Nearly three in four – 73 per cent – fractional C-suite executives who applied to work in another country chose the UAE, according to new data from Fractional, the UAE’s largest fractional executive collective.
Applicants were almost three times as likely to choose Dubai or Abu Dhabi as any of Fractional’s other 62 city hubs. None of the executives already based in the UAE applied to work anywhere else.
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Fractional analysed applications to its 64 city hubs between 1 August and 13 October 2026. The UAE ranked first in every month, with at least 70 per cent of cross-border applicants selecting Dubai or Abu Dhabi as their preferred location. Cross-border applicants are those who applied from a country other than the one where they want to work.
The applicants are senior leaders. More than half had at least 15 years of executive experience and over a third had 20 years or more, in line with applicants already based in the UAE.
Fractional executives are part-time leaders embedded in the C-suites of SMEs that need senior expertise without the commitment of a full-time hire.
Applications came from a range of roles, including chief operating officers, chief financial officers, chief marketing officers, chief executives, chief technology officers and chief human resources officers.
Applicants can apply through any of the 64 city hubs, including those in their home market. The system records the country each applicant is in at the time of application. The analysis excludes UAE residents who were travelling when they applied.
Talent from abroad
The data suggests the UAE draws a far larger share of its talent from overseas. More than a quarter – 27 per cent – of applicants to the Dubai and Abu Dhabi hubs were based outside the country, compared with 8 per cent for all of Fractional’s other hubs combined.
“Senior talent is still choosing the UAE,” said Rhys Holding, managing director of Fractional.
Rhys Holding
“Executives are drawn by the lifestyle, the ambition and pace of growth, and the opportunity to work alongside like-minded, internationally experienced talent. Senior executives abroad want to work in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and those already here are finding compelling reasons to stay.”
Non-resident applications to the UAE came from 27 countries. Europe accounted for 36 per cent and South Asia for 24 per cent.
About a third – 31 per cent – of non-resident applicants said they would move to the UAE. Two-thirds – around 67 per cent – said they would serve UAE businesses through regular visits, before or instead of relocating their households.
Holding linked the interest to the make-up of the UAE economy. “With most businesses in the UAE being SMEs, we’re seeing growing demand for fractional C-suite executives,” he said.
“As these businesses scale, they need experienced leaders who have already solved the problems they’re facing for the first time, but not necessarily on a full-time basis. Fractional gives them that C-suite expertise, with the flexibility to bring in the right people at the right time.”