Guides / City guides / Dubai
Break into investment banking in Dubai.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are among the fastest-growing banking markets in the world, with sovereign wealth, IPOs and zero personal income tax in the UAE.
How the Gulf hires.
Gulf classes are small, and many international banks recruit for Dubai through their EMEA process.
- August–October
EMEA programmes open
International banks often post Dubai summer and graduate roles inside their EMEA recruiting, on London’s clock.
What to do: Apply in the first weeks the EMEA portals open.
- Twice a year
Off-cycle internships
Six-month off-cycle analyst programmes are common in Dubai, often starting in January or July.
What to do: Plan a gap semester or a final-year placement around them.
- Autumn and spring
Graduate analyst roles
Full-time new analyst roles for final-year students and graduates. William Blair, for example, advertised a 2026 full-time analyst role in Dubai at USD 110,000.
What to do: Apply to international and regional banks together.
- Year-round
Regional banks and funds
Regional banks, sovereign-linked firms and family offices hire more flexibly than international banks.
What to do: Network directly. Many roles are filled through referrals.
- Interview stage
Interviews
Expect the same technicals as London, plus questions on Gulf markets: IPOs, sovereign funds and privatisations.
What to do: Follow three recent Gulf deals in detail.
- Offer stage
Visa and onboarding
Employers sponsor your UAE residence visa. In some programmes, nationals are prioritised under national hiring targets.
What to do: Ask early whether the role is open to your nationality.
Typical patterns only. Many Gulf roles are filled without a fixed season.
Ways in.
Summer or graduate programme
International banks’ EMEA processes, with a Dubai placement.
Off-cycle internship
Six months in Dubai, a common way in.
Regional banks
Regional investment banks and sovereign-linked firms.
Lateral from London
Many Gulf bankers move from London after two to four years.
Who hires in Dubai.
Combine international, regional and boutique firms. Sovereign funds and family offices are worth a look too.
| Tier | Examples | Why apply |
|---|---|---|
| International banks | Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Citi, HSBC, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank | The best-known brands and EMEA training. |
| Regional banks | First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, EFG Hermes, SNB Capital, Al Rajhi Capital | Deep local deal flow and larger regional classes. |
| Boutiques and others | Moelis, Rothschild & Co, Lazard, Houlihan Lokey, William Blair | Small advisory teams, often hiring off-cycle. |
A Gulf quirk: national hiring targets mean some programmes prioritise UAE or Saudi nationals. Check eligibility before you spend time on an application.
Are you Dubai-ready?
Tick what you’ve done. Be honest: interviewers will find out.
The Dubai selection process.
- Online application, often through the bank’s EMEA portal.
- Online tests and a recorded video interview.
- Technical and fit interviews, often with Gulf market questions.
- Final round, sometimes with senior bankers in Dubai or London.
Visas and work rights.
Employers sponsor UAE residence visas for their hires, so a job offer is the usual route to working in Dubai.
There is no personal income tax in the UAE, so take-home pay is often higher than in New York or London for a similar package.
Test yourself: Dubai
Questions from the Mandate app. Try each before you open it.
Dubai’s financial free zone, with its own regulator (the DFSA), is…
The DIFC. Abu Dhabi has its own financial centre, ADGM, regulated by the FSRA.
Which are major Gulf sovereign wealth funds?
ADIA, Mubadala, PIF and QIA. They are major clients and co-investors in Gulf deal flow.
Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange, home to some of the region’s largest IPOs, is…
Tadawul. Saudi Aramco listed there in 2019.
Many Dubai banking hires come through…
Moves from London and other hubs. Teams are smaller, so experienced hires are common.
Get ready before applications open.
Mandate covers the technicals every Gulf interview starts with, plus regional deal flow, with unlimited AI mock interviews.