In 2023, 66% of the MENA employers will be hiring new employees 一 according to a recent Job Index Survey conducted by Middle-East’s number 1 job site, Bayt.com and market research agency, YouGov. Of the companies planning to hire before the start of 2023, 50% said they’d hire up to 5 employees and 25% said they would hire between 6-10 workers in the final quarter of 2022.

For an employer and a hiring manager, the survey answers important questions like:

• As an employer, should you be planning to hire next year?
• What skills and experience level are the most-sought after in employees?
• What are the top roles that you should be looking to hire from?

Key Takeaways:

• 66% of MENA employers are to go on a hiring spree in 2023.
• Good communication skills in Arabic and English (62%) emerged as the top skill that employers look for in a candidate.
• Accountant (17%), Sales Manager (14%) and Sales Executive (14%) are the top roles that MENA employers are hiring for over the next three months.
• Business Management (25%), Engineering (21%) and Commerce (20%) are the most sought-after academic qualifications amongst employers.
• 50% of the companies that plan to hire in the next three months will be hiring for a maximum of five jobs.

A bit of background:

In a post-pandemic world, the UAE’s job market has picked up pace, with employers planning a hiring spree in 2023. The intention is to capture the workforce needed for new projects and foreign investments. Increased employment would also give a boost to UAE’s economy and private sector which took a dive since the onset of COVID pandemic.

Moreover, the UAE-based firm, URB has announced the Dubai Urban Tech District project which is expected to create 4000 new jobs in the Al Jaddaf area of Dubai.

The Middle East Job Index Survey collected online responses from around 900 employers from 9th June to 1st August 2022. The respondents belonged to UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Libya, Sudan and others. 

What skills are the most-sought after?

Talking about skills, Bayt survey pointed out that around 62% of employers said good communication skills in both Arabic and English among the candidates is their most sought-after skill. Next was being a team player (42%), followed by handling pressure (37%), leadership skills (35%) and being trustworthy (34%). 

What kind of experience are the companies looking for?

35% of respondents state that they are looking for candidates with managerial experience (basically leading a team), while 29% are searching for those with sales and marketing experience and 26% want candidates with mid-level experience (which counts for 3-7 years).

What top roles are the employers looking for?

The survey also mentioned the top roles that employers are looking to hire in Q4 of 2022. Accountant (17%), Sales Manager (14%) and Sales Executive (14%) are the top roles to be hired in the next 3 months in the MENA region.

Ola Haddad, Head of Talent at Bayt.com shared:

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.

Final Thoughts

With companies in UAE and other MENA regions planning to expand their workforce, it would be interesting to see what job opportunities are created, how they meet their emiratisation quotas and the effects it will have on the overall UAE job market.