{
  "id": 15710966,
  "title": "Hiring in the UAE rebounds in third quarter despite uncertainty fuelled by regional war",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/hiring-in-the-uae-rebounds-in-third-quarter-despite-uncertainty",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T06:28:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/money/2026/10/20/hiring-in-the-uae-rebounds-in-third-quarter-despite-uncertainty-fuelled-by-regional-war/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hiring activity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rebounded in the third quarter, growing by 4 per cent, according to a recent report. This marks the highest increase across the Gulf region, following a 4 per cent decline in the previous quarter. The surge in hiring was fueled by recovering business demand, with new export business hitting its fastest pace in nearly two years by September, as reported by Cooper Fitch.\n\nDespite the region's geopolitical tensions, the UAE's employment index showed a positive trend. However, not all Gulf countries experienced the same level of hiring growth. Hiring in Qatar fell by 1 per cent, while Kuwait and Bahrain saw decreases of 2 per cent each. Oman, on the other hand, was the only country in the Gulf to report positive economic growth in 2026, with an expected 4.1 per cent increase.\n\nThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that the UAE's economy would contract by 3.9 per cent in 2026 before rebounding at a 7.7 per cent growth rate in 2027, provided that shipping routes normalize and the Strait of Hormuz reopens. The IMF also forecasted that Saudi Arabia's economy would contract by 3.3 per cent in 2026, while Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar would face contractions of 11.3 per cent, 16.7 per cent, and 15.6 per cent, respectively.\n\nThe UAE's hiring growth was primarily driven by the energy sector, which saw a 7 per cent increase in new hires. Other sectors, such as finance, strategy, and real estate, also experienced growth, with finance hiring rising by 5 per cent and strategy hiring increasing by 6 per cent. However, hiring in banking and investment management declined, with banking hiring falling by 4 per cent and investment management hiring dropping by 5 per cent.\n\nLooking ahead to the fourth quarter, the sustainability of the hiring rebound remains uncertain. While business demand has provided a more stable foundation, elevated costs and limited visibility on trade and shipping continue to pose challenges. The competition for scarce specialist talent has also intensified, placing additional pressure on employers seeking to secure critical capabilities.",
  "summary": "Hiring in the UAE rebounded in the third quarter of the year to 4 per cent, the highest across the Gulf , as business demand recovers, a report has found. After hiring in the country dropped by 4 per cent in the second quarter, demand recovered from the mid-year slowdown and by September new export business was growing at its fastest pace in almost two years, Cooper Fitch said its third quarter…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}