The Emirates Group reported a 10% increase in employee expenses, reflecting team expansion amid operational growth and enhanced compensation packages. The company stated that in the past financial year alone, it received over 3.7 million job applications across its various brands and departments, driven by its strong brand, global standing, employee-centric strategy, tax-free salaries, superior benefits, and distinguished training, development, and recognition programs. The benefits enjoyed by Emirates Group employees in Dubai include eligibility for annual profit sharing, medical and life insurance, a range of travel perks such as annual tickets, service-based tickets, and discounted tickets for the employee, their family, and friends, as well as preferential rates on shipping services and membership cards offering discounts at hundreds of retail stores, restaurants, and leisure facilities. In July of this year, the Emirates Group launched a global campaign to attract and recruit talent as part of a new phase of its growth journey. The company aims to hire 17,300 employees across 350 diverse positions during the current financial year, which ends in March 2026. These positions cover various work areas within Emirates, the world's largest international airline, and dnata, a global provider of air travel and travel services. The group is seeking hundreds of candidates for roles such as cabin crew, pilots, engineers, sales, marketing, and customer service teams, as well as ground handling, catering, IT, human resources, and finance positions. dnata, in turn, aims to recruit over 4,000 specialists in cargo, catering, and ground handling. Employee costs during the 2024-2025 financial year rose by 17%, reaching AED 19 billion. The Emirates Group has seen a significant increase in its employee base over the past four years, with the number of employees growing from 73,571 in September 2021 to 124,927 in September 2025, an increase of 51,356. According to data from the group, the hiring rate increased by approximately 70% during this period, despite several fluctuations in the global aviation industry, which reflects the resilience of its operational strategy and the expansion of its global presence in the aviation and logistics sectors. The increase in employment was distributed sustainably, reflecting long-term strategic planning, with the group recruiting an average of 12,800 new employees per year, or more than 1,000 per month, which is equivalent to 35 employees daily. This indicates the high demand for specialized skills to support fleet expansion, increased international destinations, and the growth of dnata's ground handling, cargo, and travel operations in multiple markets. This rapid pace is accompanied by intensive training and development programs to ensure the readiness of operational teams in aviation, hospitality, engineering and aircraft maintenance, as well as airport management and air transport services. In its 2024-2025 annual report, the group stated that its workforce comprises around 110 nationalities, making it one of the largest employers in the United Arab Emirates. It offers the best social care initiatives, skill acquisition programs at its Center of Excellence in Training, and a comprehensive set of interactive programs throughout the year. The group also explained that employee costs for the mentioned financial year increased by 17% to AED 19 billion, primarily due to the necessary increase in hiring to support business expansion. The report noted that hiring activities intensified in response to increasing operational needs, leading to a 9% increase in the total number of employees. Additional factors contributing to the cost increase included salary hikes (including the impact of annual increases granted last year), promotions, enhanced bonuses, increased spending related to cabin and flight deck crews, rising health insurance costs, and various other employee-related expenses.
