Part Time Jobs in Dubai: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners in 2025

Part Time Jobs in Dubai: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners in 2025

Finding Part-Time Work in Dubai: What Nobody Tells You

Alright, so you’re thinking about working part-time in Dubai. Let me guess – you’ve probably googled this about fifty times already and found nothing but vague blog posts and outdated forum threads from 2019. Yeah, been there.

I’m writing this because when I first got here in 2022, I was completely lost. My cousin who’d been living here for years gave me the usual “just network bro” advice, which is about as helpful as telling someone to “just be confident” when they’re nervous about a job interview.

Here’s what actually happened to me, and what I learned by making pretty much every mistake possible.

My First Month Was a Disaster

I landed in Dubai on a family visa thinking I’d figure out work later. Big mistake number one. I spent two weeks applying to full-time marketing jobs online (because that’s what I did back in the UK), wondering why nobody was calling me back. Turns out, most companies here want you to already have a work visa sorted. Who knew?

Then I tried those delivery app jobs everyone talks about. Downloaded Talabat, Careem, the whole lot. Guess what? You need a UAE driving license, proper insurance, and about six different permits I’d never heard of. Strike two.

My savings were disappearing faster than ice cream in July, and I was starting to panic. That’s when my neighbor Priya (who works at a clinic in Karama) told me about this coffee shop near her work that was looking for weekend help. “Just go talk to them,” she said. “Stop being so British about it.”

Best advice I ever got.

The Coffee Shop That Changed Everything

So I walked into Brew & Beans in Karama (yeah, that’s the actual name – they do amazing flat whites) on a Tuesday morning around 10 AM. The manager, this Lebanese guy called Fadi, was there counting inventory. I just introduced myself, said I was looking for weekend work, and asked if they needed help.

He looked at me for about ten seconds, then said, “You ever work in a cafe before?”

“No, but I drink a lot of coffee,” I replied. Not my smoothest moment.

He laughed and said, “Can you start Saturday?”

That was it. No formal interview, no references, no corporate HR nonsense. Just a five-minute conversation. I worked there for eight months, learned how to make proper coffee, and met half the people I know in Dubai now.

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

The permit thing is real, but it’s not as scary as it sounds. My family visa sponsor (my dad) had to sign some forms at the labor department. Cost about 600 AED total and took two weeks. Fadi helped me figure it out because he’d done it with other employees before.

The money isn’t life-changing, but it’s decent. I was making about 1,800 AED a month working Fridays and Saturdays, plus Thursday evenings during busy periods. The tips were random but sometimes really good – this one regular customer used to tip me 50 AED every time I remembered he liked oat milk.

Where the Real Opportunities Are

After working at the coffee shop for a while, I started noticing patterns. The places that actually hire part-timers aren’t the big corporate chains – they’re the smaller businesses that need flexibility.

Restaurants and cafes are obvious, but here’s what I learned: the best ones to work for are in residential areas, not tourist spots. The Dubai Marina places pay better but they’re chaos. The Jumeirah ones are too posh and intimidating. But places in Karama, Satwa, or near the universities? Gold mine.

Content creation is huge if you can write or take decent photos. I met this girl Zara at a house party who makes 4,000 AED a month just writing Instagram captions for local businesses. She started by doing it for free for one restaurant, posted about it on her story, and now has eight regular clients.

Tutoring is where the money is, but you need to be patient. My friend Tom (who’s from Australia) charges 100 AED an hour teaching kids English. But it took him three months to build up enough students to make it worthwhile. He started at 60 AED an hour and slowly raised his rates.

Retail in malls is steady work, especially if you can work evenings. This Pakistani guy Hamza I know works at an electronics store in Deira City Centre three nights a week and makes about 2,200 AED monthly. The hours are brutal but the pay is reliable.

The Networking Thing (But Actually Useful)

Everyone says “network” but nobody explains how. Here’s what actually worked for me:

I joined this Facebook group called “Dubai Expat Community” and started commenting on posts – not about jobs, just normal stuff. Eventually people started recognizing my name. Then when someone posted about needing help with social media, three people tagged me in the comments.

The WhatsApp groups are where the real opportunities are. Every building, every area, every nationality has WhatsApp groups. I’m in about twelve of them now. That’s how I found out about the coffee shop replacement when I decided to move on.

LinkedIn is weird here. It’s very formal and corporate. But if you post occasionally about stuff you’re working on (even small projects), people notice. I got a freelance writing gig because I posted about helping a friend with their website copy.

The Mistakes That Cost Me Time and Money

I wasted three weeks trying to get hired at Starbucks and Costa because I thought big brands would be easier. They’re not. They want full-time employees or nothing.

I almost got scammed by this guy who said he could get me a job at a marketing agency for 800 AED “processing fee.” My gut told me it was sketchy, but I was desperate. Thankfully I asked around in one of my WhatsApp groups and three people told me it was a known scam.

I waited too long to get my work permit sorted. I could have been working legally two months earlier if I’d just asked my dad to sign the forms sooner. But I was trying to figure everything out myself instead of asking for help.

What You’ll Actually Earn

Let me be completely honest about money because most guides aren’t.

Coffee shops and restaurants: 15-25 AED per hour. If you work 15 hours a week, that’s about 1,800-2,500 AED monthly.

Retail in malls: Usually 1,500-2,200 AED for part-time work, depending on the store and your hours.

Tutoring: 60-120 AED per hour if you’re good and have regular students. But it takes time to build up.

Content creation: Anywhere from 500-5,000 AED monthly. Depends entirely on your skills and how many clients you can handle.

Delivery driving: I never did this but my building’s security guard does it evenings. He says about 1,200-1,800 AED monthly working 4-5 hours a day.

The Stuff That Actually Matters

Learn some Arabic basics. Not for the job applications, but for daily life. My Arabic is terrible, but I know enough to order food and ask for directions. It makes everything easier.

Get a UAE driving license if you can. Even if you don’t plan to drive for work, having it opens up more opportunities.

Be prepared for the bureaucracy. Everything takes longer than you expect and requires more documents than seems reasonable. But once you get through it, you’re set.

Don’t be too proud to start small. My coffee shop job wasn’t glamorous, but it led to everything else. Fadi recommended me for a social media gig with another restaurant owner. That client recommended me to someone else. It snowballs.

The Questions I Get Asked

“Can I work on a tourist visa?” No. Just no. Don’t even think about it. The penalties are serious.

“How long does it take to find something?” For me it was about six weeks, but I was doing everything wrong for the first month. If you’re smart about it, maybe 2-3 weeks.

“Do I need perfect English?” Your English needs to be decent, but perfect? No. Some of the most successful people I know here speak English as a third language.

“Is it worth it financially?” Depends on your situation. If you’re a student or have family support, definitely. If you’re trying to live entirely off part-time work… it’s tough but possible.

If I Were Starting Over

I’d get my work permit sorted on day one. I’d join the Facebook groups and WhatsApp communities immediately. I’d walk into twenty cafes and restaurants in my first week instead of wasting time with online applications.

I’d also be more open about what I was looking for. I was embarrassed to tell people I needed work, which was amazing. Everyone here has been in the same situation at some point.

Most importantly, I’d be patient with myself. Dubai’s overwhelming when you first arrive, and figuring out work is just one piece of the puzzle. But once you get that first job, everything else falls into place.

The part-time work scene here is actually pretty good if you know where to look and you’re willing to hustle a bit. Just don’t expect it to be like home, and don’t believe everything you read online.

Now stop overthinking it and go find a job. Seriously. Stop reading guides and start talking to people. That’s how it actually works here.