The UAE is a thriving hub for business and industry with almost 60 per cent of the country's workforce currently employed by local companies, according to a research by top professional network LinkedIn.

The research is part of LinkedIn Economic Graph, a digital mapping of the global economy. Currently developing the first Economic Graph in the world, LinkedIn’s vision is to create an economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.

These findings are aligned with the UAE government’s vision which aims to further aid the country’s economic development in industries and infrastructure.

Providing insight into the nation's economy, LinkedIn’s UAE Economic Graph said that the latest statistics was demonstrative of the investment local companies were making in the youth of the UAE and shows how some sectors such as banking, aviation, telecommunications, hospitality and retail are staunchly supporting young UAE talent.

The research shows that Emirati companies come up on top in terms of supporting the local labour force despite hundreds of international companies being regionally headquartered in the UAE.
 
The UAE Economic Graph has been built on the data of the country’s 3 million registered users of professionals.

The findings were released today (October 31) at LinkedIn’s Dubai headquarters in partnership and the presence of Dr Ahmad Belhoul, ‎Minister of State for Higher Education Affairs and Dr Aisha Bin Bishr, the director general of the Smart Dubai Office.

LinkedIn’s collaboration with the Ministry of Education aims to equip students with the information they need to learn the skills of the future.

LinkedIn said these findings from the Economic Graph will aid students in deciding which qualifications they need in order to make them more employable.

The data reveals that civil engineering, business management and computer science are the leading degrees for undergraduates in the UAE whilst industrial engineering, business management and computer science took the top spots for postgraduate students in the UAE.  In nearly every industry tech skills are becoming a requirement.

LinkedIn recently unveiled the UAE’s Top Skills of 2016, the skills that are most sought after among employers in the UAE. Six of the top ten skills listed were in the tech industry with statistical analysis and Data Mining coming up number one.

The research has also mapped the primary skill clusters for the future of innovation in the UAE.

Robotics, Data Science, 3D printing and the Internet of Things are the core skills which the World Economic Forum classes as the main physical and digital drivers of the fourth industrial revolution. These skills are highly sought after in the UAE and big data certification adds an edge to job applicants’ profiles.

Currently, UAE is number 16 globally in having the highest number of 3D printing and design talent. Over 60 per cent of 3D talent professionals work for local UAE companies.

Commending LinkedIn on the new initiative, Dr Belhoul said it will help university graduates better understand professional opportunities available in the country and globally.

"Furthermore, the Economic Graph will be integral to shaping the higher education landscape in the UAE to ensure that our students are graduating with the skills they need for the jobs of the future," he stated.

Dr Bin Bishr said: "Smart Dubai prides itself on identifying global best practices and we recognize the work that LinkedIn is doing around the world through Economic Graph. We are happy that the UAE is the first regional market to launch Economic Graph and we look forward to using the data to maximize happiness in the UAE."

Ali Matar, the head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Growth Markets (Southern Europe and Mena region) pointed out that it is the first Economic Graph to be launched in the Middle East and the company plans to roll out the digital map across the region.

The key findings show that 42 per cent of the UAE-based workforce is employed by companies based in the US, India and Europe.

When it comes to finding local employment, the majority of graduates prefer to work for companies in the UAE. About 75 per cent of those who studied at UAE universities have chosen to remain in the UAE and have shown great interest in contributing and developing the local community.
 
Conversely, the employment sector that hires the most people in the UAE is professional services (16 per cent). Architecture & Engineering (14 per cent), Financial Services (10 per cent), Retail & Insurance (10 per cent), Aero/Auto/Transport (8 per cent) and Oil & Energy (8 per cent) also dominate the list.

"These findings from the UAE Economic Graph are positive indicators of local economic development and the confidence that UAE citizens have in the UAE as a hub for industry and business," he added.-TradeArabia News Service