Some 7 in 10 of UAE employers (70%) are planning to hire new employees next year.

Sales Executive (20%), Accountant (18%) and Administrative Assistant (16%) are the top roles that UAE employers are hiring for over the next three months, according to Bayt.com, a top Middle East job site, and YouGov, market research agency, who recently conducted the Middle East Job Index Survey, to measure the job availability and hiring trends in the UAE, and to provide an understanding of required skill sets and qualifications.

Interestingly, good communication skills in Arabic and English (51%) emerged as the top skill that employers look for in a candidate. Being a team player (42%), good leadership skills (34%) and ability to work under pressure (33%) follow.

Managerial experience

In terms of experience, 28% of respondents state that they are looking for candidates with managerial experience, while 27% are searching for those with sales and marketing experience and 29% want candidates with mid-level experience.

Further, Business Management (22%), Engineering (22%) and Commerce (19%) are the most sought-after academic qualifications amongst employers in the UAE.

Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “A large majority of Mena employers are looking to expand their workforce through a human-led approach. While professionals need to focus on honing skills in demand such as communication and collaboration, companies need to provide access routes for those who lack skills, take steps to strengthen the capabilities of skilled employees, and commit to constant upskilling.”

Hiring trends in the UAE

The outlook looks promising for job seekers in the UAE, as 7 in 10 employers (70%) are planning to hire new employees next year.

50% of the companies that plan to hire in the next three months will be hiring for a maximum of five jobs, while 25% will be hiring for about 6 to 10 jobs.

Overall, Business Consultancy/ Business Management/ Management Consulting (84%) emerges as the top industry claiming to hire the most in the next one year across the Mena region. This is followed by Commerce/ Trade/ Retail (82%) and Consumer Goods/ FMCG (81%).

Industries attracting top talent

Advertising/ Marketing/ Public Relations (35%), Real Estate/ Construction/ Property Development (33%) and Banking/ Finance (31%) emerge as the industries that attract or retain top talent in the UAE. Overall, Real Estate/ Construction/ Property Development (37%) emerges as the main industry attracting the national talent while Advertising/ Marketing/ Public Relations is the main industry attracting fresh graduate (37%) as well as female talent (40%).

Zafar Shah, Research Director at YouGov said: “There is a tremendous need for skilled workers in the private sector, as multinational companies continue to demonstrate a higher probability for hiring in the Mena region. At the same time, employers are looking for skills such as communication, teamwork and ability to work under pressure in order to build the teams needed to successfully deal with the challenges and opportunities of today and those yet to come.”

Data for the Middle East Job Index Survey was collected online from June 9 to August 1, 2022. Results are based on a sample of 889 respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan among others.

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