Communication is the most requested skill in UAE job postings, according to an analysis of 7,025 vacancies by AI career platform SkillDrift.
The analysis found that communication appeared in 22.4% of UAE job postings. Problem-solving and leadership followed at 9.1%, while customer service featured in 8.4%.
The findings suggest that employers continue to place strong value on human skills across the UAE job market.
Communication leads UAE employers’ skills demand
SkillDrift analysed job postings listed on its platform to identify the skills employers mention most often. Communication ranked first by a wide margin. It appeared in more than one in five UAE postings.
Other frequently requested skills included organisational skills, teamwork and time management.
“UAE employers still hire first for people who can communicate, lead and look after a customer,” said Deepanker Mahajan, founder and CEO of SkillDrift.
The analysis covers roles mainly in operations, engineering, sales and hospitality. Therefore, the findings do not represent every job opening in the UAE.
AI skills appear in a small share of UAE postings
AI skills featured in only 28 of the 7,025 UAE postings analysed. That represents 0.4% of the postings. In comparison, AI skills appeared in 4.1% of the US postings indexed by SkillDrift.
The platform uses 15 core AI terms when identifying whether an employer requires AI skills.
However, SkillDrift said its UAE data focuses mainly on selected sectors. As a result, the 0.4% figure should be treated as a minimum estimate rather than a measure of the entire UAE job market.
Across SkillDrift’s wider index, Python has overtaken communication as the most requested skill.
UAE graduates face a skills proof gap
The analysis also points to different experience requirements across job postings.
Among postings that specify experience, 14.1% are open to candidates with one year or less of experience. At the other end, 35.4% require five years or more.
That gap can make entry-level hiring harder for graduates.
“For graduates, the way in is proof of the few skills a posting actually names,” Mahajan said.
The data also shows that internships account for 3.7% of UAE job postings. Sharjah has the highest share at 6.4%, while Abu Dhabi records the lowest at 1.6%.
Arabic and English remain relevant hiring skills
Language skills also feature in UAE job demand.
Arabic is listed as a requirement in 7.4% of UAE postings. The share is lower than in Saudi Arabia, at 13.2%, and Qatar, at 13.5%.
English appears in 21.3% of UAE job postings. For jobseekers, the findings point to the value of matching their CVs to the specific skills listed in target roles.
Mahajan advised candidates to identify the skills missing from their CVs and close those gaps first.
“A skill that is not shown on the CV does not count,” he said.
For employers, the data highlights the continued role of communication and other human skills alongside growing demand for technical capabilities.
As AI changes job roles, the findings suggest that candidates still need to demonstrate skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership and customer service.
