result represents a clear gap against expected market momentum. However, the employment base held. In a period that could have produced a significant contraction, the market remained stable,” said Dr Trefor Murphy.
March saw a 12 per cent contraction in hiring in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the steepest decline during the period.
“Active conflict, Ramadan and Eid significantly reduced hiring. Approval cycles lengthened, expansion plans paused, and businesses focused on operational continuity. April rebounded by 13 per cent after the April 8 ceasefire. Projects and hiring pipelines that paused in March resumed activity. This recovery reflects pent-up demand rather than a fundamental change, with externally driven sectors remaining more cautious than domestic ones,” Dr Murphy said in the Gulf Employment Index.
Prior to the outbreak of the regional military conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran on February 28, hiring in non-oil sectors across the UAE and Gulf economies was growing at a decent pace. However, the war disrupted some key sectors in the region, mainly aviation, travel, tourism and trade.
Recruitment is picking up as economies bounce back after the ceasefire, reflecting the resilience of the regional market.
“This trajectory demonstrates the GCC labour market’s resilience in absorbing shocks while maintaining momentum. The April rebound is positive, but indicates a recovery from a pause rather than sustained growth,” added Dr Murphy.
Top hiring sectors
The Cooper Fitch survey found that real estate led year-on-year growth, driven by ongoing project delivery and commercial activity in large-scale developments. Hiring focused on delivery, project management and commercial roles across residential, commercial and master-development pipelines.
Finance recorded the next strongest growth, supported by sustained demand for financial planning and analysis, treasury, governance and tax expertise as organisations prioritised financial discipline during the period.
HR and banking posted matching year-on-year growth.
HR activity was supported by nationalisation requirements, talent management, learning and development, and employee relations.
Banking demand focused on risk, compliance, governance and balance-sheet discipline.
Energy and the public sector both saw modest year-on-year growth.
Technology and supply chain recorded marginal year-on-year growth. Technology hiring shifted from broad transformation programmes to integrating capability into core operations, applied AI, data infrastructure, cybersecurity resilience and platform optimisation.
Among the other sectors, supply chain, legal and investments also saw a marginal increase in hiring activity.
Manufacturing declined slightly year-on-year. The sales and marketing sector saw the largest decline during the period.
