E-Paper
Sign In
On-the-spot interviews; jobs for different age groups: How Ru'ya 2026 attracts Emiratis
Recruiters who spoke to Khaleej Times highlighted demand in cybersecurity, IT, engineering, sales, marketing and customer service
- PUBLISHED: Tue 29 Sept 2026, 4:48 PM
Emirati jobseekers arriving at Ru’ya Careers UAE 2026 with an updated CV can move from meeting a recruiter to interviewing for a live vacancy at the venue. More than 150 employers from over 23 sectors are taking part in the three-day fair at Dubai World Trade Centre, which runs until September 30.
Recruiters who spoke to Khaleej Times highlighted demand in cybersecurity, IT, engineering, sales, marketing and customer service. They are considering fresh graduates as well as experienced professionals, while looking beyond qualifications to adaptability, communication and willingness to learn.
Recommended For You
Enoc is conducting on-the-spot interviews for technology roles. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Hamda Alsuwaidi, an onboarding specialist in the group’s talent-acquisition team, said: “We are conducting on-the-spot interviews for IT and cybersecurity, which are very important right now. We need a large number of cybersecurity and IT candidates.”
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Openings include cybersecurity work involving networks, firewalls and threat intelligence. Enoc is also looking for candidates with backgrounds in AI and innovation, chemical engineering and customer service. Some positions are designed for people at the start of their careers. Alsuwaidi said the company has a cybersecurity graduate pathway, while customer-service roles within Tasjeel can also be open to high-school graduates.
Damac, attending Ru’ya for the first time, is hiring across sales, projects, engineering, architecture, marketing, social media, public relations and communications. Customer-relations and security roles are also available across its property, data-centre and hospitality businesses. Tajana Hrapic, vice-president of people and performance for Damac Group’s sales vertical and its group Emiratisation lead, said the company is hiring at all experience levels.
Its Nama programme, short for Nationals Acquisition & Management Acceleration, is focused on employees with up to three years of experience. It combines structured onboarding with a six-month development element covering business acumen and first-level people-management skills.
“What matters is the energy, the dynamics, the hunger to learn and the keenness to be developed,” Hrapic said. “We’re looking for people who are keen to be accountable, who really want to roll up their sleeves and do the job.” Participants can emerge with greater responsibility, move into another role or take ownership of a project. “We’re here to explore the market, but we also want the candidates to explore us,” she added.
Al Marwan Group is using Ru’ya to recruit for marketing, IT, data entry, engineering, plant-hire operations and equipment-tracking roles. “Our target from Ru’ya is to get at least 30 candidates or more,” said Alyazia Almazrouei, Emiratisation Specialist in the company’s recruitment department.
Almazrouei said the group also recruits through LinkedIn, its own careers portal and Emirati-focused WhatsApp and Telegram groups. The fair adds a face-to-face route to that mix.
PwC Middle East is offering Emirati graduates and experienced professionals opportunities across Assurance, Consulting, Deals, Tax and Legal and its internal functions through Watani. The programme, launched in 2014, also has routes for interns and secondees.
Khaled Bin Braik, UAE Country Senior Partner and Emiratisation Leader at PwC Middle East, said the firm is looking for “curious, adaptable problem-solvers” who collaborate well, communicate clearly and are comfortable in a “human-led, tech-powered environment”.
“Just as important is a growth mindset the willingness to keep learning, build new skills and adapt as the world of work changes,” he said.
The hiring picture at Ru’ya therefore extends far beyond entry-level quotas. Employers are seeking candidates for immediate operational needs while looking for the attitude and potential required to build longer careers.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is an associate editor with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.