Data Scientist / ML Engineer salary in Dubai

The median reported base salary for a data scientist / ml engineer in the UAE is AED 9,650 a month, with the top quarter of respondents at AED 20,550 or above — from 98 salary profiles.

Median

AED 9,650

per month · $2,629

AED 115,800 a year

75th percentile

AED 20,550

per month · $5,599

+113% over the median

98 reported salaries·Retrieved September 2026·Source: Payscale

Payscale does not report data scientist / ML engineer pay separately: these figures cover all data scientist roles in the UAE.

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How it compares in Technology

Among the 3 technology roles with enough reported data to publish, data scientist / ml engineer ranks #1 by median pay. The gap between the median and the 75th percentile is 113%, which is roughly what experience, employer size and negotiation are worth in this role.

Against every role in this guide, whose medians centre on AED 7,830 a month, data scientist / ml engineer pays 23% above the typical figure. On annual terms that is AED 115,800 at the median and AED 246,600 at the 75th percentile, before allowances.

On the data itself: 98 people reported pay for this role, which is a mid-sized sample for this guide — enough to be indicative, not enough to be precise.

What moves data scientist / ML engineer pay in the UAE

  • Production experience. Engineers who deploy models to production earn more than those who build prototypes.
  • Specialism. Machine learning engineering, NLP and generative AI experience are in high demand.
  • Employer type. Government AI initiatives, banks and tech companies pay above smaller firms.

Beyond the base salary

Packages typically include base salary, housing and transport allowances, medical cover and flights. Tech companies may add equity or bonuses.

Where the data scientist / ML engineer jobs are

Tech companies, banks, telecoms, government AI programmes and consultancies hire data scientists, with a large share in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Also advertised as: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Engineer, Data Scientist, Applied Scientist, MLOps Engineer.

Questions about data scientist / ML engineer pay

Is there demand for AI engineers in the UAE?

Yes — the UAE has a national AI strategy and many government and private AI programmes, which create roles for ML and AI engineers.

Is a PhD required for data science jobs in Dubai?

Rarely. Most roles ask for a relevant degree and proven production or project experience.

Roles that pay similarly

See all 3 technology salaries

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