Your Guide to the Best Side Hustles in Dubai: 25 Winning Ideas and Practical Tips
Get creative with these 25 ideas for profitable and fun side hustles in Dubai, from pet photography to senior sitting and karaoke rental services.
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We know that life in Dubai can be a bit on the expensive side. In a recent ranking, the United Arab Emirates was ranked 34 out of 140 countries surveyed in terms of cost of living expenses, and Dubai was named the 18th most costly city in the world out of 227 cities in another index. For most hard-working UAE residents, especially foreigners working to support their families (both in the country and back home through remittances), having a profitable side hustle in Dubai can be a key to securing those dirhams and having a safer, better quality of life.
These days, who doesn’t have a side hustle, or isn’t at least considering one?
Businesses have been popping up and taking root in Dubai and Abu Dhabi post-pandemic, which catalyzed many toward entrepreneurship. Female-run businesses in the UAE soared by 68% after the pandemic, while male entrepreneurship went up 46%.
The best side hustle to earn extra extra income in Dubai for new entrepreneurs should ideally be 1) something you enjoy or are passionate about, 2) something that can give you immediate profits, 3) something part-time that doesn’t take up too much of your time and energy (we know you’re juggling a full-time job and family care, too!), and 4) something that you can sustainably continue and grow.
If you’re stumped on how to make extra money in the UAE, we at MALY are here for you. We’ve given you some great tips on how to save money in Dubai (and the most value-for-money grocery stores you can shop at), and now we’ve got a handy list of the best side hustles in Dubai (with pro tips!) that you can get started on immediately. Most of these business ideas don’t require a lot of startup capital—just creativity, skills, and a hard-working attitude.
[Build better money habits by rounding up and saving small amounts from daily purchases with the MALY app. MALY has the savings tools you need to become financially healthy—and to make your money work for you. Download MALY for FREE on Apple and Google Pay and start a better relationship with your money.]
Source: Flickr
The side hustle:
Babysitting and child care services
What you need to start:
A fondness for kids, plus ideas for games and activities
What you can expect to earn:
Pro tips:
Get certified in First Aid and connect with social media groups to get clients
If you like kids and are thinking of how to have extra income in Dubai, the time-tested service of babysitting and child care sounds like a good fit for you. While some go as far as setting up in-home child care services, we understand that it takes a lot of extra work, expense, and paperwork (like insurance) to do so.
Offering babysitting services in clients’ homes, however, only requires yourself, your skills, and your patience (a certification in first aid care is a huge plus!). Wondering where to get clients? You don’t need to join a childcare company—tap into social media communities for referrals, like the Dubai Filipino Community and Indians in Dubai group on Facebook.
Source: Hippopx
The side hustle:
Selling baked goods
What you need to start:
Baking skills and packaging of your choice
What you can expect to earn:
A box of six cookies averages around AED 20-40, while a box of eight macarons costs around AED 60
Pro tips:
Use your full-time job to find customers for your baking business
Let’s face it—pretty much everyone’s got a sweet tooth these days, and saying no to cookies, cakes, and pastries is really hard to do. It’s time to capitalize on that and start your side hustle in Dubai, a baking business!
You don’t need to open a bakery (unless you want to!), which entails finding a location, buying equipment, and getting permits. You can run your baking business from home and advertise on social media. You can also use your full-time job to your advantage—bring some of your baked goods to work, give people a free taste, and then sell them your goodies on the spot. It's free advertising, and we bet you’ll come away with regular customers!
Source: Pexels
The side hustle:
Beauty and grooming services
What you need to start:
Grooming skills and equipment
What you can expect to earn:
AED 30-120 on different hair cuts, AED 150 for a mani-pedi combo, AED 30-50 for various threading services, and AED 350 and up for different make-up services
Pro tips:
Decide on a menu of services (consider specializing!), offer home service treatments, and give work colleagues a discount
Next on our list of how to earn extra money in the UAE are beauty and grooming services. There are so many possibilities with this great side hustle in Dubai—including but not limited to offering hair cuts, hair dye, threading and waxing services, makeup services, facials, nail treatments, and more.
You don’t need to open your own salon and worry about payments like rent; instead, offering mobile beauty and grooming treatments is the way to go. People love being pampered in their own homes! You can be a one-stop shop and offer a range of services or you can choose to specialize (only nails, for example).
