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Exclusive Freelance Radar data
What do contractors in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar really earn? Based on 49 contract jobs with a stated rate from the last 90 days, the median is 15,008 a month across all specialisations (in AED, SAR or QAR, which trade at almost the same value). Below are the details by specialisation, country and city, updated continuously.
Updated on 17 October 2026
| Specialisation | Median | Range | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil, gas and energy | 11,006 | 9,505 to 15,008 | 11 |
Specialisation figures mix AED, SAR and QAR, which trade at almost the same value.
| Country | Median | Range | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | SAR 61,248 | SAR 55,006 to SAR 74,994 | 6 |
| UAE | AED 15,508 | AED 11,006 to AED 29,993 | 31 |
| Qatar | QAR 12,006 | QAR 10,005 to QAR 15,008 | 12 |
| City | Median | Range | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh | SAR 67,490 | SAR 55,006 to SAR 74,994 | 5 |
| Dubai | AED 20,750 | AED 10,005 to AED 29,993 | 14 |
| Abu Dhabi | AED 15,258 | AED 12,006 to AED 23,490 | 16 |
Freelance Radar continuously finds contract jobs posted publicly on LinkedIn by recruiters, agencies and hiring managers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the rest of the Gulf. This barometer aggregates the 49 contract jobs from the last 90 days with an explicit rate in UAE dirhams (AED), Saudi riyals (SAR) or Qatari riyals (QAR), out of 694 contract jobs found in total. All three currencies are pegged to the US dollar at close rates (1 SAR is about 0.98 AED and 1 QAR about 1.01 AED), so specialisation figures mix them, while country and city figures only use the local currency. Rates are converted to a monthly rate on the basis of 21.75 working days a month and 8 hours a day. Rates are taken as written: 0% mention benefits on top (visa, housing, transport, flights or medical insurance). Values are medians (less sensitive to outliers than an average); the range runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Only specialisations, countries and cities with enough rates are shown. Monthly rates outside 5,000 to 150,000 are excluded.
You are free to use these figures (press, blogs, social media, research) with attribution and a link: "Source: Freelance Radar contract rate barometer".
See the 694 contract jobs found