Abu Dhabi indexes 80/100 on the Class A Atlas talent index, with deep oil and gas, sovereign wealth, ai, and government talent.

• Talent index: 80/100 (NYC = 100 baseline).
• Corporate tax: 9%.
• Talent depth and rent curve are correlated — top talent markets carry top rent.

TL;DR

• Talent index: 80/100 (NYC = 100 baseline).
• Corporate tax: 9%.
• Talent depth and rent curve are correlated — top talent markets carry top rent.

Talent depth

Deep oil and gas, sovereign wealth, AI, and government talent. Strong international expat base; structurally smaller domestic Emirati workforce. Emiratization quotas apply to private-sector employers.

Cost-to-locate

Total cost of locating in Abu Dhabi is the sum of rent, fit-out">fit-out, and salary delta vs. comparable markets. Use the City Comparator tool to benchmark Abu Dhabi against peer cities on a single normalised view.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

Is Abu Dhabi a deep talent market for tech/finance?

Deep oil and gas, sovereign wealth, AI, and government talent. Strong international expat base; structurally smaller domestic Emirati workforce. Emiratization quotas apply to private-sector employers.

Editorial provenance

Reviewed by Samuel Okafor — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

Primary sources for this page

• CBRE Marketview reports — CBRE
• JLL Office Insight — JLL
• Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat — Cushman & Wakefield
• Savills World Research — Savills
• Colliers Global Office Outlook — Colliers

Full sources index · Submit a correction

Related topics

• Workplace Talent Strategy — How office location, building tier, and workplace experience shape talent attraction and retention.