As an extra tip to get your new side hustle off the ground, consider advertising at your regular workplace and give your colleagues a special discount!
Source: Wallpaper Flare
The side hustle:
Car wash and detailing business
What you need to start:
Cleaning and detailing equipment
What you can expect to earn:
From AED 35-100 per car, depending on the type and size of vehicle
Pro tips:
Take a car wash and detailing course, and to service cars by location to save travel time
Another part-time job that can make you extra cash in Dubai is offering car washing services. You don’t have to worry about finding clients—everyone needs their car washed, and Dubai residents tend to be quite particular about keeping their cars clean (especially all those high-end vehicles!). Tax-free salaries, easy financing, and great road conditions are just a few reasons there are so many luxury cars in Dubai.
While washing a car isn’t rocket science, taking an online course on car washing and detailing, particularly for luxury vehicles, will give your business extra credibility. This side hustle in Dubai could be a very profitable one, especially if you’re smart about the locations you service. Think about your schedule and route very carefully—you might want to service only neighborhoods close to your residence, or you can schedule different locations on different days.
The side hustle:
Delivery services
What you need to start:
A vehicle, motorbike, or scooter
What you can expect to earn:
Delivery drivers in Dubai earn an average of AED 3,000 and up per month
Pro tips:
By working as a freelance delivery service, you can partner up with businesses that don’t yet offer delivery services
While there are many delivery services out there ferrying food, packages, and other things to and from folks who need them, you, too, can get into the delivery game, which is a great way to make extra income in Dubai, especially if you already have a way to get around.
For this side hustle in Dubai, it’s a good idea to go freelance. You’re free to set your own rates, routes, and choose what type of items you deliver. A creative way of getting customers is to partner up with local businesses who don’t have a delivery service—it gives you access to their clients and gives them a way to expand their business. Sounds like a win for all!
Source: Flickr
The side hustle:
Dog-walking and pet care services
What you need to start:
A love for dogs and some dog-walking equipment
What you can expect to earn:
From AED 35 hourly per dog
Pro tips:
Practice walking multiple dogs at a time, define set schedules, and choose routes in nature that you will enjoy
Next on our list of how to make extra money in the UAE is to start a dog walking or pet care business. If you love animals but pet care seems too involved for you, a dog walking service could be perfect and profitable—the pet care industry in the UAE has skyrocketed to US $300 million (AED 1.1 billion!), with more and more people choosing to add fur kids to their families (and in many cases, instead of babies).
People love their pets, but they also have to work, and many of them look for dog walkers to ensure that their precious fur babies get their much-needed daily walks. Science shows that walks in nature are good for the mind, body, and soul—you’ll be benefiting, too, so you might as well choose a route that you enjoy!
To get into this fun side hustle in Dubai, make sure you get some practice walking multiple dogs at once, so that you can determine your limit. Once you establish your clientele, organize meet-and-greets so that the doggies can get to know each other, and you can see who is friendly with whom and who might need to be walked alone.
Source: Pexels
The side hustle:
Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) online
What you need to start:
A computer, headset with microphone, reliable WIFI, good English skills, and an official certification to teach
What you can expect to earn:
From AED 30-150 per hour defending on qualifications
Pro tips:
Decide on a specialization (e.g., business English or English for travels) and have your own website
Like freelance writing, teaching English as Second Language (ESL) online is a great way to have extra income in Dubai. While English is the most commonly spoken language in Dubai, there are plenty of people—from students to professionals—who are longing to learn English online.
As an online English teacher, there are options for you. If you’ve got a university degree as well as the required certification, take a look at these companies, which are the highest paying in the industry. For those without a degree, there are still plenty of online teaching businesses you can apply with, with platforms ranging from the more formal classroom types to more casual, conversation-format classes.
Besides finding work on freelance websites, you might want to have your own website, so you can distinguish yourself from other ESL teachers. Think about specializing in a particular type of English, such as academic English for those studying or travel English for those who want to speak it while touring the world.
