What the Gulf pays.
Consultant packages in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar typically come to around EUR 144,000 to 240,000 a year, with no local income tax, plus a benefit package negotiated with each offer. The figures below are market ranges, not an offer: your grade, specialty and employer set the final number.
- Saudi Arabia, consultant: SAR 45,000–70,000 basic salary a month in market guides (approx. EUR 10,700–16,600). Recruiter adverts for Western-trained consultants in 2026 quote packages of GBP 10,000–20,000 a month (approx. EUR 11,900–23,700).
- United Arab Emirates, consultant: AED 45,000–80,000 a month for emergency medicine in 2026 market guides (approx. EUR 10,900–19,400), higher in surgical and procedural specialties.
- Qatar, consultant: QAR 60,000–90,000 a month in market estimates (approx. EUR 14,700–22,000).
- Specialist grade: clearly lower. Saudi market guides put it at SAR 25,000–45,000 a month (approx. EUR 5,900–10,700).
Under the TV-Ärzte/VKA collective agreement, an Oberarzt earns between EUR 9,460 and 10,811 a month from 1 June 2026, before income tax and social contributions. In Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, salaries are not subject to personal income tax.
Every element is negotiated with the offer, and we negotiate it with you.
- Furnished housing or a housing allowance
- Annual return flights, usually for the whole family
- Health insurance for you and your family
- Education allowance for children, often at consultant level
- Annual leave of 30 days or more
- Allowance for continuing medical education
- Relocation support at the start of the contract
- End-of-service pay: in Saudi Arabia half a month's salary for each of the first five years and a full month for each year after; in the UAE 21 days' basic pay per year for the first five years and 30 days after
Whether you are hired as Consultant or Specialist is decided by the regulator. In Saudi Arabia, consultant classification generally expects three to five years of independent practice after the specialty certificate. In the UAE, a German specialty certificate with Oberarzt title qualifies for Consultant after two years. We check your likely grade before you speak to a hospital.
Whether you remain liable to tax in Germany depends mainly on whether you keep a residence there. Speak to a tax adviser before you move.
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