UAE MEP DESIGN

Market Overview & Salary Guide 2024

CONTENTS
Introduction

In The News Page 2

Market Insights Page 3

Salaries for 2024 Page 4

Plugging the Skills Gap Page 5

Conclusion Page 6

Meet the Team Page 7

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the highly anticipated, 2024, UAE MEP Design Market Insights & Salary Guide. This is our 12th
publication, solely for the MEP Design industry within the UAE. We are delighted to bring this to you, in
partnership with MEP Middle East Magazine.

To produce results that accurately reflect the UAE MEP Design market in 2024, we have collated information
from our own placement records and research and combined this with information clients and candidates
across the UAE have kindly provided us with.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this year’s survey & provided such key insights, with special
thanks to MEP Middle East for collaborating with us. I hope you enjoy reading & find valuable insights……

James Mowat
Director
In the News.....
It’s been a very busy year to say the least. One of my personal highlights was when I embarked on a five-day
business trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s vibrant capital. I was met with a series of revelations that challenged
my perceptions and showcased the city’s remarkable evolution. From the climate to cultural dynamics, and
the progressive mindset of the younger generation, Riyadh’s vibrant business landscape left a lasting im-
pression. A huge thank you to one of our very longstanding clients, Cundall for inviting me to Riyadh for the
opening of their Riyadh office. Another incredible milestone in this amazing businesses history.
Embracing Change: Riyadh’s Vibrant Business Landscape (energipeople.com)

2023 Saw me very happily return as a Judge at the annual MEP Middle East Awards. I was blown away by
the quality of the submissions & was glad to see so many from women in our industry, in particular a very
impressive young lady from Saudi Arabia. The employee wellness initiative of the year was my pick of the
categories - as you will see later in this document, if you don’t take your employees wellbeing seriously, you
need to start! - Huge kudos to RED Engineering for taking the win!
MEP Middle East Awards 2023 - Judges Announced! (energipeople.com)

To further demonstrate our presence, commitment and growth plans in the MENA region, 2023 saw us gain
3 additional team members specialising in the MENA region - Connor , Rima & James. Connor actually re-
turns to us having worked at Energi 5 years ago. Rima is based in the Phillipines office and James has moved
over from the Talent Team.
MARKET INSIGHTS 2024
2023 was a fantastic year for so many of our clients across the region who have achieved huge growth.

We have seen several surprising company acquisitions during the year, with the theme being of
developing a “one stop shop” for built environment design, cost management & supervision.

KSA still dominates most of the news with some incredible projects, however the UAE appears to be waking
up more and more across a multitude of projects sectors. KSA has absorbed a lot of talent from the UAE.
With significant salaries on offer, especially with developers, this has meant the talent pool in the UAE has
shrunk even further than it had last year!

I am actively working with clients across the region to assist with developing their recruitment strategy,
aligned with their resource plans to mitigate resource challenges. We are strongly advising clients to look
outside of the UAE for talent from the outset, as the talent pool has shrunk so much.

Please feel free to reach out to me, to discuss your plans and how we can offer specialist help in this area.
Candidates with data centre experience are in increasing demand, along with candidates with experience
in retrofit projects. The facilities sector is really going to boom with so many existing buildings now being
repurposed across the region.

Digitisation and parametric design experience is still in high demand, including BIM360 and Digital
Twins. Experience with software packages including Ladybug, Grasshopper and Rhino are the most in
demand.

The following qualifications are some of the most in demand:

• PMP
• ATD (Uptime Institute)
• MCIBSE
• CEng (UK)
• MIET
• SCE (Saudi Council of Engineers)
• UAE SOE
• ADA (Abu Dhabi Airports certification)
AVERAGE SALARIES Per Month (pm)
The data below is collated from our own placement records and research, combined with information clients
and candidates across the UAE have kindly provided us with.

The salaries span across the full MEP disciplines & reflect large international multi-disciplinary, specialist
MEP design consultants and locally owned consultants.

You will note the large bandings highlights the disparity in salaries across the region dependant on size of
company

Junior Engineer Intermediate Engineer

7,500 - 14,000 AED/pm 15,000 - 19,000 AED/pm
0-3yrs experience 3-5yrs experience

Senior Engineer Principal Engineer

23,000 - 30,000 AED/pm 31,000 - 39,000 AED/pm
7-12yrs experience 10-15yrs experience

Associate Engineer Associate Director

37,000 - 47,000 AED/pm 45,000 - 55,000 AED/pm
12+yrs experience 13+yrs experience

Technical Director Director

60,000 - 72,000 AED/pm 70,000 - 100,000 AED/pm
20+yrs experience 20+yrs experience

Note: The above salaries are indicative only and subject to experience, location etc. plus benefits.
WHAT CANDIDATES LOOK FOR
Below are the results of a recent survey to assess candidates strongest motivators when choosing a new
employer:

Given the increasing squeeze on resources & tight project deadlines, I am not surprised to see that employee
wellbeing is number 1 given the stress and workload that many are facing! There really does need to be more
emphasis on employees wellbeing in our industry. With more focus on wellbeing, productivity, happiness &
performance improve drastically.