Source: Pexels
The side hustle:
Freelance design services
What you need to start:
A computer or laptop and design skills
What you can expect to earn:
AED 10-100 for logo design, AED 80-500 for website design
Pro tips:
Besides advertising online on freelance platforms, create partnerships with other content creators such as writers and photographers
In terms of great side hustles in Dubai, it’s time we talked about design gigs. If you’re talented with design and long to unleash your creativity, being a freelance designer could be a good way of bringing in some extra income in Dubai.
With your design skills, you could be a graphic designer or a website designer. Offer your services on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer, and partner up with other content creators, like freelance writers and photographers. They could be looking to outsource some design work, and they can connect you with their network of clients.
This is also a great business that you can travel with—when you need a break from The City of Gold, you and your side hustle can see the world together!
Source: Pix4free
The side hustle:
Freelance tech services
What you need to start:
Serious tech skills and the appropriate equipment
What you can expect to earn:
IT support engineers take home an average of AED 5,500 per month
Pro tips:
Have an on-call IT office- and home-service business
When there’s a plumbing emergency, most folks call a plumber, who then goes to their house and fixes the problem. When pest control services are needed, it’s the same scenario. When people run into technical difficulties, however, why is tech support always on the phone and not an in-person service?
Offering office- or home-service freelance tech services could be a fantastic way to earn extra money in the UAE. Just like a doctor, ready to show up for medical emergencies, you could put your tech skills to use and show up to help less-techie folks with their technical difficulties, especially in more complicated cases that aren’t as easily explained on the phone.
As a freelancer, you would be in charge of your rates, your schedule, which calls you would answer, and if and when you might expand to include other technical support people.
Source: Pxfuel
The side hustle:
Selling food
What you need to start:
Cooking skills, creativity, and a love for food
What you can expect to earn:
Delivered home-cooked meals can range from AED 30-50 per meal, while catered meals at an event can go from AED 50-500
Pro tips:
For food businesses, obtain the proper licenses from the UAE government so you stay safe and protected
Food is one business that will never die—we all need to eat, and who doesn’t love good food? With so many cultures (over 200 nationalities!) that call the city their new home, Dubai residents in particular are serious foodies.
You can capitalize on this by launching your own food business. Firstly, ask yourself what people are looking for, what you want to cook, and how often you want to do it, so that you can plan your side hustle in Dubai properly. You’ve already got a full-time job, and you don’t want your side biz to get in the way.
In the food business, there are many exciting options to consider, from opening your own restaurant to offering home-cooked food for regular delivery (think delivering lunches to an office) and catering for parties and other events. It all depends on how much time you want your side hustle to take up.
Source: Wallpaper Flare
The side hustle:
Selling handmade items
What you need to start:
Creativity, art skills, an online store, and a good sales pitch
What you can expect to earn:
Hand-painted ceramic bowls sell from AED 100, handmade leather bags start at around AED 400, and intricate clay polymer earrings start at AED 85
Pro tips:
Have a website, join online marketplaces like Etsy, and join in-person art fairs and bazaars
In this day and age of machine-cut, carbon-copied, manufactured items, people place a premium on bespoke, handmade, unique items like jewelry and home accessories.
If you’ve got an artistic talent hidden up your sleeves that’s begging to be released, now might be the right time to unveil it—it could be a great idea for a fun side hustle in Dubai.
As an artist, you might want to consider having your own website, joining an e-commerce platform like Amazon or Etsy, and showing up to art fairs and events in person, like Arte, The Maker’s Market, in the UAE.
Arte, which is the nation’s biggest arts, crafts, and design fair, takes place every Saturday in different locations across the country. It’s a perfect opportunity to set-up a beautiful booth from which you can sell your art creations. Check here for schedules and other details.
Source: Wallpaper Flare
The side hustle:
Handyman services
What you need to start:
Handyman skills and your own tools
What you can expect to earn:
On average, AED 104 for a 1-hour job, AED 94 per hour for two hours, AED 84 per hour for three hours, and AED 74 per hour for a 4-hour job
Pro tips:
Advertise in your local neighborhood Facebook group and offer discounts to single parents
Being a handyman is a side job that could bring you a decent amount of extra income in Dubai. Most people are too busy with their regular jobs and may not possess the skills to do handy work around the house—that’s where you come in with your side hustle.
