LinkedIn Corporation, the world's largest professional network on the Internet with over 400 million members worldwide, has announced its Mena rankings of the most sought-after employers in 2015.

The LinkedIn InDemand list is based on millions of interactions from LinkedIn's members. Rather than relying on questionnaires, InDemand measures the actual behaviour of professionals as they explore their career journey on LinkedIn, a statement said.

According to this year’s list, the top represented sectors in the rankings include oil and gas, real estate and construction, and telecommunications and technology.

The oil and gas sector in the Middle East was proven to attract the most talent with more than six companies in the Top 20 list and with the prime positions going to Shell, Saudi Aramco, and BP.

The real estate and construction industry was the second dominating sector on the list, with Emaar in the lead as the most InDemand Mena employer in 2015. The list also includes other construction firms such as KEO International and Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC).

An equally InDemand sector is Telecommunications and Technology, with Etisalat in the lead, followed by Apple, Google and GE.

LinkedIn Mena Top 20 InDemand Employers:
1.    Emaar
2.    Shell
3.    Emirates Airline
4.    Procter & Gamble
5.    Etisalat
6.    Unilever
7.    Saudi Aramco
8.    Apple
9.    Etihad Airways
10.    BP
11.    Google
12.    KEO International Consultants
13.    Al Tayer Group
14.    Schlumberger
15.    Weatherford
16.    Dubai Islamic Bank
17.    OSN
18.    Qatar Petroleum
19.    GE
20.    Consolidated Contractors Company
Ali Matar, head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Mena, said: “The healthy mix of regionally-headquartered and global firms in the Top 20 list shows the vibrant business environment in the Middle East.

“Organisations in this list are investing in their employer brand, and their strategic approach to staffing denotes an appreciation of social recruiting. The presence of these brand names in this list adds significantly to our Economic Graph vision, with multi-market, multi-sector opportunity for professionals on LinkedIn.”

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, managing director of Emaar Properties, said: “Emaar’s premier ranking in LinkedIn’s Top 20 InDemand Employers in the Mena underlines our position as the most preferred ‘employer of choice’ in the region.”

“It demonstrates the rewarding career and personal development opportunities that Emaar offers to its team members, who become part of a dynamic company that is quickly expanding across the region. Emaar offers an inspiring work environment where our employees work with professionalism and pride on the development of our iconic properties.

“Our organisational credo, ‘No Other Way’ (NOW), encourages team members to deliver their best in a constantly changing environment while learning from the highly skilled and experienced senior managers. The recognition belongs to every employee of Emaar who makes it an exceptional place to work,” he added.

Abdulaziz Al Ali, Emirates’ executive vice president, Human Resources said: “Emirates remains an employer of choice for candidates in the Middle East and around the world. Each year, we receive almost 500,000 applications for just a few thousand positions.”

“Candidates are attracted to work at Emirates because of our reputation as one of the world’s most admired and successful airlines, as well as the career advancement opportunities and the stability that comes from working at a growing and highly profitable enterprise.

“While we already employ more than 60,000 people from 170 countries, our expansion has us on the lookout for additional candidates who want to make a difference, build a rewarding career and ensure the continued success of Emirates for many years to come,” he added.

LinkedIn announced the Arabic version of the site in February 2015, giving the world’s 300 million Arabic speakers easier access to the world’s largest professional network.  – TradeArabia News Service