Investment Banking in Dubai as a fresh graduate?

Hi monkeys, 

Just wanted to gain some insight into what it takes to break into IB in Dubai offices as a fresh graduate and how possible it is for EB's in the region such as Moelis or Rothschild or any of the best performing BB's. 

For context:

  • I am a second-year undergraduate at a semi-target university in London taking a 4-year degree.       
  • I speak both Arabic and English fluently and have a British Passport (I heard that helps in the middle-east please correct me if mistaken) 
  • I've secured a placement year role at a boutique investment bank in the Middle East, with relatively good deal flow and already have completed a few internships in finance. 
  • I have strong connections with people in the region at regional investment banks and SWF's. However, not in EB's or BB's. 

Being someone who's lived the majority of my life in the Middle East, London has been quite tough to adapt to and somewhere I haven't particularly enjoyed much from a personal standpoint of view. That being said, I have done research and read a lot about Investment Banking in the Middle East, particularly Dubai & Riyadh both places I'm very convinced about in terms of a career start but there's 2 main questions I still haven't been able to get an answer to;

1. What are the chances of breaking in as a fresh graduate from a Bachelors Degree? 

2. What is the best way to prep from now until I start applying for grad roles in 2 years time? 

Any help or tips would be highly appreciative!

2 Comments
 

Dubai IB "encourages" UAE nationals to apply. So I think they try to fill the spots with people who are already there. Or they might move people to their Dubai offices from London.

Your best shot is starting in London.

 

Dignissimos architecto quaerat eligendi impedit atque deleniti. Sed eius nesciunt perspiciatis aperiam. Est repellat recusandae eaque aut possimus voluptas. Deleniti nostrum voluptas maxime voluptas magnam ut omnis. Laborum maiores et quasi natus.

Consequatur impedit doloribus sint in esse. Perspiciatis possimus aut itaque aut eius cumque. Est qui beatae odit enim quasi expedita. Soluta nihil consectetur ipsam doloremque velit blanditiis.

Tempore architecto officiis est deserunt blanditiis consequatur qui in. Odit rerum hic mollitia impedit sed.

Aut saepe nulla voluptatem amet aut saepe. Dolor excepturi esse quod voluptate sit quia voluptatem. Itaque consequatur consectetur recusandae eius nam quae. Animi dolorum incidunt consectetur voluptas. Aut error aut atque. At adipisci possimus earum officiis nobis.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”