Bayt.com Reveals Skills And Hiring Trends In The UAE For 2020

The latest Middle East Job Index Survey from Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, and global online market research company, YouGov, indicates that almost two-thirds (68%) of UAE companies are planning to hire new employees within a year. Interestingly, most UAE employers demand good communication in English and Arabic (50%), good leadership (48%) as well as being a team player (47%) as top skills.

Released bi-annually, the survey is an in-depth study that aims to measure the job availability and hiring trends. The study also identifies trends in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) job market and provides an understanding of required skill sets and qualifications in the region.

Hiring trends in the UAE

The outlook looks positive for job seekers across the UAE, as intention to hire in a year’s time is high (68%).

In regards to hiring potential by industry in the MENA region, Advertising/ Marketing/ Public Relations (83%), Consumer Goods/ FMCG (77%) and Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment (71%) demonstrated the highest intention of hiring in the next one year.

Job seekers will be pleased to know that hiring intention across many sectors is positive in the short term as well, with top industries being Consumer Goods/ FMCG (63%), IT/ Internet/ E-commerce (63%) and Education/ Academia (56%) who are looking to hire new employees in the next three months.

“The region continues to evolve and transform offering numerous job opportunities for various industries and career levels. We are proud to make tens of thousands of jobs available daily on our website and to connect companies with top talents across the region,” said Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com. “The Job Index gives us the opportunity to track, follow and communicate hiring trends and required skillsets, twice a year, so that job seekers can plan and develop their skills accordingly.”

Job roles and requirements

The majority of UAE companies will be hiring junior and mid-career positions, with maximum demand for junior executive (34%), followed by executive (28%), and senior executive (28%).

Sales Executive (21%), Accountant (15%) and Customer Service Representatives (11%) are the top roles most in demand across the UAE.

Over a third (34%) of survey respondents state that they are looking for candidates with sales and marketing skills, while 30% want candidates with managerial skills and 28% are searching for those with mid-level experience.

When it comes to skill sets, good communication skills in both the English and Arabic languages are highly sought after (50%), followed by leadership (48%) and being a team player (47%).

Business Management (29%), Engineering (21%) and Commerce (21%) are the most sought-after academic qualifications amongst employers in the UAE, followed by science qualifications (14%).

Industries attracting top talent

Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations (29%) and Real Estate/ Construction/ Property Development (29%) emerge as the industries that attract or retain top talent across the UAE, followed by Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals (26%) and Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment (26%).

Banking/ Finance (28%) and Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals (26%) emerge as the main industries attracting national talent, while fresh graduates are most attracted to Banking/ Finance (28%) and Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations (27%).

When it comes to female talent, Banking/ Finance (33%) and Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations (31%) emerge as top sectors, followed by Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment (26%).

“The Middle East Job Index survey is a key indicator of the MENA region’s hiring activities. A higher probability for hiring in private sector multinational companies can be observed, with most companies looking for good communication skills in Arabic and English as the top skill for potential candidates. In addition to providing an overview of current market trends, the findings will have practical significance for employers and HR,” said Zafar Shah, Research Director, Data Services at YouGov.

Data for the Middle East Job Index Survey was collected online from 14^th December 2019 and 28^th January 2020. Results are based on a sample of 1,097 respondents, 879 of whom were of working status, from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and Pakistan.