Emirates Group to hire more than 17,000 staff in global recruitment drive


Deepthi Nair
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Emirates Group, which includes Emirates airline and ground-handling unit dnata, is to hire 17,300 people across 350 roles this year to support the expansion of operations and bolster future capabilities.

The Dubai-based company has launched a global talent scouting and acquisition drive, it said on Tuesday.

Hundreds of recruits are being sought for roles including cabin crew, pilots, engineers, commercial and sales teams, customer service, ground handling, catering, information technology, human resources and finance, the company said.

Dnata aims to hire more than 4,000 cargo, catering and ground-handling specialists.

“We’re seeking world-class talent to fuel our bold ambition,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Group and Emirates airline.

The company is to host more than 2,100 open days and other talent acquisition events in 150 cities to recruit pilots, IT professionals, engineers and talent for cabin crew roles throughout the year, the company said.

This will also include events in Dubai to engage UAE national students and graduates.

Emirates airline posted a post-tax profit of Dh19.06 billion ($5.2 billion) for the year ended in March, an annual increase of 10.6 per cent, as long-haul travel demand remained strong despite geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

Revenue rose by 6 per cent to Dh127.9 billion as the airline carried more than 53.6 million passengers during the fiscal year.

It was the third consecutive year of record profits for the company, which has benefited from rising travel demand and lower fuel costs.

Emirates also said it would pay a 22-week bonus to eligible employees after posting the record profit.

Emirates airline through the years - in pictures

  • Emirates' first flights in October 1985 used leased aircraft. Photo: Emirates
    Emirates' first flights in October 1985 used leased aircraft. Photo: Emirates
  • An Emirates A380 in flight. Photo: Emirates
    An Emirates A380 in flight. Photo: Emirates
  • Emirates Premium Economy is the airline's newest cabin class. DXB Terminal 3, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Emirates Premium Economy is the airline's newest cabin class. DXB Terminal 3, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Skydiver and stuntwoman Nicole Smith-Ludvik stars in Emirates' latest ad campaign at the top of the Burj Khalifa. Emirates
    Skydiver and stuntwoman Nicole Smith-Ludvik stars in Emirates' latest ad campaign at the top of the Burj Khalifa. Emirates
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, takes a tour of the Emirates A380 airliner during the opening ceremony at Dubai Airshow in November 2013. AFP
    Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, takes a tour of the Emirates A380 airliner during the opening ceremony at Dubai Airshow in November 2013. AFP
  • Airbus workers celebrate in front of the Airbus A380 on July 28, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany. The world's largest passenger liner was built for Emirates airline. Getty Images
    Airbus workers celebrate in front of the Airbus A380 on July 28, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany. The world's largest passenger liner was built for Emirates airline. Getty Images
  • Terminal 3, the exclusive terminal for Emirates airline, was opened in 2008. Photo: Emirates
    Terminal 3, the exclusive terminal for Emirates airline, was opened in 2008. Photo: Emirates
  • Emirates chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in November 2001, with a model of the Airbus A3XX superjumbo jet (now known as the A380) at the Farnborough Air Show. Reuters
    Emirates chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in November 2001, with a model of the Airbus A3XX superjumbo jet (now known as the A380) at the Farnborough Air Show. Reuters

The company has hired more than 41,000 people since 2022, including 27,000 in various operational roles, and has a 121,000-strong workforce.

For Dubai-based employees, work benefits include profit share eligibility, medical and life insurance cover, travel benefits including flight tickets, annual leave, concessional cargo rates, and membership cards that provide discounts at retail, hospitality and lifestyle outlets, the company said.

Following the decision by Wizz Air to exit its Abu Dhabi operation in September, employees affected could benefit from the Emirates Group's hiring drive.

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Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

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Updated: July 22, 2025, 4:32 PM