They're here! The top industries in MENA for 2012 are finally revealed. Is your industry ranked among the top industries for this year? Let's have a look.
This year’s “Top Industries in the MENA region for 2012” survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov has revealed that the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals industry is a regional leader in terms of satisfaction, employee experience, and how professionals in other industries perceive this industry. In fact, those who are most satisfied are currently employed in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical industry, which was ranked top for salary packages, and job security and stability.
The Hospitality industry also ranked high, coming first in work/life balance and career growth opportunities, closely followed by the Banking and Finance industry. Most professionals across the MENA region were still seen to be attracted to the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals industry (25%), followed by Banking and Finance (18%). In terms of best salary packages (including non-monetary benefits), almost half of the survey takers agreed that Oil, Gas, and Petrochemicals is best (48%), again followed by Banking and Finance (24%). Interestingly, the governmental (or public) sector is seen as most favorable employer in the Gulf countries, with 67% of respondents seeing it as an “extremely favorable”, and is least favorable in the Levant region, at 53%.
Of those who participated in the “Top Industries in the MENA region for 2012” survey, a quarter changed from one industry to another in the last 24 months. The top reasons for doing so were better salaries, better growth opportunities, and a lack of recognition in their previous industry. You can easily understand the motivations of professionals in MENA when you know that 42.1% aren’t satisfied in their jobs, while 60.8% do not feel that they are well-compensated by their employers (see Bayt.com’s “How Satisfied at Work are Professionals in MENA” poll results). The results of the “Top Industries in the MENA region for 2012” survey closely mirror those of the last “Middle East Job Index 2012” survey conducted by Bayt.com and research partner, YouGov. The belief was that the industries that attract and retain the top talent in the region were Banking and Finance (34%), Telecommunications (33%) and Construction (31%). The Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals industry came fourth (27%), closely followed by IT (25%). For more stats and facts, you can download the full Bayt.com Top Industries Survey 2012 report.