The latest Middle East Job Index Survey, compiled by the Middle East’s leading job site, Bayt.com, and research and consulting group, YouGov, has revealed that many employers are planning to hire soon within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In Saudi Arabia, in particular, more than six in10 employers (64%) are planning to hire this year.
Hiring intentions in the next three and next12 months
Within the next three months, nearly half of Saudi employers (48%) said that they are “definitely” or “probably” going to hire. Among Saudi companies that plan to hire within the next three months, nearly half (42%) are going to hire for “Junior Executive” roles, followed by28% who intend to hire a “Coordinator”, and25% who intend to hire a “Manager”. Further,19% of employers in Saudi Arabia said that they are looking to hire “Accountants,” while16% said they want to hire “Mechanical Engineers”.
From those surveyed,71% of Saudi respondents claim that their company has hired new employees in the past12 months.
“The hiring forecast in Saudi Arabia is looking promising, with64% of Saudi employers planning to hire in a year’s time,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “It is also worth mentioning that49% of those planning to hire predict having at least five vacancies to fill in the next3 months. These responses come as no surprise to us: there are currently more than10,000 jobs posted on Bayt.com. We will continue to work closely with the region’s employers to help them find their talent. We will also continue empowering and supporting job seekers who are going to make use of these new and exciting job vacancies.”
Qualifications, skills and experience in demand by employers
In terms of academic qualification, a large number of Saudi employers are looking for “Engineering’ Graduates or Post Graduates (33%), followed by “Business Management” (27%) and “Commerce” (20%). When it comes to skills in high demand, more than three quarters (77%) of employers in Saudi Arabia are looking for employees with “good communication skills in both English and Arabic”, and almost half (49%) are looking for “team players / cooperative / helpful / flexible” candidates.
In terms of experience,37% of Saudi employers are looking for candidates with “managerial experience”,33% are looking for “administrative experience”, and another30% are looking for candidates with “sales and marketing experience”.
Masri adds: “We encourage organizations looking to hire to use features on Bayt.com such as CV Search and Job Postings, which can help meet their pressing hiring needs and ensure that they fill their vacancies as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.”
“We look at hiring expectancy throughout the MENA region as it can serve as a positive reflection on the economy. When looking at the MENA job market, the private sector has highlighted that they are planning to offer a large number of employment options in the next few months and the year ahead. It is also important to have insights on which skills, academic qualifications, and experience levels are in highest demand. Job seekers can plan accordingly,” said Arleen Gonsalves, Associate Research Manager, YouGov.
Data for the Bayt.com Middle East Job Index survey was collected online between December4th,2016 and January22nd,2017. Results are based on a sample of3,107 respondents from the following countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Pakistan.