The marketing function has never been more critical to business growth, yet never more complex to build. To better understand the current hiring landscape, I recently asked senior marketing leaders across the UAE, GCC and beyond to share their first-hand experiences in hiring and retaining top marketing talent.

The responses revealed striking patterns: which roles are hardest to fill, where skills are lacking, and what CMOs believe will define the next generation of marketing teams.

Who We Spoke To

Our research draws on the insights of 127 senior marketing decision-makers based in the UAE, spanning a broad mix of company types and industries.

Respondents included CMOs, Marketing Directors, Heads of Marketing, and Senior Managers, representing 75 distinct job titles across corporate and agency settings.

Around 23% work within multinational or large local organisations, while 77% represent smaller or locally owned companies, a reflection of the UAE’s thriving mix of global enterprises and ambitious home-grown brands.

When it comes to structure, 94% of respondents lead in-house marketing teams,while 6% work within agencies or consultancies supporting regional and international clients.

Together, this group provides a representative view of the UAE’s marketing landscape, from established corporates to agile, creative independents driving innovation across the region.

The Hardest Roles to Hire

“Finding someone who can connect brand strategy withcommercial results is harder than ever — the hybrid marketer is gold dust.” —Marketing Director, Multinational FMCG

When asked which roles posed the greatest hiring challenges,a clear set of job titles came up repeatedly:

• Performance and growth marketers – demand for ROI-driven digital expertise continues to outpace supply.
• Product and campaign managers – those who can bridge strategy and execution are scarce.
• Event and experiential marketers – particularly with a focus on sustainability and community engagement.
• AI-driven growth specialists – roles that combine creative storytelling with AI and digital integration.
• Brand and marketing managers – senior generalists who can oversee teams with depth across multiple channels.

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→ For hiring managers: competition is fierce forthese profiles. Plan ahead, move quickly on strong candidates, and consider succession planning within your existing team.

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→ For job seekers: if you have experience in these areas, you’re in high demand, but staying ahead means showing measurable results and adaptability.

“We don’t need more ideas; we need people who can translate data into action and tell a story that wins the board’s buy-in.” — CMO,Regional Bank

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Skill Gaps in the Market

CMOs were also asked to identify the biggest skills missingin today’s talent pool. The top gaps cited included:

• Data analytics and numeracy – the ability to turn data into actionable insight.
• Financial literacy and business acumen – understanding ROI, budgeting, and commercial impact.
• Customer journey mapping and CX – creating seamless, end-to-end experiences.
• Storytelling and brand fundamentals – not just pushing campaigns, but building emotional connections.
• Project and stakeholder management – essential for cross-functional leadership.
• AI integration – using new technologies to enhance, not replace, creative and strategic thinking.

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→ For hiring managers: training and development should address these gaps internally rather than relying solely on external hires.

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→ For job seekers: building a balance of hard skills (analytics,finance, AI) with soft skills (storytelling, leadership) will set you apart.

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“The lines between traditional and digital are blurring -our best people understand both performance metrics and brand building.” - Head of Marketing, Tech Start-Up

Traditional vs Digital Roles

Responses varied on whether traditional roles or digital roles were harder to fill. Some leaders said traditional roles like brand and communications are tougher, while others pointed out the lines are blurring.

The takeaway? The most sought-after talent is hybrid– professionals who can navigate both brand-building and performance marketingwith equal confidence.

“Local talent is catching up fast, but we still look abroadfor niche areas like marketing automation and AI-driven growth.” — RegionalMarketing Lead, Global Real Estate Group

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Local vs International Talent

One of the survey’s most telling insights: the region’s talent pool is maturing, but opinions differ.

• Some CMOs feel local talent is strong enough to meet most needs.
• Others say they regularly need to recruit internationally for niche expertise.
• Many cited a blend of both as the most practical solution.

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This reflects both the rapid development of the GCCmarketing ecosystem and the continuing need for global experience inspecialised areas.

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Future Skills: The Next 3 Years

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Looking ahead, CMOs expect the most critical marketingskills to include:

• AI fluency and prompting skills
• Analytical reasoning and ROI-driven decision making
• Creative problem solving
• Customer journey and experience design
• Integrated offline and online thinking

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“Retention is becoming the new recruitment — when you find great people, the real work is keeping them.” — Head of HR, UAE Retail Group

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The message is clear: the future belongs to marketers who can combine creativity with data, and technology with human insight.

Retention vs Hiring

While most leaders agreed that hiring is a bigger challengethan retention, retention issues are creeping up, with several rating it a growing concern. This signals the importance of career development pathways,clear progression, and competitive benefits to keep high performers engaged.

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Advice from CMOs to Recruiters & HR

Here’s what marketing leaders want us to know when supporting their hiring needs:

• “Take knowledge transfer into consideration.”
• “Don’t just recycle the same talent pool. Look for people who bring fresh perspectives and diverse experiences.”
• “Move faster and be more transparent in the hiring process. Long delays lose good candidates.”
• “Look beyond traditional industries to find marketing leaders.”

This advice underlines the importance of recruitment partners being proactive, creative, and genuinely consultative.

Closing Thoughts

The survey makes one thing clear: marketing talent in2025 must be both specialised and versatile. The hardest-to-hire roles are those demanding a rare blend of creativity, commercial acumen, and digital fluency.

For hiring managers, the challenge is two-fold – securing scarce talent externally while developing existing teams internally. For jobseekers, the opportunity is significant: invest in upskilling around data, AI,customer experience, and financial acumen, and you’ll be positioned at the top of the market.

Above all, these insights reinforce the value of community knowledge-sharing. By understanding the collective challenges CMOs face today,we can better prepare tomorrow’s marketing leaders.

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