As a professional, there are many factors that are important when choosing an industry to work in. No matter where you are in the region, there are questions that you should always have the answers to before thinking about changing industries, or staying in the one you’re in.
The most recent “Bayt.com Top Industries in the Middle East and North Africa” survey was compiled to give as many answers to these questions as possible, and to help you understand current satisfaction levels within certain industries. The survey reveals top industries in several factors such as career growth opportunities, work-life balance, salary packages, working hours and job security, to name a few.
Here’s what the survey revealed:
1. The most attractive industries
In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, over a quarter (27%) of the professionals surveyed claimed that Government/ Civil Service is the industry with highest job security. This was followed closely by Military/Defense/Police at 26%.
The industry that emerged as the one that offers the best salary packages in the region is the Banking/ Finance/ Accounting industry, according to 22% of the respondents in the MENA, and 29% of respondents in the Levant specifically.
Another important factor for many professionals is best work-life balance. The Government/ Civil Service industry and the Banking/ Finance/ Accounting industry emerged as the top of the list in this regard, according to 21% of respondents for each industry.
2. The most stressful industries
Each industry has its upsides and its downfalls, and this is true for the Banking/ Finance/ Accounting industry, which emerged as the most stressful industry in the MENA region according to 16% of respondents. This was followed closely by Real Estate/ Construction/ Property Development and Military/ Defense/ Police at 15% each. On the other hand, only 7% of professionals in the region find the Government/ Civil Service industry to be a stressful one.
A higher proportion of those living in the GCC claim that Real Estate/ Construction/ Property Development is a stressful industry to work in, at 18%, as compared to only 9% of residents in both the Levant and North Africa.
Working long hours definitely contributes to the levels of stress of any industry, and the Military/ Defense/ Police sector (16%) as well as the Oil/ Gas/ Petrochemical industry (16%), topped the list for having the longest working hours. These two industries were tailed closely by the Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment industry and the Healthcare/ Medical Services industry, at 15% each.
3. Highest satisfaction
When taking a look at how satisfied professionals in the MENA region are with their current/most recent industries, the respondents were significantly more satisfied in the GCC, at 45%, compared to the Levant at 36% and North Africa at 35% with their salary packages.
GCC residents are also more satisfied with their working hours (66%) than in the Levant and North Africa, 58% and 59% respectively.
In relation to work-life balance 56% of GCC respondents claimed satisfaction, compared to 48% in each of North Africa and the Levant.
As for job security 52% of MENA respondents claimed that they are satisfied.
In terms of training and development, 49% of MENA professionals said that they are either “completely satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with the programs available to them, and 45% shared that they are happy with their career growth.
As for Work Culture, North Africa residents seem to be less satisfied (53%), compared to professionals in the GCC (60%) and the Levant (57%).
4. Switching industries
Another major finding of the survey is that a quarter of MENA respondents (25%) have changed their industry, at least once, in the past two years. For those who have changed industries, better salaries (36%) and better career growth opportunities (30%) are the top reasons for this change.
Almost one in two professionals in the MENA region (47%) are considering an industry change in the next few months. 57% of them are seeking a better salary, while 48% are seeking better career growth opportunities. This survey shows that there is a high level of satisfaction in the MENA region with various job attributes. Yet, many professionals are on the lookout for new and better career opportunities.
Bayt.com has more than 12,000 jobs available in the MENA region, across all industries and career levels that professionals can access, browse and apply for at no cost.