The UAE has broken into the top 10 of the IMD World Talent Rankings for the first time, as the talent-friendly policies of the government continue to add to the Emirates' allure for the global workforce, according to the senior executive of IMD.
The UAE rose eight places and was ranked ninth out of 69 countries analysed in the 2025 edition of the index, scoring 77.86. It anchors the Middle East, which was the fastest-growing region this year, the Switzerland-based IMD said on Tuesday.
The UAE's rise in the rankings was attributed to the mobility of talent, which “remains a key competitive asset of any economy, and mobility means the ability for an economy to attract foreign talent”, Arturo Bris, director of the IMD's World Competitive Centre, told The National.
The Arab world's second-largest economy claimed the top spot in terms of readiness – or availability of skills and competencies in the talent pool – and vaulted from 13th position to second in terms of finance skills, according to the study. For availability of skilled labour, the UAE rose from sixth to the third position, according to IMD data.
“What this means is that ... UAE companies have been investing much more in developing their talent, so the perception for executives is that the talent pool quality has increased,” Mr Bris said in an interview.
The UAE's ranking is also a signal for global investors and companies that the country is “the right place to be because companies can find the talent ... because the system is responsive to new needs”, he said. “There is a lot of adaptability of the UAE to new needs in the labour force and that's even more important,” he added.
Also, the UAE, alongside Hong Kong, has been able to attract “large numbers” of inbound students from abroad and “distinguish themselves through a highly competitive private sector and outstanding academic achievement, respectively”, analysts at the IMD said.
That, Mr Bris said, means “super high-skill employees that come with a doctorate”, are attracted to countries like the Emirates. “These are important attractiveness indicators of the [UAE] and they are good lessons for other countries to replicate,” he added.
Switzerland remains on top, scoring a perfect 100. Luxembourg, Iceland, Hong Kong and the Netherlands are next, all scoring above 80. Sweden, Singapore, Denmark and Austria round out the top 10.
Middle East ranking
Oman was the next highest-ranking Middle East country, staying put at 27th. Kuwait rose three places to 28th, while Qatar posted the biggest leap among regional countries, up 13 spots to 29th.
Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, rose one spot up to 31st. Bahrain slid two spots to 42nd, Jordan climbed three places to 46th and Turkey slid eight places to 65th. The US and China, the world's two largest economies, came in at 22nd and 38th, respectively.
“By having foreigners coming to a country and doing a better job, this pushes up the level of the domestic talent as well,” Mr Bris said, specifically referring to Switzerland. “And the domestic talent feels pressure to perform as well. So these are advantages of opening up to foreign talent.”
The UAE has undertaken several economic, legal and social reforms to attract skilled workers, as it continues to maintain its attractiveness during a period of increased economic activity. Those initiatives include the overhaul of its visa programme, which has boosted opportunities for foreign workers to live and work in the country.
The policies are reflected in the UAE's economic health, with the nation's real gross domestic product rising 3.9 per cent year-on-year to Dh455 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to preliminary estimates released by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre on Monday.
Companies in the UAE are also becoming increasingly creative with their incentives to attract top talent in a competitive job market, dangling perks such as signing bonuses, golden visas and wellness packages, recruiters have said.
“Talent competitiveness remains a highly dynamic and evolving field where sustained leadership demands continuous policy innovation, responsiveness to shifting workforce needs, and the ability to balance long-term investment with short-term adaptability,” said Jose Caballero, a senior economist at the WCC.