It goes without saying, if you want to recruit less & keep more people - look after your people & they will look
after your business!

IN CONCLUSION
Whilst KSA still commands the majority of the headlines, in recent months more & more projects are coming
from the UAE, in particular Abu Dhabi. The race for talent is only going to accelerate over the coming weeks
and months with more consultants getting busier. The shrinking talent pool in the UAE is going to need an
injection of talent from other regions, if these projects are to be delivered on time.

CSR (including ED&I) continues to be a huge focus for many clients who are committed to a more diverse
workforce, with many employers hiring more female engineers & leaders to balance the gender gap in the
industry. This is a significant step in the right direction & something Energi People are working with our
client partners across the world to improve. There is much more work to be done, starting with breaking the
stereotypes & unconscious biases that are still very prevalent. In my opinion it starts with education & we
need to be promoting STEM programmes to attract more women to our industry from an earlier age.

To recruit & retain the best talent, employee wellbeing needs to be a major focus for your business!

James Mowat
Director
Meet the Team
James Mowat
Director
James is a Director for Energi People with over 15 years of experience in the recruitment industry, in particular
MEP Building Services Engineering across the whole project lifecycle, within the UK, MENA & APAC regions.
Such experience includes recruiting teams of engineers across the full project lifecycle on some of the world’s
most iconic buildings – The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Dubai Airport, SIDRA Medical & Research Centre in Qatar,
Facebook Hyperscale Data Centre in Singapore, Dubai Mall, Dubai Metro & various data centres across the
globe.

As a testament to James’ reputation and experience in the MENA MEP sector, James was selected to be a
Judge at the 2022 MEP Middle East Awards. James is responsible for driving Energi People’s brand, values and
services to clients across the globe, spearheading multi-disciplinary business development, 360 recruitment
within MEP Building Services design and leading the growth of the building services design team.

Connor Looby
Principal Consultant
Connor Looby is a Principal Consultant for the MENA region at Energi People and a seasoned multi-
disciplinary construction recruiter. His journey started in 2015, and has collaborated with a diverse array
of clients, including residential developers, main contractors, sub-contractors, and MEP specialists. With
an exceptional track record of successful introductions, he has witnessed many candidates flourish in new
roles, often returning to him to recruit for their own teams.

Connor’s expertise lies in white-collar hires within the construction industry, with an extensive portfolio
working with the top 20 construction companies in the UK. Today, his talents and experience support
Energi People’s expansion in the Middle East and North Africa, bringing his unparalleled recruitment
expertise to the region. Connor’s proficiency extends from introducing junior management professionals
to senior leadership and directors. This enables him to identify and attract top-tier talent, even when those
individuals may not be actively seeking new opportunities. He thrives on the details, ensuring every aspect
of the recruitment process is meticulously managed, and places a strong emphasis on building lasting
relationships.

James Hughes
Recruitment Consultant
Having joined us in July 2023, James brings with him a wealth of expertise in the world of Property. With an
impressive track record of success, he climbed the ladder from a dedicated consultant to an accomplished
Sales Manager, showcasing his exceptional customer service and maintaining client relationships along the
way.

Now, as a passionate Recruitment Consultant, James focuses on sourcing and collaborating with
Candidates, carefully assessing their experiences and references. His goal is to find the perfect match
between these talented individuals and the right companies that can truly harness their skills and expertise.
Meet the Team
Jocelyn Raborar
Senior Talent Consultant
Jocelyn is a Senior Talent Consultant at Energi People and is a real asset to the company. She has over ten
years experience in recruiting, having worked at an International Consultancy firm as an internal Talent
Acquisition professional. Jocelyn was part of the pioneer team from the Shared Services in Manila and
was instrumental to the growth of the local HR team supporting various regions. Jocelyn supported the
recruitment activities across Middle East, United Kingdom and Asia markets across all levels of roles. Over
the years, she has acquired a wealth of experience in recruiting for roles across all Design & Engineering,
Project management, Cost and Commercial management and other support roles.

Jocelyn also lead a team of Recruiters and Administrators to support the growth of the UK business, attract
direct application and drive down the cost of hire. Historically, Jocelyn worked for a UK based company
recruiting for Filipino medical health professions deploying in NHS. Now Jocelyn is an integral part of the
Building Services Design Engineering group with a focus on MENA and the APAC market.

Rima Talag
Talent Consultant
Rima joined Energi People as a Talent Consultant in May 2023, based in the Philippines. An experienced
recruitment professional, Rima has extensive experience in the RPO industry. She has worked in a variety
of sectors, including the oil and gas industry, medical device, design and engineering as well as the banking
and finance industries across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, and North America markets.

Rima will be sourcing candidates within the Building Services Design Sector and carrying out thorough
qualifying and work experience checking, building relationships and matching candidates to roles that best
match their skills.
 Middle East and North Africa
e. james.mowat@energipeople.com
t. +44 2079 839 030

UK MEP Design Market Overview

and Salary Guide

Winter 2022

www.energipeople.com
Tel: 01252 413080