Few trades pay as well in the UAE as welding done properly. Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry, the refineries and petrochemical plants of Ruwais, the shipyards and dry docks of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the steel fabrication belt of Sharjah and Ajman, and a construction sector that never pauses all run on welders. Fabrication shops, pipeline contractors, offshore operators, and shipbuilders bring in welders from South Asia, the Philippines, Egypt, and Africa throughout the year.

Your certificate sets your pay. A basic arc welder earns a steady wage; a 6G pipe welder, a TIG specialist on stainless and alloys, or an offshore-qualified welder earns two to three times more. You need a trade certificate, two to five years of experience, and the ability to pass a welding test in the process and position the job requires. The employer covers your visa, housing, transport, equipment, and health insurance, and pays a tax-free salary in Dirhams with site or offshore allowances. This guide sets out the types of welding jobs and their pay, how to get hired in each category, and the visa, housing, and benefit rules that apply.

Welding Job Types and Salaries in the UAE

Welding jobs are sorted by process, position, and industry. The table shows typical monthly basic pay in UAE Dirhams (AED). Small fabrication shops sit at the bottom of each range; oil and gas, offshore, and shipyard employers sit at the top and add allowances.

Job Type	Monthly Salary (AED)	Typical Employers
Welder Helper	1,200 – 1,600	Fabrication shops
Arc Welder	1,500 – 2,500	Steel fabrication
Structural Welder	1,800 – 3,000	Construction contractors
MIG Welder	1,800 – 3,000	Fabrication, automotive
TIG Welder	2,200 – 3,800	Stainless and alloy fabrication
Aluminium Welder	2,200 – 3,500	Boat builders, facade companies
Pipe Welder	2,500 – 4,500	Oil and gas, MEP contractors
6G Pipe Welder	3,000 – 5,500	Oil and gas, pipelines
Ship Welder	2,500 – 4,000	Shipyards, dry docks
Offshore Welder	4,000 – 7,000	Offshore contractors
Fabricator	1,800 – 3,200	Steel fabrication
Welding Foreman	3,500 – 6,000	Fabrication, contractors
Welding Inspector	5,000 – 9,000	Oil and gas, inspection firms

Arc, MIG and Structural Welding Roles

Steel fabrication shops and construction sites employ arc, MIG, and structural welders to produce beams, frames, tanks, handrails, and general fabrication for AED 1,500 to 3,000. These roles hire in the largest numbers and the test is short.

TIG, Pipe and 6G Roles

TIG welders on stainless steel, aluminium, and alloys for food, pharmaceutical, and architectural work earn AED 2,200 to 3,800. Pipe welders and 6G-certified welders on process piping and pipelines earn AED 2,500 to 5,500 after passing a coded test in the required position.

Shipyard and Offshore Roles

Ship welders at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi dry docks earn AED 2,500 to 4,000. Offshore welders on platforms and vessels earn AED 4,000 to 7,000 on rotation and must hold offshore survival certification and an offshore medical.

Inspection and Supervisory Roles

Welding inspectors with CSWIP or AWS certification earn AED 5,000 to 9,000. Foremen managing welding crews and quality earn AED 3,500 to 6,000.

How to Get a Welding Job in the UAE

Licensed manpower agencies arrange welding tests for fabrication and construction demands; oil and gas and shipyard contractors recruit through their own portals; specialist recruiters handle coded and offshore welders; and a lot of hiring happens inside the UAE at walk-in tests. The welding coupon decides everything.

Application Process in Eight Steps

• Step 1 – Get your paperwork ready: A passport with six months or more of validity, recent photos, a CV listing processes, positions, materials, and certifications, a trade certificate and welding certificates, and reference letters from past employers.
• Step 2 – Pick the right route: Licensed agency for arc, MIG, structural, and fabricator roles; contractor portals for pipe, 6G, and ship welder roles; specialist recruiters for offshore and inspection positions.
• Step 3 – Apply to several companies at once: UAE contractors and facility firms hire all year, and agencies hold selection days whenever a demand letter arrives, so keep multiple applications open.
• Step 4 – Clear the trade test: You weld a test coupon in the required process and position, which is inspected visually and often bend or X-ray tested. A 6G test takes several hours and failure rates are high, so practise the overhead section.
• Step 5 – Read the offer before signing: Check basic pay, allowances, overtime terms, housing, food, transport, site or offshore allowance, contract period, and probation. The offer is lodged with MOHRE before the visa is issued and becomes your legal contract, so nothing should be left vague.
• Step 6 – Medical examinations: A GCC-approved medical in your home country first, then a UAE medical fitness test after arrival for the residence visa.
• Step 7 – Work permit and entry permit: The employer secures a MOHRE work permit and an entry permit; you fly on the entry permit and the residence visa is stamped once you are in the country.
• Step 8 – Arrival and joining: The employer books the ticket. Your first weeks cover the medical, Emirates ID biometrics, labour card, safety induction, and usually a repeat welding qualification, then probation begins.

