How we built this list
On 13 October 2026 we opened every channel and chat below at its public `t.me/<name>` address. Telegram shows "subscribers" for channels (one-way posts) and "members" for chats (groups where anyone can write). For channels we also checked the date of the latest post in the web preview. Numbers are what Telegram showed that day, rounded in the text; they change daily.
What we left out: invite-only links, channels with no posts since 2020–2022 (for example a "Part Time Jobs In UAE" channel last updated in December 2020), personal accounts, and "model agency" channels that advertise "meetings and leisure", which are not about shoots. We did not copy any phone numbers from posts.
Most large Telegram communities in Dubai are Russian-speaking. A 2024 overview on vc.ru by the team behind a Dubai city channel put the ceiling for local channels at around 100,000 subscribers, with most below 10,000. English-speaking professionals in Dubai use LinkedIn and WhatsApp groups more; the English groups we found are small.
Freelance work and one-off jobs
| Channel or chat | Language | Type | Size (13 Oct 2026) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @dubaiprofi, Поиск специалистов в Дубае | RU | Channel | 22,945 subscribers; last post 12 Oct | One-off jobs, freelance and vacancies; posts go in through a bot |
| @freelancersindubai, Freelancers in Dubai | EN | Chat | 5,023 members | A board where freelancers post profiles for free; clients search the list |
| @dubai_vakansii, Работа в Дубае | RU | Channel | 13,154 subscribers; last post 9 Oct | Vacancies, run by a recruitment team; mostly full-time jobs |
| @rabota_dubai, Работа Дубай, ОАЭ | RU | Chat | 2,415 members | Post a vacancy or a CV directly |
| @freelance_dubai, Фрилансеры в ОАЭ | RU | Chat | 293 members | Small chat of freelancers in the UAE |
Shoots, castings and creatives
| Channel or chat | Language | Type | Size (13 Oct 2026) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @casting_v_dubai, Кастинг Дубай: Модели & Актеры | RU / EN | Channel | 2,278 subscribers; last post 1 Oct | Paid castings for models and actors, plus occasional videographer and editor vacancies; projects are posted through an admin |
| @models_actors_dubai, Dubai Casting chat | RU / EN | Chat | 964 members | Discussion chat of the casting channel above |
| @creativedubai, Креатив туса | RU | Chat | 1,047 members | Creative events in the UAE and finding creative people to work with |
| @iambrandsjob, i'm brands family (UAE) | EN | Channel | 131 subscribers; last post 1 Sep | Vacancies for content creators on the UAE market |
| @broadcastbabadxb, Broadcast baba | EN | Chat | 203 members | Shoot, modelling and event gigs |
| @artistsdubai, Artists Dubai | EN | Chat | 162 members | Vacancies for dancers, musicians, models and performers |
Casting posts often contain a personal number and a pay rate. Check who the client is before you send photos or passport details, and never pay a "deposit" to get a role.
Marketing, business and networking
| Channel or chat | Language | Type | Size (13 Oct 2026) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| @dubai_busines, Дубай ОАЭ Бизнес | RU | Chat | 8,989 members | Large business chat; read the pinned rules, ads are paid |
| @dubai_biznesss, Дубай Бизнес Чат | RU | Chat | 4,110 members | Promoting businesses in the UAE; ad posts through the admin |
| @RusInOAE, Русские в Дубае, бизнес-нетворкинг | RU | Chat | 2,735 members | Relocation, work and business questions |
| @infobizvdubai, чат канала «Честно про бизнес» | RU | Chat | 226 members | Marketing mechanics, market trends, event announcements |
| @tearsofceo, Слезы СЕО | RU | Channel | 9,814 subscribers; last post 5 Oct | A Dubai business owner's experience and mistakes |
| @dubaiglo, Global Dubai | RU | Channel | 1,830 subscribers; last post 25 Sep | Readers' business questions answered in comments |
| @dubainetworking, Dubai Business Networking | EN | Chat | 542 members | Networking; no spam and no crypto by its rules |
| @dubaistartups, Dubai Startups | EN | Chat | 466 members | Meeting partners, hires and customers |
| @russiandubaiit, Russian IT in Dubai | RU | Chat | 4,663 members | Developers and product people; introduce yourself with #whois |
Big community chats where people ask for recommendations
| Chat | Language | Size (13 Oct 2026) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| @Dubai_chat, Наши в ОАЭ | RU | 34,024 members | "Who can recommend a photographer?" questions; rules pinned |
| @DubaiOAE_chat, Наши Дубай ОАЭ | RU | 27,028 members | Same, second-largest on our list |
| @dubai_uae_hub, Dubaist | RU | 18,208 members | Life, work, housing, business and services |
| @dubaitop777, Дубай с огоньком | RU | 35,471 subscribers (channel); last post 12 Oct | City news and events; sells ad posts |
This is where many expats ask "who do you recommend", the first step we describe in how expats find services in Dubai.
What nobody tells you
Subscriber counts are not reach. A channel with 20,000 subscribers may show a few thousand views a post. Before you pay for an ad post, open the web preview at `t.me/s/<name>` and look at the view counter under the last ten posts.
Chats move fast and forget. A question in a 30,000-member chat scrolls away within hours. For hiring, a channel with a posting bot (like @dubaiprofi) or a profile board (like @freelancersindubai) works better than a general chat.
A chat is not a contract. Whoever you find here, check the portfolio, the licence and who owns the files before paying. Our checklist is in what to ask an agency or a freelancer before paying, and the wider list of platforms is in where to find freelancers in Dubai.
Advertising in channels is its own channel. If you want to buy posts rather than find people, read our guide to Telegram ads for the Russian-speaking audience in Dubai.