If you’re good with general repairs and handyman work and have your own set of tools, you could offer your services as a handyman. A great place to start advertising is on your local Facebook neighborhood group or (if you have kids) with the other kids’ parents in school.
An idea for your side hustle in Dubai is to offer discounts to single parents who might not have the budget to pay for full-priced services but still need the handyman help—you’ll be providing good services and helping others in the process (and you’re sure to get good reviews).
Source: Wallpaper Flare
The side hustle:
Karaoke rental services
What you need to start:
A karaoke machine, microphones, and some extras like tambourines
What you can expect to earn:
Anywhere from AED 125 and up
Pro tips:
Partner up with local party and event management companies and with local Facebook communities
Having a karaoke rental service might sound like a funny idea, but as a side hustle in Dubai, it could be extremely profitable. Dubai is home to roughly 450,000 Filipinos (they make up 21.3% of Dubai’s population), and as everyone knows, Filipinos can’t get enough of karaoke!
While Dubai has some great karaoke bars where you can belt out your favorite hits, there’s nothing like karaoke-ing in the privacy of your own home or in your own party. That’s where you come in—you can offer up your personal karaoke machine for rent or purchase a few to rent out for parties.
Partnering up with local events companies is a great way to get your karaoke machines rented out, and think about going the extra mile—we’re talking extra microphones for those group anthems, tambourines, maracas, songs in a wide range of languages (Filipino, Hindi, and Korean are popular), and more!
Source: Creazilla
The side hustle:
Language translation services
What you need to start:
Fluency in at least two languages and good writing skills
What you can expect to earn:
From AED 70 per document (Arabic to English)
Pro tips:
Register and advertise on freelance websites and partner up with foreigner-run organizations
Another side hustle in Dubai that could beef up your monthly earnings is a language translation service. As we mentioned before, Dubai is home to over 200 nationalities, and the expatriate community far outnumbers locally-born Emiratis. There are some great opportunities for language translation services in Dubai.
If you’re bi- or multilingual, language translation could be a great job for you. Language translation is an interesting job that is vital to the success of many industries, ranging from law and education to marketing and advertising.
For those who prefer to work alone, language translation can be kept purely online, but if you’re tired of working from home and want to interact with people, you could look into in-person translator jobs, such as for events and for the law courts.
Source: Wallpaper Flare
The side hustle:
Personal fitness trainer
What you need to start:
A passion for fitness, a proper fitness certification, and good people skills
What you can expect to earn:
Around AED 200-300 per hour for a private session
Pro tips:
Choose a specialization, such as working with senior clients, and offer free trials
If you love fitness and are passionate about helping people live healthier, longer lives of better quality, this next side hustle in Dubai is a good way to earn some extra dirhams and have a fulfilling job. More and more, people are looking to personal trainers and fitness influencers for advice on how to get fitter and healthier.
There are options to consider when starting your personal training business in Dubai—you can rent timeslots and spaces at local gyms and fitness centers, offer online classes, and give in-person, home-service personal training to clients who want to work out in their own homes.
But how can you distinguish yourself from the other personal trainers offering their services in Dubai? Think about specializing, such as working with clients who have specific goals (like weight loss or strength building) and who are in particular life stages (like post-partum moms or senior citizens). Also, keep in mind that everyone loves a free trial before they pay for anything!
Source: Pexels
The side hustle:
Pet photography
What you need to start:
A love for animals, a good camera, and good staging and editing skills
What you can expect to earn:
Anywhere from AED 100-2500 for one session
Pro tips:
Offer to print pets’ photos on items like mugs and tshirts, and partner up with pet clothing companies and party planning businesses
Despite the fact that everyone has a smartphone with a fantastic camera, professional photography skills are still in high demand, especially for special occasions, like a pet’s first birthday.
We’re not kidding—you could make a pretty penny from pet photography, which is our next side hustle in Dubai. Everyone knows that pet parents are as serious about their fur kids the same way parents are with their babies and children—they won’t hesitate to spend on toys, treats, treatments, photoshoots, and more.
As a pet photographer, think about offering more than the standard packages of printed photos—you could print them on plates, mugs, tshirts, hats and even bags. Pet parents will go wild for merchandise with their babies’ furry faces on them! For fun props and pet clothes to use in photoshoots, partnering up with local pet clothing and party planning companies is a smart idea.
