Careers
Yacht crew jobs in Dubai
Yacht crew jobs in Dubai pay roughly AED 3,500 to AED 6,000 a month for a deckhand or stewardess and AED 12,000 to AED 25,000 for a licensed captain, usually with accommodation on charter fleets. The entry certificate almost everyone starts with is STCW Basic Safety Training.
- Deckhand / stewardess
- AED 3,500 – 6,000 a month
- Captain
- AED 12,000 – 25,000 a month
- Entry certificate
- STCW Basic Safety Training, 5 days
- Busy season starts
- October
Dubai's charter fleet is large and turns over steadily, which makes it one of the easier places in the world to get a first crew job. It is also a working port rather than a season — boats run year-round, so the work is continuous rather than a summer contract.
STCW Basic Safety Training is the qualification that opens the door: five days, taught at several centres in the UAE, and required by essentially every commercial operator. A deckhand also wants a powerboat certificate; a stewardess benefits from a food-hygiene ticket and any hospitality background. Engineers and captains need licences appropriate to tonnage.
Vacancies here rarely appear on job boards. They go through crew agencies, marina noticeboards and word of mouth in the Marina and Dubai Harbour. Walking the pontoons with a CV in November — the start of the busy season — still works, which is not true in many industries.
What is included
- STCW Basic Safety Training — the baseline for any commercial boat
- Powerboat or deck certificate for deck roles
- Food hygiene and hospitality experience for interior roles
- UAE residence visa, usually sponsored by the employer
- Swimming competence and a valid seafarer medical
Worth knowing
- The hiring season starts in October. Arriving in June is the hardest possible timing.
- Most vacancies never reach a job board — agencies, pontoons and word of mouth carry them.
- Charter crew work weekends by definition. That is when boats sail.
Check a date
Ask about crew jobs on your date.
Leave the date and the headcount and we will come back with what is free and what it costs. No deposit, and no obligation to book.
- No deposit to enquire
- A reply within a couple of hours
- Licensed boats, licensed crew, price all-in
Send an enquiry
FAQ
Questions people ask
- How much do yacht crew earn in Dubai?
- A deckhand or stewardess earns roughly AED 3,500 to AED 6,000 a month, a licensed captain AED 12,000 to AED 25,000, and an engineer somewhere between. Charter fleets often include accommodation; private yachts more often do not.
- What qualifications do you need for yacht crew jobs?
- STCW Basic Safety Training is the baseline and takes five days. Deck roles want a powerboat certificate on top; interior roles benefit from food hygiene and hospitality experience; captains and engineers need licences matched to the vessel's tonnage.
- How do you find yacht jobs in Dubai?
- Through crew agencies, marina noticeboards and direct approaches on the pontoons in Dubai Marina and Dubai Harbour. Most vacancies never reach a public job board. October is when hiring starts.
- Do you need experience to get a first yacht job?
- Not for a deckhand or junior stewardess role, provided you hold STCW and can swim. Dubai's fleet turns over steadily enough that entry positions come up regularly, particularly at the start of the winter season.
- Are you hiring crew?
- Occasionally, for deck and interior roles as the season builds. Send us a CV and your certificates through the contact form and we will keep it on file rather than let it sit in an inbox.
Related
Other ways onto the water
Check a date
Tell us when, and we will tell you what is free.
Weekends and sunset slots go first between October and April. Leave the date and the headcount below, or call — if your date is close, calling is quicker than any form.
- No deposit to enquire
- A reply within a couple of hours
- Licensed boats, licensed crew, price all-in