Dubai, UAE - 07 March 2025 - Companies across the Middle East are increasingly building teams and capabilities by integrating independent professionals across functions and levels. Skills in high demand include change management, digital transformation, sales, marketing, data and strategy.
According to Outsized’s 2025 Talent on Demand Report, organisations are integrating independent talent for various reasons; from execution roles to strategic project delivery, with professionals across the UAE and KSA earning between USD 300 to 1,000 per day, depending on type of skill and experience level.
For businesses in the MENA region, leveraging independent talent is not just a short-term trend but a fundamental shift in how they access expertise, drive transformation, and maintain a competitive edge. The rise of independent talent in MENA remains strong, with freelancer registrations increasing by 78% in the past year.
Key findings at a glance:
- Most in-demand skills: Payments, business development, project management, product development, risk management and data analytics.
- Sectors driving the shift: Consulting, Financial Services and Tech, leveraging independent professionals to scale capabilities across strategy, execution, and operations.
- Freelancer growth: Registrations up 44%, showing strong demand for flexible expertise across experience levels.
- Day rates: Experienced professionals (11-15 years) average USD 600/day; top skills exceed USD 1,000.
In the field of data and analytics, experts are executing complex data strategies, commanding daily rates between USD 225 to 750 across both the UAE and KSA. Similarly, marketing and product management specialists, including digital marketers, UX professionals, and product managers, are securing competitive rates ranging from USD 250 to 825 per day in both regions.
A transforming workforce: Agile talent takes centre stage
Outsized, a leading talent-on-demand platform with over 45,000 independent consultants and professional freelancers globally, has released its fourth annual Talent on Demand Report, offering real-time insights into how businesses are leveraging independent professionals. Based on tens of thousands of proprietary data points from actual projects posted by enterprises, consulting firms, and private equity clients, the report provides a comprehensive breakdown of talent costs, hiring trends, and in-demand skills across MENA, APAC and Africa.
For the first time, the 2025 edition also includes insights from Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), expanding its global workforce intelligence.
Businesses in the Middle East increasingly recognise the speed, quality, and flexibility that independent talent brings. From Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to the UAE’s digital transformation agenda, organisations are tapping into skilled independent consultants and freelancers to accelerate high-impact projects at a competitive cost, with reduced hiring risks.
Azeem Zainulbhai, Managing Director for MENA & India at Outsized
Why this matters for business and HR leaders
The 2025 Talent on Demand Report serves as a blueprint for workforce transformation, enabling leaders to:
- Benchmark talent costs and optimise external hiring budgets.
- Identify emerging workforce trends across MENA, APAC and Africa.
- Gain exclusive day rate intelligence across a broad range of industries and skill sets.
- Understand how top firms leverage independent talent to accelerate digital transformation and maintain a competitive edge.
Access the full report here
Staying ahead of workforce trends demands real-time intelligence and actionable market insights. Outsized’s 2025 Talent on Demand Report serves as a strategic playbook, providing business leaders with essential benchmarking against industry peers. Armed with these insights, leaders can quickly identify emerging talent shifts, optimise hiring budgets, and build agile workforce strategies. Access the full report to stay ahead of the curve: https://resources.outsized.com/talent-on-demand-report-2025
Methodology
The 2025 Talent on Demand Report is based on original research and tens of thousands of proprietary data points from real projects on Outsized’s platform.
Media enquiries
For exclusive interviews, media enquiries, or insights from Outsized’s leadership team, contact: Azeem Zainulbhai, Managing Director for MENA & India, Outsized | Email: azeem@outsized.com
About Outsized
Outsized is a talent-on-demand platform with over 45,000 top independent professionals, enabling large enterprise clients, consulting firms, and private equity funds in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East to implement flexible workforce models at scale. For more information, please visit www.outsized.com.