An overwhelming majority of companies in the Middle East plan to hire staff in the next year and nearly three quarters will do so in the next three months, according to a new survey.

It is good news for jobseekers and suggests the private sector is confident of a brighter outlook for the regional economy, which has suffered in the wake of the 2014 oil price slump.

The Bayt.com Middle East Job Index Survey is released every two years by recruitment website Bayt.com in conjunction with online market research company YouGov.

Outlook

Its latest edition released yesterday stated 86 per cent of 1,883 Middle East companies surveyed would be hiring in the next year, while 73pc planned to recruit in the next three months.

“Perceptions of the job market in the Middle East and North Africa are more positive for 2018, with employers predicting improvements in hiring potential in the immediate future,” said Bayt.com vice-president of employer solutions Suhail Masri.

Small and medium companies in the private sector are expected to drive Middle East recruitment – with 76pc of those saying they would hire in the next three months.

Industries most likely to hire regionally were consumer goods and fast-moving consumer goods, with 81pc of companies in that segment planning to recruit.

That is followed by real estate, construction and property development firms (80pc) and hospitality, recreation and entertainment companies (78pc).

Most of the regional recruitment over 12 months will also be by small and medium local companies, as well as multinational companies – which accounted for 89pc of those looking to hire, according to the survey.

The industry with the strongest hiring plans for the next 12 months regionally was business consultancy and business management, with 97pc of those surveyed looking to take on staff.

That was followed by consumer goods and fast-moving consumer goods (95pc), hospitality, recreation and entertainment (94pc) banking and finance (93pc) and commerce, retail and trade (92pc).

“With an upward trend this year, the number of job openings in the Mena region is forecast to grow,” said YouGov head of custom research Nehal Jibouri.

Twelve companies in Bahrain took part in the survey and most (73pc) said good communication in Arabic and English was considered the most important skill for jobseekers.

This was followed by the ability to work under pressure (64pc) and desire to make a difference (55pc).

More than a third of companies (36pc) in Bahrain identified a degree or postgraduate science degree as the most desired qualification for jobseekers, followed by hospitality qualifications (27pc).

Meanwhile, 45pc of companies planning to hire in Bahrain wanted staff with administrative experience – and more than a quarter (27pc) are looking for skills in public speaking and giving presentations.

Just over a quarter (27pc) want candidates with junior level experience of less than three years, while 18pc are looking for candidates with mid-level experience of between three and seven years.

Another 18pc want people with senior level experience of seven to 10 years.

Of the Bahraini companies that took part, 82 per cent said they would hire in the next year, while 73pc planned to recruit in the next three months.

Data for the February 2018 Middle East Job Index Survey was collected online from December 5, 2017 to January 28, 2018.

Results are based on a sample of 1,883 respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and Pakistan.

 

© Copyright 2018 www.gdnonline.com

Copyright 2018 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).