Nearly seven in 10 employers (69 per cent) in the UAE are planning to hire in a year’s time, according to the latest Middle East Job Index Survey, compiled by top job site Bayt.com and research and consulting group YouGov.
    
Hiring intentions in the next three and next 12 months
Within the next three months, more than half of UAE employers (52 per cent) said that they are “definitely” or “probably” going to hire. Among UAE companies that plan to hire within the next three months, nearly half (45 per cent) are going to hire for “Junior Executive” roles, followed by 28 per cent who intend to hire a “Coordinator”, and 27 per cent intend to hire a “Manager”.

Most respondents in the UAE also said they are looking to hire “Sales Executives” (22 per cent), while 15 per cent said they want to hire “Customer Service Representatives”.

When looking at which industries are hiring in the Mena region over the next three months, more than two thirds (67 per cent) of organizations in the Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment industry and Human Resources industry are planning to hire, making them the industries with the highest hiring potential. This is followed closely by organizations in Business Consultancy/ Business Management industries (57 per cent).

Private sector companies have the highest intention to hire in the next three months, with 54 per cent of large local companies, 52 per cent of multinational companies and 51 per cent of other private sector companies, ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ hiring.

Looking at future hiring expectations, nearly70 per cent of employers in the UAE claim that they intend to hire in a year’s time. Private-sector companies continue to have the highest hiring intentions in a year’s time, with 69 per cent of large local companies, 69 per cent of other private sector companies, and 68 per cent of multinational companies saying that they will be ‘definitely hiring’ or ‘probably hiring’.

From those surveyed, 75 per cent of UAE respondents claim that their company has hired new employees in the past 12 months.

“The hiring forecast in the UAE is looking promising, with 69 per cent of UAE employers planning to hire in a year’s time and more than half (52 per cent) planning to hire within three months,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com.

“It is also worth mentioning that 39 per cent of those planning to hire predict having at least five vacancies to fill this year. These responses come as no surprise to us: there are currently more than 10,000 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 UAE employers are looking for “Engineering” Graduates or Post Graduates (28 per cent), followed by “Business Management” (27 per cent) and “Commerce” (20 per cent). When it comes to skills in high demand, more than half (54 per cent) of employers in the UAE are looking for employees with “good communication skills in both English and Arabic”, and over half (51 per cent) are looking for “team players / cooperative / helpful / flexible” candidates.

In terms of experience, 32 per cent of UAE employers are looking for candidates with good “administrative experience”, 31 per cent are looking for “managerial experience”, and another 30 per cent are looking for candidates with “sales and marketing experience”.

Attractiveness of job market and industry

The majority of respondents in the UAE (59 per cent) feel that their country of residence is “more attractive” than other Mena countries as a potential place for employment.

The industries that have emerged as the ones attracting the top talent in the UAE include: Real Estate/ Property Development (36 per cent), Banking/ Finance (31 per cent), Advertising/ Marketing / Public Relations (31 per cent), and Hospitality / Recreation / Entertainment (31 per cent).

Masri added: “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 the 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. – TradeArabia News Service