Talent Higher: How a Dubai Recruitment Agency Scaled Across Borders with Meydan Free Zone

When Cathy Farley decided to launch Talent Higher, it wasn’t because the market needed another recruiter. It was because they saw too many businesses making the wrong hires for the wrong reasons. Speed was winning over fit.

The idea was to do things differently. Build a recruitment and executive search agency that took the time to understand the client, their culture, and their long-term goals and then deliver the right person, fast, without cutting corners. It was about making every placement count, not just filling a role.

“Our clients value that we deliver quickly, but never at the cost of quality,” says Cathy Farley, Founder & CEO Talent Higher. “They trust us because we take the time to understand their business before we even begin the search.”

A Brand Focused on Fit, Not Volume

The name “Talent Higher” reflects the company’s purpose, to help businesses rise higher through the right hires. The brand identity was designed to reflect the seniority and professionalism of the roles it works on. Rather than chasing volume, Talent Higher prioritises retained search and executive placements, with select contract staffing projects for strategic needs.

This consultative, relationship-first approach has been the agency’s differentiator from day one. It positions Talent Higher not as a vendor, but as a partner embedded in the client’s growth journey.

A Lean Team with Global Reach

Talent Higher runs with a lean core team but leverages a network of specialists to stay flexible. The Founder & CEO, Cathy Farley, leads strategy and client relationships, supported by industry-specific recruiters who understand their markets inside out.

Specialist functions such as background checks, market mapping, and reference vetting are handled by trusted partners, allowing the business to scale for multi-country projects without slowing delivery. This model keeps overhead low while maintaining the high-touch service that clients value most.

For Cathy, the gap in the market was clear, too many recruitment firms were transactional, not strategic. Talent Higher set out to change that. One of the biggest lessons learned was the importance of hiring the right internal team early, as they directly influence client success. Since launching, the biggest industry shift has been the demand for remote and hybrid work, something Talent Higher has adapted to by widening its candidate networks and advising clients on flexible hiring strategies.

The First 90 Days: From License to Live Searches

Talent Higher registered with Meydan Free Zone under the professional services category for recruitment and executive search. The licensing process was straightforward, with Meydan Free Zone’s team ensuring the business activity was broad enough to cover current services and leave room for expansion.

Within days, the company was operational thanks to Meydan Free Zone’s digital setup process. Banking introductions through mCore cut out the cold-calling and back-and-forth, pairing Talent Higher with financial partners suited to its business profile.

By the second month, mResidency had completed visas and Emirates IDs for the team, freeing the founder to focus on client outreach. By day 90, Talent Higher had secured multi-country executive search mandates, with interviews underway and client meetings hosted in Meydan Free Zone’s professional meeting rooms.

“Meydan Free Zone’s meeting spaces made us look established from the start,” says Cathy Farley. “They gave us a professional presence long before we had our own office.”

Meydan Plus: The Infrastructure Behind the Growth

From the start, Talent Higher made full use of the Meydan Plus ecosystem. mCore facilitated a smooth banking setup, mResidency processed visas quickly, and mAssist handled administrative support, including resolving a document authentication issue that could have delayed a client project.

Meydan Free Zone’s meeting rooms provided a polished environment for high-value pitches, while mAccounting ensured VAT registration, invoicing, and financial reporting were handled from day one. Having compliance, banking, and residency under one ecosystem kept everything streamlined and allowed the team to focus on scaling.

Fast Solutions to Early Roadblocks

One of the first clients required notarised documentation before proceeding with an engagement. Instead of the process dragging on for weeks, Meydan Free Zone’s network had it completed in days, allowing the project to start on schedule. That speed and problem-solving reinforced client confidence at a critical early stage.

Compliance as a Business Asset

In executive search, trust isn’t just about who you place, it’s about how you operate. Meydan Free Zone’s compliance framework ensured every part of Talent Higher’s process, from contracts to invoicing, met UAE standards. That credibility proved invaluable when engaging with corporate clients who needed reassurance that their confidential information would be handled securely.

“Our clients share details that can’t afford to end up in the wrong hands,” says Cathy Farley. “Knowing our compliance is rock-solid makes us a safer partner and a more appealing one.”

Ambitions for the Next Chapter

Within its first year, Talent Higher had completed multi-country executive searches for a global client, a milestone that proved the model works. The goal for the next three to five years is clear: become a leading recruitment and executive search brand across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Plans include expanding into new geographies, enhancing digital recruitment tools, and growing a curated network of senior talent.

“Meydan Free Zone gave us more than a license,” says Cathy Farley. “They gave us the speed, support, and infrastructure to think bigger from day one.”

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