The short answer
The four largest software and IT companies headquartered in United Arab Emirates, ranked by reported number of employees, are G42, Talabat, Careem and Property Finder. G42 is the largest, with about 25,000 employees (2024). We could verify four companies meeting our criteria, so this list is shorter than ten rather than padded with unverified names.
The four companies at a glance
| # | Company | Headquarters | Founded | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G42 | Abu Dhabi | 2018 | 25,000 (2024) |
| 2 | Talabat | Dubai | 2004 | 16,000+ |
| 3 | Careem | Dubai | 2012 | Not stated |
| 4 | Property Finder | Dubai | 2005 | Not stated |
Ranked by the most recent employee count stated on each company’s Wikipedia article or official website, checked 24 October 2026. Years in brackets show when that figure applies; companies without a stated figure are listed last.
The companies in detail
1G42
Abu DhabiAn artificial intelligence holding company that builds AI models, cloud and data-centre infrastructure for government and enterprise clients in healthcare, energy and other sectors.
- Headquarters
- Abu Dhabi
- Founded
- 2018
- Employees
- 25,000 (2024)
- Ownership
- Private
2Talabat
DubaiThe Middle East’s leading online food and grocery delivery platform, founded in Kuwait in 2004.
- Headquarters
- Dubai
- Founded
- 2004
- Employees
- 16,000+
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of Delivery Hero
3Careem
DubaiA super-app offering ride-hailing, food and grocery delivery and digital payments in over 70 cities across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
- Headquarters
- Dubai
- Founded
- 2012
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Majority-owned by e& (ride-hailing business owned by Uber)
4Property Finder
DubaiRuns a leading property listings platform in the UAE and several other Middle Eastern and North African countries.
- Headquarters
- Dubai
- Founded
- 2005
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Private
Also worth knowing
These companies did not make the ranking, for the reason given, but are often mentioned alongside it.
- Swvl: Transport technology company founded in Cairo; headquartered in Dubai (606 employees in 2021).
- Anghami: Arabic music streaming platform founded in Lebanon; headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
What this list tells us about United Arab Emirates’s software industry
- Dubai is the main hub. 3 of the four companies on this list are headquartered there, with others in Abu Dhabi.
- A long track record. The oldest company here, Talabat, was founded in 2004; the youngest, G42, in 2018.
- Founding wave. More companies on this list were founded in the 2010s (2) than in any other decade.
- Ownership mix. 0 of the four are publicly listed and 2 are subsidiaries of, or majority-owned by, other groups; the rest are independent private companies, cooperatives or state-linked organisations.
United Arab Emirates at a glance
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Official languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- UAE dirham (AED)
- Population
- 11.0 million (2024 est.)
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $54,214 (2026 est.)
Economy. A diversified economy beyond oil and gas, with Dubai a major hub for finance, tourism and commerce.
Technology. The UAE created one of the world’s first ministries of artificial intelligence.
Country figures from Wikipedia’s article on United Arab Emirates, checked 24 October 2026. Estimates are rounded and dated as stated there.
Working with software companies in United Arab Emirates
- Time zone. United Arab Emirates uses UTC+04:00 all year, with no daylight saving time. Agree overlap hours in writing before a project starts.
- Data protection. Check which data protection law applies to any personal data you share, and put the obligations into your contract.
- Due diligence. Large companies on this list mostly sell their own products or enterprise services. If you need a development partner for a specific project, ask for case studies, interview the engineers and start with a short paid trial. Our guide on how to choose an IT staff augmentation company includes a free vendor scorecard.
- Budget. Typical 2026 hourly rates by region are in our IT staff augmentation cost and rates guide.
- Extra capacity. If you want developers to join your own team rather than outsource a whole project, our IT Staff Augmentation Services provide dedicated engineers who work in your time zone, tools and processes.
How we built this list
- Candidates. We started from Wikipedia’s list of companies of United Arab Emirates, the country’s best-known technology firms and companies regularly named in the local and international business press.
- Scope. We kept companies whose main business is software, IT services or a software-based platform, and that are headquartered in United Arab Emirates. Telecom operators, banks and hardware makers were left out, as were local offices of foreign groups. Companies founded in United Arab Emirates but now headquartered abroad are listed separately when relevant.
- Verification. For every company we checked headquarters, founding year, ownership, size and whether it is still active against its Wikipedia article or, where none exists, its own official website, on 24 October 2026. Each entry links to the page we checked.
- Ranking. Companies are ranked by their most recently stated number of employees, the most comparable size measure available for public and private firms alike.
- No payments. No company paid or was asked to appear. iCreativez Technologies is itself a software and IT services company, so we do not include or rank ourselves on country lists.
Employee figures come from different years, are sometimes self-reported on company websites and sometimes count a whole group rather than one company, so treat the ranking as a guide to scale rather than an exact league table.
Need developers who work your hours?
iCreativez Technologies is an IT staff augmentation company providing dedicated developers and offshore teams to clients worldwide. Tell us what you are building.
Software companies in nearby countries
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest software company in United Arab Emirates?
By reported number of employees, G42 is the largest software and IT company headquartered in United Arab Emirates, with about 25,000 employees (2024). It an artificial intelligence holding company that builds AI models, cloud and data-centre infrastructure for government and enterprise clients in healthcare, energy and other sectors.
Which city is the main software hub in United Arab Emirates?
Among the companies on this list, Dubai is home to the most: 3 of the four are headquartered there.
What is the oldest software company in United Arab Emirates on this list?
Talabat, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Dubai.
How did you choose the software companies in United Arab Emirates?
We considered the best-known companies headquartered in United Arab Emirates whose main business is software or IT services. We verified each one against its Wikipedia article or official website and ranked them by reported number of employees. No company paid to be included.
Why are there fewer than 10 companies for United Arab Emirates?
We only list companies we could verify. Rather than pad the list with names we cannot confirm, we show four verified companies and suggest nearby markets.
What is the economy of United Arab Emirates based on?
A diversified economy beyond oil and gas, with Dubai a major hub for finance, tourism and commerce. The UAE created one of the world’s first ministries of artificial intelligence.
What languages and currency are used for business in United Arab Emirates?
The official language is Arabic, and the currency is the UAE dirham (AED).
Can I hire software developers to work with a team in United Arab Emirates?
Yes. Many businesses combine local partners with remote developers. iCreativez Technologies provides dedicated developers and offshore teams that can work your hours; see our dedicated developers page or contact us.
Sources
All company details were checked on 24 October 2026 against these pages:
- Wikipedia: List of companies of the United Arab Emirates
- G42: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G42_(company)
- Talabat: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talabat
- Careem: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careem
- Property Finder: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_Finder
- Wikipedia: United Arab Emirates (country profile)
If you represent a company on this page and a detail has changed, contact us and we will review it. Related guides: top IT staff augmentation companies 2026 · staff augmentation vs outsourcing vs managed services.