Hire · 02
Executive search for senior Emirati leaders
Confidential, retained search for UAE Nationals at head-of-department, director and board level — where cultural fit, national representation and a discreet process matter more than speed.
Timeline6–8 weeks
ModelRetained · 3 stages
Best forDirector & board roles
Director & board-levelTrusted by
Why it matters
12%
of senior Emirati leaders are actively looking at any given time
The people you want are not applying anywhere
Senior UAE Nationals are approached constantly and rarely respond to advertised roles. Confidentiality matters on both sides, and a visible search can unsettle your current team and the market.
Adverts attract the wrong seniority
Your current leadership hears about the search
Offers fall through over unbenchmarked packages
Is this the right service?
Who executive search is built for
We say no more often than yes. Here is how to tell quickly whether this is the right route — and where to go if it isn’t.
Right for you if
- Leadership roles where an Emirati appointment strengthens board or MoHRE standing
- Confidential replacements that cannot appear on job boards
- Government-linked, banking and family-group employers
- Succession plans that need a ready Emirati pipeline at senior level
Not the right fit if
- Roles below manager level — see Permanent Emirati hiring
- Timelines under three weeks
- Volume hiring campaigns
What’s included
Everything executive search covers
One consultant runs all six parts. Nothing is handed to a junior or a call centre.
01Search strategy & target map
Agreed role spec, sector target list and a market salary view for senior Emiratis.
02Passive-candidate outreach
Discreet, direct approaches to Emirati leaders who are not looking — most of the market.
03Structured assessment
Competency interviews, leadership profile and references before you meet anyone.
04Longlist to shortlist
A longlist of 8–12 reviewed together, narrowed to 3–4 finalists.
05Weekly reporting
A short progress report every week until the offer is accepted.
06Offer & onboarding
Compensation negotiation, notice-period management and a six-month check-in.
Process
Executive search, step by step
Same consultant from the first call to the retention check-in — and a named deliverable at every step.
- 1Week 1
Scope
Role spec, target map and stakeholder interviews.
You receiveAgreed role spec and target map - 2Weeks 2–4
Approach
Direct outreach; longlist of 8–12 reviewed with you.
You receiveLonglist of 8–12 reviewed together - 3Weeks 4–6
Assess
Finalist interviews, leadership assessment and references.
You receiveAssessment and reference reports on finalists - 4Weeks 6–8
Appoint
Offer, notice management and onboarding plan.
You receiveSigned offer and onboarding plan
Roles we search
Leadership positions and typical packages
Indicative figures from recent placements and briefs. Every engagement is scoped to your roles, emirate and target.
Head of HRAED 45–65k
Finance DirectorAED 55–80k
Head of OperationsAED 45–70k
Emiratisation ManagerAED 30–45k
Head of Customer ExperienceAED 40–60k
Country / General ManagerAED 70k+
Head of Government RelationsAED 40–60k
Board & advisory rolesRetainer
What lands in your inbox
A document you can forward to your CEO
No spreadsheets of half-screened CVs. Every stage produces one clear artefact — the sample opposite is the executive search version — written so a decision can be made from it without a follow-up call.
EmployEmiratisWeek 5 of 8Search progress report
Head of Operations · confidential
- Target map
- 38 companies · 4 sectors
- Approached
- 27 leaders
- In conversation
- 9
- Longlist
- 11 profiles reviewed with you
- Finalists
- 3 · assessed and referenced
Prepared by your consultant · [email protected]
Results
What clients get from executive search
8–12reviewed longlist profiles
3–4finalists presented
6–8 wkstypical time to offer
Emirati Civil Engineers are in high demand. However, our experience with Shukran was not just easy — they simplified the entire process of talent spotting, and we are proud to have onboarded some of the finest Emirati talent.
Case study
One engagement, start to finish
Anonymised at the client’s request; figures as reported by their HR team.
8 weeksmandate to signed offer
Family group · 1,100 employees · Abu Dhabi
Situation
A retiring expat Head of Operations and a board mandate to appoint an Emirati — without alerting the market or the current team.
What we did
Confidential retained search: 38-company target map, 27 direct approaches, longlist of 11, three assessed finalists.
Result
Appointed in week eight; the incoming leader now mentors two Emirati graduates from the same programme.
MoHRE relevance
Leadership Emiratisation is watched
MoHRE and Nafis both track UAE Nationals in leadership, and the 2% target applies across every skilled tier. A senior Emirati appointment counts towards the number and signals genuine intent — which matters if your classification tier is ever reviewed.
Compare
Executive search with us, in-house, or a large agency
Employ EmiratisIn-houseLarge agencyWho does the workFounder, end to endYour HR team, on top of everything elseAccount manager → junior recruiter
Emirati candidate poolPre-built database, refreshed weeklyJob-board applicantsShared multi-desk database
Time to first shortlist≈ 5 working days4–8 weeks2–4 weeks
Pre-screeningEvery candidate, by phoneRarelyCV keyword match
Nafis & MoHRE guidanceIncludedDo it yourselfExtra service
FeeOn start dateHidden in salaries and timeRetainer + placement
How we work
One consultant between your team and the Emirati talent pool
No account managers, no hand-offs to juniors, no shared desks. The person who takes your brief screens the candidates, sits in the feedback loop and calls the hire at day 90.
Your HR teamBrief · interviews · offer
Your consultantFounder-led · end to endEmirati talentDatabase · Nafis · universitiesEngagement
How executive search is priced
Simple, agreed up front, and never a retainer for standard hiring. Advisory and outsourced models are scoped to your headcount and target.
Shortlist in 5 working days or we tell you why90-day free replacement on every placementNo fee until the candidate startsOne consultant, brief to onboardingRetained search
3 stages
Shortlist · offer accepted · start date
- Dedicated research and outreach
- Structured assessment & references
- Weekly progress reporting
- Six-month replacement guarantee on senior placements
Related services
Often combined with executive search
Resources
Read before you brief
Completely. Your company is not named until a candidate has passed our first screening and agreed to proceed.
Senior Emirati leaders rarely respond to adverts. Retained research funds the direct outreach that finds them.
Head of department, director, C-suite and board or advisory roles.
Yes — competency-based interviews and a leadership profile are included, with references before finalists are presented.
Start with executive search
Tell us the role. We’ll send Emirati candidates.
Replies within one working day. Prefer to talk first? Book a 30-minute meeting and we’ll map your Emiratisation target together.
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