The Emirates group announced a massive hiring drive on Tuesday with plans to induct 17,300 people within the next few months. The massive recruitment drive — equivalent to the population of some smaller towns — will span a wide variety of roles and locations. The company, owned by the Dubai sovereign wealth fund ICD, plans to expand its overall workforce by 14% in the financial year ending next March.
According to reports, the Emirates Group requires hundreds of employees for roles including cabin crew, pilots, engineers, commercial and sales teams, customer service, ground handling, catering, IT, HR, and finance. The new jobs will also include more than 4,000 vacancies at its ground-handling firm dnata.
“The Emirates Group’s people strategy is anchored in Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 and our own projected growth and expansion. We’re seeking world-class talent to fuel our bold ambition, redefine the future of aviation, and continue our commitment and culture of innovation and excellence. This is an opportunity for skilled and talented professionals to play a stellar role in our future, our strategy, and our growth story,” the company quoted HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum — the Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates — as saying.
Massive talent acquisition drive
Emirates is reportedly one of the largest employers in the region with around 121,000 people working for the Group. It had hired more than 41,000 professionals since 2022 — including nearly 27,000 in various operational roles. The company said in a statement that it would be hosting more than 2,100 open days and other talent acquisition events in 150 cities throughout the year. These events are intended to help recruit the best pilots, IT professionals, engineers, and cabin crew members for the Dubai-based aviation holding company. This also includes local events to engage with students and graduates within the United Arab Emirates.
Over 3.7 million applications in FY25
According to an update shared by the company, Emirates received more than 3.7 million applications for roles spanning all its brands and departments during the last financial year.
“For Dubai-based employees, benefits at the Emirates Group include profit share eligibility, comprehensive medical and life insurance cover, a whole range of travel benefits including flight tickets – annual leave, service-related, and concessional ones for self, family, wider family and friends – concessional cargo rates, and membership cards that provide discounts at hundreds of retail, hospitality and lifestyle outlets,” the company added.