How to Answer “Why Do You Want to Work in the UAE?”

Published · by JOBB GROUP FZE

“Why do you want to work in the UAE?” sounds like a warm-up question. It is not. For an interviewer hiring someone from abroad, or someone who has only recently arrived, it is a test of one thing: are you likely to stay, settle and do the job well, or are you chasing a salary and a skyline and likely to leave within a year?

The principle is simple. The best answers are about the work, not the country. The UAE should appear in your answer as the place where this particular job makes sense for you, not as a holiday destination or a tax arrangement.

What the interviewer is really asking

Behind the question are three practical worries that cost employers money if they get the hire wrong:

  • Retention. Hiring from abroad involves a visa, a work permit, travel and onboarding. An employer wants evidence that you have thought about living here, not just arriving.
  • Motivation. Do you want this role, in this sector, or would you take any job that gets you a residence visa?
  • Adaptability. UAE workplaces are unusually international. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that more than 200 nationalities live and work in the country. Can you work well in a team where almost nobody shares your background?

A good answer settles all three in around a minute.

Answers to avoid

“Because it’s tax-free”

It is true that salaries are not taxed in the way many candidates are used to. When the UAE introduced corporate tax, the Ministry of Finance confirmed that personal income from employment is not subject to corporate tax, and Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023 kept wages and personal investment income outside its scope. But leading with this tells the interviewer that your main reason for coming is one every other employer in the country can match. It invites the follow-up question: “So you would leave us for a slightly higher offer elsewhere?”

“I love Dubai, I’ve visited on holiday”

Liking a place as a tourist is not evidence you will enjoy working there through a full year, summer included. If you mention a visit, connect it to something work-related you noticed.

“There are lots of opportunities here”

Vague and unprovable. Every candidate says it. Name the opportunity.

“My friends and family are here”

This one is not wrong; a support network genuinely helps people settle. But on its own it says nothing about the job. Use it as a supporting point about stability, not as your main reason.

What makes a strong answer

A strong answer usually has three parts:

  1. The work: what is happening in your field in the UAE that makes it a good place to do this job now.
  2. The company: why this employer, specifically, within that picture.
  3. Commitment: evidence you have thought about living and building a career here.

Part 1: connect your field to what is actually happening here

You will sound far more credible if you refer to something real and checkable. Government strategies are a good place to start because they are public and interviewers know them. For example, Dubai’s economic agenda, known as D33, was launched in early 2023 as a ten-year plan to double the size of the emirate’s economy. Reporting on its launch in ACCA’s AB magazine described a focus on finance, tourism and innovation, new trade corridors with 400 cities, and a goal of bringing 65,000 Emiratis into the labour market.

You do not need to quote targets. You need to show you understand how your work fits. A logistics coordinator might talk about trade growth; a hotel professional about tourism; a software developer about the push towards innovation and digital services. Find the official strategy for your sector or emirate, read its summary, and pick one point that connects to the role.

Part 2: show why this employer

Read the company’s own website, recent announcements and the job advert closely. What projects, markets or clients do they mention? Which part of that would you be contributing to? One specific sentence here separates you from the many candidates who give the country answer and stop.

Part 3: show you have thought about the long term

This is where you deal with the retention worry directly. Good signals include: you have researched cost of living in the area where the job is based; you have spoken to people working in your field here; you are bringing your family or have a plan for them; you see a career path, not a two-year stint. Keep this honest. If you are not sure you will stay for ten years, do not say you will.

Three illustrative sample answers

These are examples to adapt, not scripts. The details are invented for illustration.

An experienced professional relocating from abroad

“I’ve spent six years in hotel operations, mostly in mid-sized city properties. What draws me to the UAE is the scale and pace of hospitality here; tourism is a central part of the country’s economic planning, and I want to work somewhere that sector is growing rather than standing still. Your group stood out because of the two new properties you announced this year; I’ve worked through a pre-opening before and I’d like to do that again with a team that does it regularly. I’ve also spoken to two former colleagues who moved here, and my partner and I have looked closely at what living in the city would involve. We see this as a long-term move.”

