Most UAE professionals intend to continue living and working in the country, but many are yet to actively engage with the professional networks that could help them build visibility and access career opportunities, according to new research from LinkedIn.
The research found that 91% of UAE professionals plan to remain in the country over the next six to 12 months, including 66% who said they definitely intend to stay. The findings come as the UAE continues to strengthen its position as a hub for global talent, innovation and employment.
Despite their intention to build long-term careers in the country, professionals appear to be taking a relatively passive approach to online networking. While 96% said their professional network is important for navigating careers shaped by artificial intelligence and rapid workplace change, 74% said they always or often browse work- or career-related content online without actively participating.
The gap is partly linked to uncertainty around how to network effectively. About 42% of respondents said they were unsure how to get started, while 41% said they did not know how to turn professional connections into meaningful relationships.
Confidence also remains a barrier. 40% professionals said they worry about bothering people or wasting their time when reaching out, while 33% said they are concerned about being judged.
More than half, at 58%, said they had not received enough guidance on building professional relationships or expanding their networks.
However, the research suggests that these concerns may be greater than the actual barriers professionals face.
As many as 86% of UAE professionals said they would be likely to respond to or support someone seeking career help, even if they did not know the person personally.
The findings indicate that professional skills and experience remain the strongest perceived drivers of career opportunity in the UAE. Some 39% of respondents said having the right skills and experience gives professionals the strongest chance of accessing new opportunities.
However, networks and visibility also play an increasingly important role. A quarter of respondents identified a strong professional network as a key factor, while 23% pointed to online visibility.
Professional communities are already generating tangible benefits for some workers. About 42% said online professional communities had helped them increase their knowledge, while 41% said they had made a connection that supported their career.
“The UAE continues to be a place where people come to build ambitious, long-term careers. But in a fast-moving labour market, skills alone are not always enough. Visibility and relationships also matter, especially for people who are new to the country, early in their careers, or looking to move into a new sector,” said Najat Abdelhadi, LinkedIn MENA Career Expert.
Abdelhadi said professionals do not need to begin networking with a major request or a perfectly crafted message. Instead, small interactions, such as commenting on a post, asking a question or sharing an experience, can help establish visibility and relationships over time.
According to LinkedIn, members are almost three times more likely to receive a connection request and almost five times more likely to receive a message when they have interacted with a post from one of their connections.
The findings come amid broader changes in the UAE labour market as organisations adapt to AI, new skills requirements and shifting patterns of international talent mobility.
Earlier research from LinkedIn and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade indicated that the UAE recorded one of the strongest post-pandemic hiring recoveries among major global markets in 2025, while early data from June 2026 pointed to renewed recovery in hiring and international talent flows following volatility in the first half of the year.
For professionals, the findings suggest that building career capital may increasingly require more than acquiring skills. Active participation in professional communities, maintaining relationships and developing online visibility can help workers translate their capabilities into new opportunities in a changing labour market.