The latest Bayt.com Middle East and North Africa Job Index Survey, conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, and YouGov, a research and consulting organisation, shows that the KSA job market is expected to open up considerably in the next3 months, with seven out of10 companies expecting to create up to10 new positions. Most of these will be with large or multinational private companies, presenting exciting opportunities for new graduates and first-time employees in particular.
Hiring Expectations
In the next3 months,59% of companies across the GCC, North Africa and Levant expect to hire new candidates, with the highest expectancy in the GCC countries. Most of those hires will be made by private sector companies. In KSA,69% of companies claim they will either probably or definitely hire in the coming3 months. In the next12 months,68% of companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region anticipate that they will hire; the same is true for76% of KSA-based companies.
For the most part,69% of companies who are looking to hire will create up to10 job openings in the next3 months. This is echoed by companies in KSA, of whom69% will hire up to10 more people in the same time frame. The majority of these jobs in KSA will be for coordinators (38%), junior executives (35%) and executives (26%). A large number of KSA companies are looking for accountants (23%), HR professionals (19%), and receptionists (16%).
Candidate Qualifications and Skills
The most desirable qualification to have in the MENA region at present is one in Business Management, according to23% of survey respondents. Commerce (22%), administration (21%), computer science (21%) and engineering (20%) are also popular. KSA employers are especially keen on candidates with business management (25%) or administrative qualifications (25%).
Good communication skills in Arabic and English are a must for56% of MENA employers. They are also a highly desirable qualification in KSA, according to73% of respondents. The ability to be a team player is also of top appeal to50% of KSA employers.
In terms of experience, KSA employers are looking for candidates with a background in management (41%), computer skills (33%), and sales and marketing (32%) work.
Recent Hires and Job Attractiveness
Six out of10 companies across the region claim to have made new hires in the last6 months, with43% having taken on new employees in the last3 months. Seven out of10 employers in KSA (70%) have hired new candidates in the last six months, with54% having done so in the last3 months.
Across the MENA region,41% of jobseekers consider their country to be more attractive, career-wise, than other countries. This is especially true in the GCC, where six in10 would prefer to stay in their own country rather than move elsewhere, while in North Africa and the Levant, the majority would prefer to look beyond their own country to find employment.
KSA residents are particularly keen on the local job prospects, with54% stating that the nation is more attractive than other countries.
When it comes to industries, the majority across the region (44%) believe that their current industry is preferable to other industries. Half (50%) in KSA believe that their current industry is more attractive than any other. In terms of attracting and retaining top talent in KSA, the construction industry is considered by36% of surveyed professionals to be the most popular. Banking and finance (33%) and telecommunications (32%) are also perceived as extremely popular with KSA top talent.
Suhail Al-Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com said: “There is a positive trend in the upcoming months in which a number of companies across the region will open up a number of job opportunities. This is particularly seen in the Gulf region. Hiring trends will be mostly toward the younger generation who are looking for entry-level positions. At Bayt.com, we are committed to providing employers with top talent at every end of the career spectrum from entry level fresh graduates to middle management and senior executive professionals across the entire industry spectrum and particularly in fields that are hot growth fields across the region.”
Suhail Shaikh, Research Director, YouGov said: “The GCC countries seem to have the most positive hiring schemes for the next three and12 months compared to North Africa and the Levant where the intention to hire is less positive and respondents are keener to move elsewhere for work.”
Data for the Bayt.com MENA Job Index Survey, February2014, was collected online from December152013-February92014. Results are reported on a base of3,137 respondents, of which2,729 were of working status. Countries that participated are the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.