For employers in Dubai and the UAE

Recruitment Agency Fees in Dubai for an Accountant: What You Pay and When

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

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Paid service. The employer pays; the candidate pays nothing. See how we hire in the UAE

1 monthsalary per hire,
plus applicable taxes

AED 1,000per opening upfront,
adjusted against the fee

What you pay

What does Accounting Baba charge to recruit an accountant in Dubai?

One month's salary of the person you hire, plus applicable taxes. AED 1,000 per opening is paid upfront and adjusted against that fee.

There are two payments, and the first is part of the second. The service charge of AED 1,000 per job opening is paid before work starts. When the candidate joins, the fee of one month's salary (CTC) becomes due, the AED 1,000 is deducted from it, and the balance is payable within 30 days of joining. In Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait the service charge is USD 250.

Item	Amount	When it is paid
Service charge, per job opening	AED 1,000	Before work starts
Recruitment fee	One month's salary (CTC), plus applicable taxes	Invoiced on or after the joining date
Balance	Fee less the AED 1,000 already paid	Within 30 days of joining

If we do not close the opening in 30 days. If no candidate we introduced has accepted your offer within 30 days of our receiving the service charge, we return 50% of it. The return does not apply if you cancel or hold the opening, materially change the role, budget or location, take more than 5 working days to give feedback, or decline every profile without written reasons. Otherwise the service charge is not refundable.

Taxes. The fee is quoted before applicable taxes. How "salary" is defined is in the FAQ below and in the Terms of Business.

Worked examples

How does one month's salary compare with other Dubai agency fees?

Third-party guides put UAE agency fees at 15 to 25% of annual salary. One month's salary is about 8.3% of annual salary.

Most UAE agencies quote a percentage of first-year salary. One month is one twelfth of a year, about 8.3%. The table shows each basis for three monthly salaries, in AED and before taxes, with annual salary taken as monthly salary multiplied by twelve.

Monthly salary	Annual salary	Accounting Baba: one month's salary	15% of annual	20% of annual	25% of annual
AED 6,000	AED 72,000	AED 6,000	AED 10,800	AED 14,400	AED 18,000
AED 12,000	AED 144,000	AED 12,000	AED 21,600	AED 28,800	AED 36,000
AED 25,000	AED 300,000	AED 25,000	AED 45,000	AED 60,000	AED 75,000

The AED 1,000 service charge is included in the Accounting Baba figure, not added to it. All amounts exclude applicable taxes.

The market percentages are not our figures. They come from third-party guides: Accel HR and Guildhall (15 to 25% of first-year salary), Quantalent (8 to 20%, UAE median 12.5%), TLNT (8 to 25%) and Velmont Crest (an example at 15%). At the 12.5% median the three salaries above would cost AED 9,000, AED 18,000 and AED 37,500. Each agency sets its own terms, so ask for the figure in writing.

Scope

What does the fee include, and what does it not?

It covers sourcing, interviews, a chartered accountant's review, the shortlist, interview support and one replacement. Visa, PRO, relocation and salary are not included.

Included in the fee

A call about the role, budget and location.
Sourcing from the companies you name, including your competitors. About 80% of our UAE placements are people already in the UAE.
An interview by our team, then a chartered accountant's review of each shortlisted profile.
3 to 5 profiles within 7 working days of receiving the service charge.
Interview scheduling, pre-offer verification and support in salary negotiation.
The 90-day replacement guarantee described below.

Not included

The candidate's salary and benefits.
Visa sponsorship, work permits, Emirates ID, medical tests and PRO steps. These stay with you or your licensed visa partner.
Flights, relocation and accommodation where a candidate moves from outside the UAE.
Legal, tax or immigration advice, and bank charges on payments to us.

More detail: hiring in the UAE and what recruitment costs in the UAE.

Replacement guarantee

How does the 90-day replacement guarantee work?

If the person leaves within 90 days of joining, we recruit one replacement for the same role at no additional fee, subject to conditions.

The 90 days run from the joining date and cover resignation and termination. To claim, email us within 7 days of the exit with the candidate's name and reason for leaving. The guarantee applies when the fee has been paid on time, and not when the exit is due to redundancy, restructuring, a material change in the role, location or pay, or a breach of the employment terms by the employer.

The replacement is for the same position at the same or lower salary; if hired at a higher salary, one month's salary is charged on the difference only. It is one replacement per position, as a replacement rather than a refund. Full wording: clause 8 of the Terms of Business.

Before you sign

How should you compare quotes from recruitment agencies?

Put every quote on the same basis: the total cost of one hire, what is paid upfront, and what happens if the hire leaves.

What is the fee, in AED, for a hire at my salary budget? A percentage sounds small until it is multiplied by twelve. Ask for the number.
Is anything paid before work starts, and is it adjusted against the fee? Ask whether any of it comes back if the role is not filled.
Who screens the candidates, and how? A database keyword match is not an interview and a review by someone with an accounting qualification.
How many profiles, and by when? Ask for a date in working days from the day you confirm.
Where will the candidates come from? A database, an advert, or people approached at named companies? Are they in the UAE already?
What is the replacement period, and what are its conditions? Get the days, the number of replacements and the exclusions in writing.
What is not included? Visa, PRO, relocation and onboarding are usually separate. Make sure every quote treats them the same way.

Our answers are on this page and in the Terms of Business. For the agency types in the UAE, read how to choose an accountant recruitment agency. Our Dubai clients include Mac & Ross Chartered Accountants, Ace Patrons, GenZone, Bayshore Consulting and Finact Consultancy. We recruit across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

Questions

Fee questions, answered.

Is there any charge if I do not hire anyone?

The recruitment fee is due only when a candidate we introduced joins you. Before that you pay only the AED 1,000 service charge, of which 50% is returned if we do not close the opening within 30 days, subject to clause 4.6 of the Terms of Business. Otherwise it is not refundable.

Is the AED 1,000 service charge an extra cost on top of the fee?

No. It is the first part of the fee. On a hire at AED 6,000 a month, the fee is AED 6,000, the AED 1,000 already paid is deducted, and the balance is AED 5,000 plus applicable taxes.

What counts as salary when the fee is calculated?

The fee is 8.33% of annual compensation, which equals one month's salary. Annual compensation is the guaranteed first-year cost to you: basic salary, fixed allowances, travel, medical and retirement benefits, and any guaranteed bonus. Variable pay such as incentives and commissions is excluded.

When is the balance due, and in what currency?

Within 30 days of the joining date, by bank transfer, in the currency in which the salary is paid. For a hire in Dubai that is AED.

What if the candidate declines the offer or does not join?

No fee is payable. If you withdraw an offer after the candidate has accepted it, 50% of the fee is due, unless the withdrawal follows a failed pre-offer verification or a misrepresentation by the candidate.

Does the fee cover the visa, PRO work or relocation?

No. Visa sponsorship, work permits, Emirates ID, medical tests, PRO steps, flights and relocation stay with you or your licensed visa partner.