HomePilot Salary in the Middle East

Pilot Salary in the Middle East

9 airlines based in the Middle East, across 7 countries, compared on captain and first officer averages and ranges. Drill into a country for its own page, or into an airline for its pay breakdown, fleet and pilot reviews. 8 of them are based in countries with no personal income tax.

9 airlines · 7 countries #2 of 7 regions 8 tax-free
Captain average
¥3,030万
¥1,350万〜6,000万
First officer average
¥1,920万
¥700万〜3,400万
vs world average
+22%
world avg ¥2,480万
Top payer
Riyadh Air
captain ¥4,300万

Pilot salary by country in the Middle East

Sorted by captain average, highest first. Open a country for its airline-by-airline breakdown, how it compares with the world average, and its income-tax status.

#CountryAirlines Captain avgCaptain range F/O avgIncome tax
1 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 2 ¥3,800万 ¥2,700万〜5,000万 ¥2,400万 None
2 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 2 ¥3,550万 ¥3,000万〜6,000万 ¥2,550万 None
3 🇶🇦 Qatar 1 ¥2,900万 ¥2,600万〜4,800万 ¥2,050万 None
4 🇰🇼 Kuwait 1 ¥2,800万 ¥2,300万〜3,500万 ¥1,550万 None
5 🇧🇭 Bahrain 1 ¥2,700万 ¥2,300万〜3,300万 ¥1,500万 None
6 🇴🇲 Oman 1 ¥2,500万 ¥2,100万〜3,000万 ¥1,400万 None
7 🇯🇴 Jordan 1 ¥1,700万 ¥1,350万〜2,200万 ¥900万 Yes

Pilot salary by airline in the Middle East (9 airlines)

All 9 airlines, sorted by captain average. Click an airline for its pay breakdown, fleet, hiring requirements and reviews from working pilots.

Airline Country Captain avg Captain range F/O avg F/O range
Riyadh Air 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia ¥4,300万 ¥3,600万〜5,000万 ¥3,000万 ¥2,700万〜3,400万
Emirates 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates ¥3,700万 ¥3,350万〜5,050万 ¥2,800万 ¥2,500万〜3,350万
Etihad Airways 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates ¥3,400万 ¥3,000万〜6,000万 ¥2,300万 ¥1,900万〜3,100万
Saudia 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia ¥3,300万 ¥2,700万〜4,200万 ¥1,800万 ¥1,450万〜2,300万
Qatar Airways 🇶🇦 Qatar ¥2,900万 ¥2,600万〜4,800万 ¥2,050万 ¥1,850万〜2,700万
Kuwait Airways 🇰🇼 Kuwait ¥2,800万 ¥2,300万〜3,500万 ¥1,550万 ¥1,250万〜1,950万
Gulf Air 🇧🇭 Bahrain ¥2,700万 ¥2,300万〜3,300万 ¥1,500万 ¥1,250万〜1,850万
Oman Air 🇴🇲 Oman ¥2,500万 ¥2,100万〜3,000万 ¥1,400万 ¥1,150万〜1,750万
Royal Jordanian 🇯🇴 Jordan ¥1,700万 ¥1,350万〜2,200万 ¥900万 ¥700万〜1,150万

Where the Middle East sits worldwide

Captain averages by region. The Middle East sits at ¥3,030万 against a ¥2,480万 average across all 112 airlines — about 22% above. That is 2nd of the 7 regions.

World average
¥2,480万
North America
¥4,110万
The Middle East
¥3,030万
Oceania
¥2,780万
Europe
¥2,560万
Asia
¥2,140万
Latin America
¥2,050万
Africa
¥1,490万
Japan
¥1,850万

Regional figures are the unweighted mean of captain averages for the airlines we list there. Japan has no separate regional hub — see the Japan page. First officers in the Middle East average ¥1,920万, against ¥1,400万 across all 112 airlines.

Compare other regions

Frequently asked questions

How much do pilots earn in the Middle East?
Across the 9 Middle Eastern airlines on PILOT VALUE, captains average ¥3,030万 (¥1,350万〜6,000万) and first officers average ¥1,920万 (¥700万〜3,400万). That is about 22% above the ¥2,480万 captain average across all 112 airlines we track, and 2nd of the 7 regions we group them into.
Which airline in the Middle East pays pilots the most?
Of the 9 airlines listed, Riyadh Air pays the most: captains average ¥4,300万 (¥3,600万〜5,000万) and first officers ¥3,000万 (¥2,700万〜3,400万).
Which country in the Middle East pays pilots the most?
Of the 7 countries in the Middle East that we cover, Saudi Arabia is highest: captains at its 2 listed airlines average ¥3,800万.
What is the monthly pilot salary in the Middle East?
Dividing the regional average by 12 gives roughly ¥253万 a month for captains and ¥160万 for first officers. What actually lands each month moves with block hours flown, and where an annual bonus is paid the regular monthly figure sits lower with a spike in the bonus month.
Is pilot pay in the Middle East tax-free?
8 of the 9 airlines listed are based in countries that levy no personal income tax, so for those the figures above are close to take-home. Against an identical gross salary in a country that taxes income, the amount you actually keep is materially higher.
How does it compare with Japanese airlines?
Captains at the 26 Japanese airlines we list average ¥1,850万. The Middle East at ¥3,030万 is ¥1,180万 higher.