After several years of rapid hiring, employers of finance professionals in the Middle East and South Asia are becoming more selective, while salaries are fragmenting by level and skillset, and regulatory demands are reshaping what good finance talent looks like.
Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the market remains active but intensely competitive while in South Asia, demographic scale, digital transformation and reform continue to generate demand. Career mobility between the two regions is also becoming an increasingly important feature of the talent landscape.
‘Salaries for GCC leadership roles are not expected to rise’
Tightening market
The outlook for hiring in the UAE remains positive for 2026, according to recruitment consultancy Robert Walters. However, conditions are more challenging for candidates than in recent years.
‘The outlook remains positive for 2026, although the market continues to be highly competitive for candidates,’ says Alison Daley, a consultant with Robert Walters in Dubai.
Restructuring activity in 2025 has left its mark. ‘Several large organisations, particularly within manufacturing and consulting, underwent restructuring in 2025,’ Daley explains. ‘This created a larger pool of available talent, including candidates relocating from outside the UAE, which has placed downward pressure on salary expectations and made role-to-role movement more challenging for jobseekers.’
The sectoral fault lines of 2025 continue into 2026. Hiring by oil and gas businesses in the region was affected by ‘restrictions, sanctions, and tariffs’, influencing recruitment decisions, while ‘the year also marked the first full cycle of mandatory corporate tax submissions in the UAE, which placed considerable pressure on year-end processes and drove short-term recruitment needs as businesses worked through compliance requirements’, Daley says.
At the same time, pockets of strong demand have emerged. Biotech and real estate have been notable bright spots, with the latter driving demand for niche capabilities. ‘In real estate in particular, banking operations and escrow management skills have risen sharply in importance,’ Daley says.
Segmentation
Salary trends in the UAE are increasingly segmented by seniority. For junior professionals, pay should rise modestly. ‘At the junior level, salaries are expected to increase, driven by the strong academic backgrounds of early-career professionals and their competitive pricing in the market,’ Daley says.
Mid-level professionals in the region are likely to see stability rather than growth, at least in the short term. ‘Mid-level salaries are likely to remain steady, with the potential for uplift once the 2026 summer period concludes and the market stabilises after the 2025 year-end cycle,’ she adds.
For senior professionals, flexibility is essential. ‘The market is saturated at the executive level,’ Daley warns. ‘Salaries for directors and similar positions are not expected to rise in the near term’ unless roles carry significant transformation or regulatory accountability.
Standout skills
Technical capability remains non-negotiable although the skill mix sought by employers in the Middle East is evolving. ‘In 2026, finance professionals who can demonstrate strong stakeholder management capability and clear communication skills will be highly valued,’ Daley says – a reflection of the finance function’s expanding strategic role.
ACCA members, particularly those with Big Four experience, remain in demand, alongside core skills in financial analysis, reporting, consolidation and budgeting. ERP implementation experience is becoming increasingly important as finance teams assume greater ownership of systems change, while proficiency in data tools for modelling and automation is now a clear differentiator.
Cultural alignment is also moving centre-stage. Employers are placing greater weight on behavioural fit and collaboration, while benefits packages are evolving. Some organisations are folding allowances such as schooling and airfare into base salary, Daley says, reflecting a gradual shift away from traditional expatriate models.
Global opportunity
In South Asia, the recruitment picture is shaped by a different set of dynamics. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka continue to produce plenty of accounting and finance talent, supported by expanding digital economies, growing capital markets and ongoing regulatory reform.
India remains the region’s largest and most diverse market. According to the Michael Page India Salary Guide, demand remains strong for finance business partners, controllership roles, FP&A professionals and specialists in tax, compliance and ESG reporting, particularly among listed groups, global capability centres and high-growth private businesses. Salary growth is most pronounced at early- to mid-career levels, with employers willing to pay premiums for the combination of technical rigour with commercial insight.
South Asia remains a critical talent pool for GCC employers
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, the continued growth of outsourcing, shared services and offshore finance operations is sustaining demand for qualified accountants with international reporting, audit and systems experience. Sri Lanka’s recovery, while uneven, is also reviving hiring in export-oriented sectors and professional services, supported by IMF-backed reform programmes and a renewed focus on fiscal discipline.
Across the region, tech skills, ERP exposure and familiarity with IFRS and international tax standards are increasingly important, as is experience working with overseas stakeholders.
Mobility on the rise
A defining feature of the 2026 outlook is the continued two-way mobility between South Asia and the GCC. South Asian professionals remain a critical talent pool for Middle Eastern employers, particularly in mid-level accounting, reporting and compliance roles. At the same time, experience gained in the UAE or Saudi Arabia is increasingly valued by employers back home, especially in multinational groups and advisory firms.
As GCC employers tighten their hiring criteria, competition is intensifying, but for candidates with strong qualifications, systems expertise and commercial skills, the Middle East-South Asia corridor remains one of the most dynamic career pathways in global finance.
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