Dubai’s aviation sector promises additional 185,000 jobs over next 5 years

Attention job seekers! Dubai is set to create 185,000 new jobs by 2030, elevating its total workforce in aviation-related roles to 816,000, a recent report from Emirates Group and Dubai Airports revealed.

This means that there will be no slowing down on new hiring for the aviation sector, which began right after the peak COVID-19 crisis in late 2021, Gulf News reported.

During this period, the recruitment of pilots, cabin crew, and ground staff reached unprecedented levels.

“Our growth plans will generate even more skilled jobs and help drive innovation as we work with leading technology partners to develop future solutions to enhance travel experiences and make operations more efficient and secure,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports.

By the end of 2023, the Dubai aviation sector supported over 630,000 roles. 

However, with the expected addition of a combined 816,000 string workforce, one in four jobs in the city will be tied to aviation by 2030, up from the current one in five in 2023.

Dubai’s airports serve more than 88 million passengers and welcomed 17 million international visitors in 2023, indicating a high travel demand.

The Emirates-Dubai Airports’ study comes after the Dubai government approved the development of a new passenger terminal at Dubai World Central — Maktoum International Airport (DWC), worth Dh128 billion.

Sheikh Ahmed added: “Our ambitious plans for Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport and our ongoing investments to expand capacity at Dubai International will unlock further economic opportunities by supporting the projected demand for air transport.”

Although the expansion of DWC was not included in the study’s main impact results, the construction project is expected to contribute an estimated Dh6.1 billion to Dubai’s gross domestic product in 2030 and support 132,000 jobs.