For UAE Employers

Hiring a Financial Controller in Dubai

By CA Ketul Patel, Founder, Accounting Baba  ·  2026-10-18

Short answer: A financial controller owns the accuracy of a company’s numbers: reporting across entities, internal controls, the audit and tax compliance. Through Accounting Baba you see 3 to 5 profiles within 7 working days of paying the service charge, each interviewed by our team and reviewed by a chartered accountant. The fee is one month’s salary of the person you hire, plus applicable taxes.

What a Financial Controller Does in a UAE Company

Monthly and annual reporting, often across several entities; consolidation; internal controls and approval limits; leading the year-end audit; VAT and corporate tax compliance and the related documentation; treasury and banking; and leading the finance team. In many groups the controller reports to the CFO or to the owner.

Skills UAE Employers Ask For

UAE employers want a financial controller with IFRS consolidation, internal controls, audit leadership, corporate tax and VAT knowledge, ERP experience and a CA, ACCA or CPA.

Financial Controller, Finance Manager or CFO?

A finance manager runs the finance function of one company. A financial controller is responsible for the accuracy of the numbers across a group, with controls and consolidation. A CFO sets financial strategy, funding and investor relations. Growing groups often hire a controller before a CFO.

What Decides the Salary

Pay for a financial controller in the UAE depends on the size of the company, the industry, the number of entities and people the role covers, the candidate’s qualification (CA, ACCA or CPA), and how many years they have worked in the UAE itself. Packages often include allowances on top of basic pay. On the first call we share what candidates with the profile you want are earning now, so your offer lands where it needs to.

Where We Find Candidates

Tell us the companies you want people from, including your competitors, and we approach candidates working there. About 80% of our UAE clients hire people who already live and work in the UAE or the Gulf. We recruit from India when you ask for it.

How Long It Takes

You see 3 to 5 CA-reviewed profiles within 7 working days of paying the service charge; interviews, the offer and notice period follow.

  1. Day 0: a call to agree the role, the salary range and the companies to target. You pay the service charge.
  2. Within 7 working days: 3 to 5 profiles, each interviewed by our team and reviewed by a chartered accountant.
  3. After that: your interviews, the offer and the candidate’s notice period. We schedule interviews and support the salary discussion.

What It Costs Through Accounting Baba

Through Accounting Baba the fee is one month’s salary of the person you hire, plus applicable taxes, with AED 1,000 per opening paid upfront and adjusted against it.

ItemAmountWhen it is paid
Service charge, per job openingAED 1,000 in the UAE; USD 250 in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and KuwaitBefore we start work
Recruitment feeOne month’s salary of the person you hire, plus applicable taxesWhen the candidate joins
BalanceFee less the service charge already paidWithin 30 days of the candidate joining

For example, if you hire a financial controller at AED 30,000 a month, the fee is AED 30,000 plus applicable taxes. AED 1,000 is already paid as the service charge, so the balance is AED 29,000 plus applicable taxes, payable within 30 days of joining.

If we cannot close the opening within 30 days of receiving the service charge, we return 50% of it. If the person you hire leaves within 90 days of joining, we restart the search at no additional fee.

What We Do Not Handle

Visa sponsorship, PRO steps, medical tests, Emirates ID, flights and relocation stay with the employer.

Before you interview, see our guide on how to interview an accountant or finance manager in the UAE.

Hiring in the UAE or the Gulf?

Paid service: one month’s salary per hire, with AED 1,000 per opening paid upfront and adjusted against the fee.

WhatsApp +91 98567 55000

Prefer a call? Book a call online or ring +91 98567 55000.

→ See pricing and how we hire for UAE and Gulf companies