A new survey by YouGov, the global online market research company and Bayt.com the leading job site in the Middle East reveals that Sales Managers, Marketing Managers and Accountants are the most sought after skills by employers in the Middle East over the next three months.
Released bi-annually, the ‘Job-Index’ survey is an in-depth study that aims to measure the job availability and hiring trends. The study also identifies trends in the MENA job market and provides an understanding of required skill sets and qualifications in the region.
In the GCC states employers are mainly looking for Accountants (19%), Sales Managers (17%) and Marketing Managers (15%). In the wider Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) region, the top positions that employers are on the lookout for are, Sales Managers (20%), Accountants (19%), and Marketing Managers (16%).
The top industries looking to hire the highest number of candidates in the next three months across the MENA region are Business Consultancy/Business Management/Management Consulting (58%), Healthcare/Medical Services and Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals (both at 55%).
Echoing the short term, Business Consultancy/Business Management/Management Consulting industry (81%) continue to have the highest hiring intentions in the next one year across the MENA region, followed by IT/Internet/E-commerce (68%) and Consumer Goods/FMCG (66%).
Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “Faced with an unprecedented global crisis in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, our region continues to evolve and transform affecting the most in-demand jobs and skills, as well as the factors which are crucial in attracting and retaining top talent.”
More than one-third of GCC employers surveyed (34%) state that they are looking for candidates with managerial experience (ability to manage a team), while another 34 percent want candidates with sales and marketing experience and 30 percent are searching for those with mid-level experience (3 to 7 years). In terms of academic qualifications, Business Management (25%), Engineering (23%) and Commerce (17%) are the most sought-after amongst employers in the GCC region.
Data for the Middle East Job Index Survey 2020 was collected online from 23 June to 6 August of this year. Results are based on a sample of 1,055 respondents from the following countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and others.