Thales Plans 9,000 Global Hires in 2026, 150 in Middle East

Dubai: French defence and aerospace company Thales has announced plans to hire over 9,000 new employees worldwide in 2026. This includes 60 jobs in the UAE and 30 in Saudi Arabia, as part of a total of 150 positions across the Middle East and Africa. India will see 450 new hires.

The global hiring comes after Thales recruited 8,800 employees in 2025, surpassing its initial target of 8,000. The company employs more than 83,000 people in 68 countries and generated €20.6 billion in sales in 2024.

Patrice Caine, CEO of Thales, said, “Together, we are shaping the future by inspiring more young people, especially women, to build careers in science and technology.”

Thales emphasizes diversity, with women accounting for 32% of all hires in 2025. Around 69% of management committees include at least four women, and the company aims for 75% in 2026. Additionally, Thales reported a 7% employment rate for people with disabilities in France last year.

The company received 1.4 million applications worldwide in 2025, up from one million in 2024. About 40% of new hires in 2026 will work in engineering roles, including software, systems engineering, cybersecurity, AI, and data. Another 25% will join industrial roles like technicians, operators, and engineers. In France alone, 3,300 new employees are expected to be hired across several regions.

Thales has had a presence in the UAE for over 50 years, employing more than 500 people in three main offices. Its UAE entity, Thales Emarat Technologies (TET), focuses on defence and aerospace capabilities.

Key Thales products include avionics, flight decks, in-flight entertainment systems, radars, missiles like Starstreak and Crotale, armoured vehicles such as Bushmaster and Hawkei, and unmanned drones like Watchkeeper.