How many employees work at ESL?
Emirates Shipping Line has approximately 1,204 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. ESL’s total headcount has grown 46.5% from 822 employees in 2023 to 1,204 in 2026.
Is ESL hiring right now?
Yes, ESL is actively hiring. ESL had 15 active job postings in 2026, a 200.0% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About ESL’s Workforce
Emirates Shipping Line is a Logistics and Transportation company that employs 1,204 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 11th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 2006, the company is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
ESL's workforce has grown 46.5% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 0.1% year over year in 2026. Its workforce is concentrated most in South Asia (34.8%), followed by Southeast Asia (20.7%) and Arab States (18.1%).
ESL's functional groups are Finance and Operations (40.0%), Engineering (36.2%), and Sales and Marketing (23.8%), with Finance and Operations growing fastest (up 7.1%). The average salary is $26,846, ranging from a median of $37,000 in Arab States to $6,000 in South Asia, up 0.8% year over year in 2026.
ESL's active job postings rose 200.0% in 2026 to 15, with new postings per month climbing from 2 in 2023 to 6 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is negative and declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Founded
- 2006
- Industry
- Logistics and Transportation
- Employees
- 1,204
- YoY
- -0.1% (+72)
As of March 2026
ESL workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for ESL. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsESL Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- ESL had 1,204 employees in 2026, a 0.1% decline (+72) from 2025.
- ESL had 1,184 employees in 2025, a 0.5% increase (+79) from 2024.
- ESL had 1,105 employees in 2024, a 7.6% increase (+240) from 2023.
- ESL had 865 employees in 2023, a 1.1% increase (+71) from 2022.
ESL's total workforce has grown from 822 employees in 2023 to 1,204 in 2026.
Emirates Shipping Line quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 1,204 | +72 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 1,184 | +79 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 1,170 | +110 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 1,123 | +144 | +3.8% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 1,132 | +230 | +5.6% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 1,105 | +240 | +7.6% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 1,060 | +203 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 979 | +157 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 902 | +89 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 865 | +71 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 857 | +71 | +4.4% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 822 | +58 | +3.6% |
See ESL's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataESL Employee Count by Region (2026)
South Asia accounts for the largest share of ESL's global workforce with approximately 35% of total employees, followed by Southeast Asia and Arab States.
ESL employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| South Asia | 417 | 34.8% |
| Southeast Asia | 248 | 20.7% |
| Arab States | 217 | 18.1% |
| East Asia | 178 | 14.9% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 59 | 4.9% |
| North Africa | 57 | 4.7% |
| North America | 8 | 0.7% |
| Southern Europe | 4 | 0.3% |
| Central and Western Asia | 4 | 0.3% |
| Northern Europe | 4 | 0.3% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataESL Employee Count by Department (2026)
ESL's employee groups are Finance and Operations (40.0%), Engineering (36.2%), and Sales and Marketing (23.8%).
ESL employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 480 | 40.0% |
| Engineering | 435 | 36.2% |
| Sales and Marketing | 285 | 23.8% |
Compare ESL's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataESL Employee Salary by Region (2026)
ESL's average employee salary is $26,846 globally. Employees in Arab States receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.4x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $6,000.
ESL median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $72,000 |
| Arab States | $37,000 |
| East Asia | $30,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $16,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $9,000 |
| South Asia | $6,000 |
| North Africa | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to ESL's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataESL Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- ESL had 15 active job postings in 2026, a 200.0% increase (+13) from 2025.
- ESL had 2 active job postings in 2025, a 200.0% increase (+2) from 2024.
- ESL had 0 active job postings in 2024, a 200.0% decline (-8) from 2023.
- ESL had 8 active job postings in 2023, a 200.0% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 6 new roles/month, up from 2 in 2025 and 1 in 2024.
ESL's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 200.0% in 2026 to 15, with new postings per month climbing from 2 in 2023 to 6 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataESL Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across ESL's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is negative and has declined year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About ESL
- How fast is ESL growing?
- In 2026, ESL's headcount shrank 0.1% to 1,204 employees, up from 1,132 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are ESL employees located?
- Most ESL employees are based in South Asia (34.8% of headcount), followed by Southeast Asia and Arab States.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at ESL?
- The average employee salary at ESL is approximately $26.8k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does ESL open per year?
- In Q1 2026, ESL opened 19 new job postings. In 2025, ESL opened 23 new job postings — about 2 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was ESL founded and where is it headquartered?
- ESL was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Compare ESL to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about ESL.
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