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GitHub X-Ray Search
How do I find developers in Dubai, Riyadh or Doha on GitHub?
Matched "Backend Developer" — pick synonyms below.
Comma-separated. Keep it to 1–3: every extra AND shrinks the results.
Comma-separated alternatives, e.g. tools or certifications.
Add a skill for Backend Developer
Words that signal the wrong profile, e.g. intern, student, recruiter.
Cities and country names as people write them on profiles. Comma-separated.
GitHub user search · Dubai
location:Dubai language:Python
- GitHub's own search: one location per query, matched against what users type in their profile.
GitHub user search · Abu Dhabi
location:"Abu Dhabi" language:Python
- GitHub's own search: one location per query, matched against what users type in their profile.
GitHub user search · UAE
location:UAE language:Python
- GitHub's own search: one location per query, matched against what users type in their profile.
Google X-ray (GitHub profiles)
site:github.com Python (Django OR FastAPI) (Dubai OR "Abu Dhabi" OR UAE) ("followers" OR "following") -inurl:topics -inurl:issues -inurl:pull -inurl:blob -inurl:tree -inurl:orgs- Job titles rarely appear on GitHub profiles — search by language, framework and location instead.
Search and post at the same time
Sourcing finds people who aren't looking. A free job post on MenaJobs lets the ones who are looking find you.
Every string above in one email — paste them into LinkedIn, Google or your ATS later.
Two ways to search GitHub
GitHub user search: the tool writes location:<city> language:<language> queries using GitHub's documented search qualifiers, one per location, and links straight to the results. Google X-ray: it writes site:github.com plus your languages, frameworks and cities, adds ("followers" OR "following") because those words appear on profile pages, and excludes repository, issue, pull-request, code and topic pages. The language is detected from your skills (Kotlin, Swift, Flutter → Dart, React → JavaScript and so on).
- location:
- GitHub qualifier matching the free-text location on a user's profile.
- language:
- Users whose public repositories are mainly in that language.
- followers:>n
- Optional filter for users with more than n followers.
GitHub searches for Gulf developer hiring
| Looking for | GitHub user search | Google X-ray |
|---|---|---|
| Python backend developers | location:Dubai language:Python | site:github.com Python (Django OR FastAPI) (Dubai OR UAE) ("followers" OR "following") -inurl:topics -inurl:issues -inurl:pull -inurl:blob -inurl:tree -inurl:orgs |
| Android developers | location:Riyadh language:Kotlin | site:github.com Kotlin Android (Riyadh OR "Saudi Arabia") ("followers" OR "following") -inurl:topics -inurl:issues -inurl:pull -inurl:blob -inurl:tree -inurl:orgs |
| iOS developers | location:Doha language:Swift | site:github.com Swift iOS (Doha OR Qatar) ("followers" OR "following") -inurl:topics -inurl:issues -inurl:pull -inurl:blob -inurl:tree -inurl:orgs |
| Flutter developers | location:"Abu Dhabi" language:Dart | site:github.com Flutter "Abu Dhabi" ("followers" OR "following") -inurl:topics -inurl:issues -inurl:pull -inurl:blob -inurl:tree -inurl:orgs |
| Go / platform engineers | location:Jeddah language:Go | site:github.com Go (Kubernetes OR Terraform) Jeddah ("followers" OR "following") -inurl:topics -inurl:issues -inurl:pull -inurl:blob -inurl:tree -inurl:orgs |
What GitHub can't tell you
- Public repositories show side projects and open-source work. Many strong engineers keep their work private — don't rule them out.
- Profile locations are self-typed and often out of date. Confirm location and visa status when you talk.
- Languages are detected from repositories, not from the person's current job.
Data Sources
Pair it with
Search LinkedIn profiles with the LinkedIn X-ray search, write the first line with the personalised outreach opener, and find published CVs with the CV X-ray search.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find developers on GitHub by location?
GitHub's own user search supports location: and language: — for example location:Dubai language:Python lists users who wrote Dubai in their profile location and whose repositories are mostly Python. The tool builds that search (one per city, since GitHub matches one location per query) plus a Google X-ray of github.com profile pages for a second view.
Why doesn't the GitHub search use job titles?
Almost nobody writes a job title on GitHub. Profiles show a name, location, bio and repositories, so languages, frameworks and location are what you can match. The job title you type is only used to suggest skills.
Is it OK to contact developers I find on GitHub?
Only through details they published for contact (a public email, website or LinkedIn link on the profile), about a relevant role, one person at a time. Don't harvest emails from commit history or add people to bulk mailing lists — that breaks GitHub's terms and data-protection rules such as the UAE's Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 and Saudi Arabia's PDPL.
What makes a good first message to a developer?
Mention a specific repository or contribution, the stack, the salary range and whether the role is remote, hybrid or on-site — then ask one simple question. Generic 'exciting opportunity' messages are easy to ignore. The personalised outreach opener tool helps write that first line.
Why does the location matter so much?
GitHub location is free text: people write Dubai, Dubai UAE, UAE, دبي or nothing at all. Search a few spellings (the tool runs up to three locations), and remember many Gulf developers leave it blank — LinkedIn X-ray search catches some of them.
Every week this role stays open costs you. Post it free today.
Post the job on MenaJobs free in about 2 minutes. We review every post, and once approved it reaches job seekers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
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