Dubai indexes 78/100 on the Class A Atlas talent index, with deepest cross-border financial-services and consulting talent pool in the middle east.

  • Talent index: 78/100 (NYC = 100 baseline).
  • Corporate tax: 9%.
  • Talent depth and rent curve are correlated — top talent markets carry top rent.

Dubai office talent and salary benchmarks

Dubai indexes 78/100 on the Class A Atlas talent index, with deepest cross-border financial-services and consulting talent pool in the middle east.

TL;DR

  • Talent index: 78/100 (NYC = 100 baseline).
  • Corporate tax: 9%.
  • Talent depth and rent curve are correlated — top talent markets carry top rent.

Talent depth

Deepest cross-border financial-services and consulting talent pool in the Middle East. Average all-in compensation indexes 78.

Cost-to-locate

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

Key facts

cityDubai
countryUnited Arab Emirates
regionEMEA
classARentLocal145 AED/sqft/yr
classARentUsd$39/sqft/yr
vacancy5.8%
typicalLeaseYears3
typicalRentFreeMonths3
submarkets6
primeYieldPct7.5%

Frequently asked questions

Is Dubai a deep talent market for tech/finance?
Deepest cross-border financial-services and consulting talent pool in the Middle East. Average all-in compensation indexes 78.

Editorial provenance

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

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Related topics

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