The survey is an in-depth, bi-annual study that attempts to measure job availability and hiring patterns. Additionally, it examines trends in the Middle East and North Africa job market and explains essential skill sets and credentials in the region.
Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “The MENA region is fast becoming a hub for innovative companies and start-ups, offering diverse career paths for those looking to break into new markets. This has the potential to make the region one of the most sought-after destinations for job seekers from around the world. By monitoring and providing insights into the job market, the bi-annual Job Index survey enables employers to connect with top talent from around the world, facilitating their growth and opening opportunities for thousands of job seekers in the MENA region.”
Job roles and requirements
Sales Manager (19%), Accountant (17%) and Project Manager (16%) are the top roles to be hired in the next3 months in the GCC.
Interestingly, over one-third (35%) of survey respondents state that they are looking for candidates with managerial experience, while33% are searching for those with sales and marketing experience and31% want candidates with mid-level experience.
Engineering (23%), Business Management (23%) and Information Technology (18%) are the most sought-after academic qualifications amongst employers in the GCC.
Industries attracting top talent
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations (30%), IT/Internet/E-commerce (27%) and Banking/Finance (27%) emerge as the industries that attract or retain top talent in the MENA region. Overall, Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations emerges as the main industry attracting the national talent (29%), fresh graduate talent (32%) as well as female talent (43%).
Hiring trends in the MENA
In regard to hiring potential by industry, Commerce/Trade/Retail (87%) emerges as the top industry claiming to hire the most in the next one year. This is followed by Business Consultancy/Business Management/Management Consulting (85%) and Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals (76%).
Applicants will be glad to hear that hiring intentions in a variety of sectors are optimistic in the near term as well, as top industries were Business Consultancy/Business Management/Management Consulting (79%), Human Resources (68%) and Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals (63%).
“The Job Index survey gathers data from the MENA region to analyze hiring trends in the region. Companies prefer to hire local talent and invest in the long-term development of the regional workforce. This has led to an increased focus on Arabic and English language proficiency, as more private sector employers consider it as the top skill that will boost candidates' chances of securing employment. By gauging current market trends in the region, employers and HR professionals can better align their recruitment efforts with job seekers’ qualifications,” said Zafar Shah, Research Director at YouGov.
Data for the Middle East Job Index survey was collected online between30 November2022 and18 January2023. Results are based on a sample of1,014 respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan among others.