Source: Pxfuel
The side hustle:
Rent out your stuff
What you need to start:
The things you already own
What you can expect to earn:
Vacuum cleaner rentals start from AED 40 per day, mountain bikes go from AED 100 per day, and a Go Pro rents from AED 160 per day
Pro tips:
Advertise your for-rent items on rental platforms and your local Facebook marketplace
We all know about sites like AirBnB and VRBO, where you can rent out your own home to vacation-goers. Following the theme of making money on things you already own, renting out your stuff—like tools, cameras, workout equipment, and even books, can become a profitable side hustle in Dubai.
Check out rental sites in the UAE, like the newly-launched YJOZ, where you can rent other people’s items and rent out your stuff for the day. This brilliant business idea allows people to capitalize on stuff they’ve already paid for. Barely play your PlayStation? Rent it out! Don’t sit on that expensive La-Z-boy you spent a lot on? Rent it out! It’s a great side hustle that can bring you some extra income in Dubai.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The side hustle:
Sell secondhand items
What you need to start:
Clothes, accessories, furniture, and household items that you want to sell
What you can expect to earn:
A lightly used baby stroller sells for AED 595, a Kindle e-reader goes for AED 480, and a set of three dumbbells for AED 150
Pro tips:
Go through your home and identify barely-used items you can sell, advertise on your local Facebook marketplace, and sell at second hand markets in Dubai
Next on our list of side hustles in Dubai is to make money off second hand items that you no longer need. With inflation rising and tighter-on-the-budget times, people are more willing to go secondhand over brand new, especially for good quality items.
Some items that are quite popular on second hand sites are things like baby shoes and clothes—babies grow so fast!—and even wedding dresses, which you only wear once in your life.
If you’ve got great sales skills for in-person selling, and if you enjoy a good bazaar, you might want to check out Dubai’s biggest second hand market, the Dubai Flea Market, which is held every Saturday in different locations across the city.
Source: StockSnap.io
The side hustle:
Senior sitting services
What you need to start:
Patience, a kind manner, and a certification in First Aid
What you can expect to earn:
Elder care assistants take home around AED 4,285 per month
Pro tips:
Stock up on books and games that you can do while senior sitting and be aware of Dubai’s free activities and benefits for seniors
While being a caregiver to elderly patients is no side hustle—it’s a full-time job!—senior sitting is something you can do on the side. Similar to babysitting, senior sitting is keeping seniors company for an hour to several hours while their primary caregivers, usually certified nurses, are away.
As a senior companion, you could prepare a toolkit to take with you—think books, games, and other activities your senior charge could enjoy. Depending on their physical state (and taking into consideration any medical conditions), some seniors may be more mobile than others and might want to go out to coffee shops, parks, and the like, so it’s important to be aware of what Dubai offers seniors in terms of benefits.
All details should be worked out between yourself and the person hiring you as a senior companion. If you miss your grandparents and love listening to stories of times gone by, this could be a great side hustle in Dubai for you (and you could make a lot of elderly people happy!).
Source: Dries Buytaert
The side hustle:
Small errands service
What you need to start:
Good organization skills, knowledge of local providers, patience, and a way to get around
What you can expect to earn:
For standard errands, errands providers on Fiverr are charging from AED 75 per errand
Pro tips:
Think of tasks and errands people normally don’t want to do—get in line for them, pick up their laundry, and do their grocery shopping
Our most precious resource on this earth isn’t cash, nor is it rare minerals—it’s time. People are so busy making ends meet that most of us don’t have a lot of time for the people and activities we care about, and time slips by.
On the other hand, if you’ve got extra time on your hands (and don’t mind doing errands), you could have a great side hustle in Dubai—small errands services. Think of the tasks and errands people don’t really want to do, like picking up packages, going to the grocery store, standing in line for something, getting things repaired, buying supplies, and doing admin and booking tasks. You can monetize all this and give people what they’re really looking for—time.
You can advertise your small errands services on sites like Dubizzle, platforms like Fiverr, and on your local Facebook marketplace. It’s a great way to earn extra money in the UAE!