Why it works: it starts with the work, refers to a real feature of the economy, gives a company-specific reason, and handles the retention concern with concrete evidence.

A fresh graduate

“I studied in the UAE, and my internship with a logistics firm in Jebel Ali showed me how much of the region’s trade moves through here. I want to start my career where I can learn that side of the industry properly. Your graduate programme rotates trainees through operations and customer accounts, which is exactly the grounding I want. I already know how to live and work here, so for me this is about building a career in a place I know rather than starting over somewhere new.”

Why it works: it turns local familiarity into an advantage and shows a clear learning goal. If your experience is limited, see how to present an internship and studies on a graduate CV so the paper version tells the same story.

Someone already in the UAE, changing employers

“I’ve been in the UAE for four years and my family is settled here, so I’m not looking to leave the country; I’m looking for the right next role in it. In my current job I’ve mainly handled small business clients. Your bank’s focus on corporate clients would let me build on that, and the team structure you described means I’d be working with relationship managers who’ve done this for years.”

Why it works: the interviewer’s real question for this candidate is “why us?”, so the answer moves quickly to the company.

Things to be careful with

Be truthful about Emiratisation and local hiring

Private employers in the UAE operate under Emiratisation targets. MoHRE states that private companies with 50 or more employees must achieve 2% annual growth in Emirati employees in skilled positions, and that certain companies with 20 to 49 employees must employ at least one UAE national. You do not need to raise this in your answer, but understand it: some roles will go to UAE nationals, and an interviewer will respect a candidate who shows awareness of national priorities rather than one who treats the country as purely a market.

Do not criticise your home country

“There are no jobs where I’m from” or “the system back home is a mess” may be honest, but it sounds like you are escaping rather than choosing. Frame your reasons positively: what you are moving towards.

Keep it short

Aim for about a minute. If the interviewer wants more detail on your relocation plans, they will ask, and that follow-up conversation is a good sign.

Be ready for the follow-ups

Expect questions such as “Have you lived abroad before?”, “What do you know about living costs here?” and “How does your family feel about the move?”. Prepare short, honest answers. If you need to ask about visa sponsorship, housing or contract terms, save those for the stage of the process where the employer invites questions.

A quick preparation checklist

  • Find one official strategy or sector plan relevant to your field and read its summary.
  • Note two specific things about the employer: a project, a market, a value or a client group.
  • Write down your honest reasons for wanting to live here, then decide which ones are relevant to an employer.
  • Draft a 60-second answer using the work, company, commitment structure, and say it aloud.
  • Make sure your CV tells the same story. If you are applying from abroad, an international resume that sets out your availability, notice period and willingness to relocate makes the interviewer’s retention worry smaller before you even speak. You can build one in our resume builder.

Frequently asked questions

Is it acceptable to mention salary when asked why I want to work in the UAE?

Mentioning financial reasons is not dishonest, and interviewers know they matter. The problem is making them your main reason. If you mention them, keep it brief and put the work first.

How is “Why Dubai?” different from “Why the UAE?”

The structure is the same, but be specific to the emirate. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates have different economic priorities and job markets. Refer to the plans or sectors relevant to the city where the job is based.

What if I’ve never been to the UAE?

Say so honestly and show how you have prepared: research on the city, conversations with people working here, and a clear understanding of the role. Preparation counts for more than a past holiday.

Should I mention the Arabic language or local culture?

Only if it is genuine and relevant. Showing respect for local culture is a positive. Claiming an interest you cannot back up in a follow-up question is not.

Can I use the same answer for Saudi Arabia, Qatar or other Gulf countries?

The structure transfers, but the content should not. Each country has its own economic plans, labour rules and job market, and interviewers notice a generic Gulf answer.

Sources

Ready to build your resume?

Start with a sample or a blank page. No sign-up needed. Free to edit; US$1.00 only if you download a PDF.

Build My ATS ResumeExplore Resume Templates