Arc, MIG and Fabricator Roles

• Use a licensed agency and ask for the demand letter naming the company.
• Bring your own helmet and gloves to the test.
• Employers typically want candidates aged 22 to 45 with two or more years of experience.

TIG, Pipe and 6G Roles

• List materials, pipe schedules, and positions certified.
• Oil and gas contractors verify your safety record and often re-test after arrival.

Shipyard and Offshore Roles

• Shipyard experience and familiarity with classification standards help.
• Offshore roles require BOSIET or equivalent and typically run 28 days on, 28 off.

Getting Hired From Inside the UAE

Tradesmen already in the UAE on a valid residence visa can switch employers under the current labour law once the contract term ends or by mutual agreement, and those on a visit visa can attend tests and be sponsored as long as the work permit is processed before the visit visa expires. Fabrication shops in Sharjah Industrial Area, Ajman, Musaffah, and Jebel Ali run walk-in welding tests, and welders with coded certificates and an Emirates ID are hired within days.

Visa, Housing, Working Hours and Benefits

Work Permit, Residence Visa and Emirates ID

Welders come in on an employment entry permit sponsored by the company. The employer then arranges the medical fitness test, Emirates ID registration, residence visa stamping, and MOHRE labour card, and pays for every stage; a worker is never legally required to pay for a visa. Contracts run for a fixed term, normally two years, and the visa renews with the contract. Under the current labour law you can change employer at the end of the term, or earlier by agreement, without a no-objection letter in most cases.

Where You Live and Eat

Fabrication and construction employers house welders in labour accommodation, four to eight per room with air conditioning, shared kitchens, and bus transport; oil and gas sites use camps with meals; offshore workers live on the platform during rotation. A food allowance of AED 200 to 300 applies where meals are not provided.

Hours, Overtime and the Summer Rule

The legal limit is 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week. Overtime is paid at 125 percent of basic hourly pay, rising to 150 percent for work between 10 pm and 4 am. Fabrication shops and sites run six days a week with Friday off, and oil and gas projects often run 10-hour days with overtime. From 15 June to 15 September, outdoor work under direct sun is banned from 12:30 pm to 3 pm and employers must provide shaded rest areas and water.

Leave, Insurance, Gratuity and Wage Protection

• Employer-paid health insurance is compulsory in every emirate.
• 30 calendar days of paid annual leave after a year of service, with a return ticket home every one or two years depending on the contract.
• End-of-service gratuity of 21 days’ basic pay for each of the first five years and 30 days for each year after that.
• Salaries are paid through the Wage Protection System, so delayed or missing pay can be reported to MOHRE.
• Welding machines, consumables, helmets, gloves, and fire-resistant clothing come from the employer.

Spotting Fake Offers

Fraudulent welder vacancies using real company names appear on social media every week. A real UAE employer does not sell visas, does not ask for money into a personal account, and always runs a welding test before hiring. Check the company on the MOHRE app, ask for the demand letter, insist on an offer from a company email domain, and use only agencies licensed by your country’s overseas employment authority.

FAQs About Welder Jobs in the UAE

What is the salary of a welder in the UAE?

Arc and MIG welders earn AED 1,500 to 3,000 basic a month, TIG welders AED 2,200 to 3,800, pipe and 6G welders AED 2,500 to 5,500, and offshore welders up to AED 7,000, with allowances and overtime on top.

What is a 6G welder?

A welder certified on pipe fixed at 45 degrees, covering all positions in one test; it is the most demanded certification in oil and gas and pays the highest rates.

Is a certificate required?

A trade certificate helps, but the welding test decides. Coded roles require the specific certificate and offshore roles need survival and medical certificates.

Do welders get accommodation?

Yes. Labour accommodation or site camps, transport, and meals or a food allowance are standard.

Who pays for the visa and ticket?

The employer pays for the work permit, visa, Emirates ID, and medical insurance under UAE law, and most provide the first flight ticket.

How long does recruitment take?

Typically 30 to 60 days from the welding test to arrival; offshore roles take longer because of certification checks.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. We are not a recruitment agency, we do not offer jobs, and we do not guarantee employment, salaries, or visa approval. Always verify openings directly with licensed agencies or employers before applying or making any payment.