Source: Wallpaper Flare
The side hustle:
Content creator/social media influencer
What you need to start:
Creativity, an angle, and a fun personality
What you can expect to earn:
AED 700-2900 per sponsored post for influencers with 10,000-50,000 followers and upwards and AED 11,000 per sponsored post for influencers with more than 500,000 followers
Pro tips:
Having a unique point of view or a specific angle will make your content more popular, and make partnerships with other influencers
A popular way to make money online and put away some serious side income is to become a content creator and social media influencer. While anyone can have an online presence, a successful content creator and influencer with a ton of followers has a unique voice in a specific industry, gives value to their viewers, stays updated with trends and culture, posts regularly, and engages genuinely with their audience.
While this side hustle in Dubai doesn’t require you to have any money to start it—all you need are your creativity and your phone!—you do need to hustle to get noticed in the deep sea of social media content out there, both by potential followers and brands who might want to partner with you. And to be profitable as an influencer, you do need those sponsorships!
Here are some ideas for posts you can create, and a great tip to having more followers is to partner up with other successful influencers—you can share followers and drive viewers to each other!
Source: Pexels
The side hustle:
Tour guide services
What you need to start:
Local knowledge of Dubai’s best tourist spots, must-see places, and best activities
What you can expect to earn:
Around AED 170 for five hours
Pro tips:
Offer different types of tours (e.g., historical, gastronomic, and arts and culture tours) and give culture tips to new immigrants in the UAE
While many small businesses can be done from home, this awesome side hustle in Dubai will take you out of the house. If you’re an extrovert who enjoys dealing with people (and seeing the local sights), being a tour guide in Dubai could be a great fit for you!
The tours you offer don’t have to be traditional—you can have historical tours, nightclub tours, arts and culture tours, and food tours, to name a few ideas.
A good demographic to target for your business are immigrants who are new to the country and to Dubai. If you’re an immigrant yourself, you can add value to your tours by offering bits of cultural advice that will help folks from other countries assimilate to the local culture and find their place in their new home by learning local customs and practices.
Source: Pexels
The side hustle:
Tutoring services
What you need to start:
In-depth knowledge of different topics of study, such as English, Math, and Science
What you can expect to earn:
From AED 25-80 per hour, depending on tutor experience and qualifications
Pro tips:
Decide on the demographic of your clients and choose subjects that you’re passionate about
Don’t let that Math degree go to waste—if you’re an expert on a certain topic or field of study, teaching and tutoring services are great side hustles that will definitely help you earn some extra income in Dubai.
One thing to remember is that tutoring is not just for kids—university students and professionals studying for certain academic exams need help, too—so you can choose the demographic of students you want to work with.
To work as a tutor in Dubai, you can sign up for any of these online tutor companies or advertise your own private services (whether online or in-person) on social media and in community groups.
Source: Pexels
The side hustle:
Vending machine business
What you need to start:
Startup capital of around AED 20,000
What you can expect to earn:
Around AED 1,500 per month, especially in high-traffic locations
Pro tips:
Think about the products you want to sell and choose locations wisely
While this side hustle in Dubai requires some startup capital, owning vending machines can be a very lucrative side business that will generate passive income for you.
For your vending machine business, it’s important to choose the following carefully: what you are planning to sell and where you are planning to set up your vending machines.
Examples of popular vending machine products are coffee and drinks, snacks and sandwiches, and personal care and hygiene products. High-traffic areas where vending machines do well are subway stations, hospitals, schools, and commercial spaces.
Source: Pxfuel
The side hustle:
Virtual assistant services
What you need to start:
A reliable internet connection, a good laptop or computer, and great organizational skills
What you can expect to earn:
Full-time virtual assistants earn around AED 4,300 per month
Pro tips:
Think carefully about the timezone of the clients you are working for and play to your strengths in terms of the industry
As more and more jobs are done online and remotely, becoming a part-time virtual assistant is a fantastic work-from-home business you can start immediately.
Since it’s a virtual job, you can choose to work for someone in a completely different time zone, on the other side of the world, or you can work for someone in the same time zone. It’s up to you and your preferences.
To do well as a virtual assistant, you’ve got to have great administrative and organizational skills, you’ve got to be able to take constructive feedback, and you’ve got to be able to meet deadlines. Learn more about the job here.
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