Saudi jobs boom: 69% of firms on hiring spree, says survey

The Saudi job market is expected to open up considerably in the next three months, with seven out of 10 companies expecting to create up to 10 new positions, according to a survey.

Most of these jobs will be with large or multinational private companies, presenting exciting opportunities for new graduates and first-time employees in particular, showed the latest Bayt.com Middle East and North Africa Job Index Survey, conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, and YouGov, a research and consulting organization.

In the Kingdom, 69 percent of companies claim they will either probably or definitely hire in the coming three months. In the next 12 months, 68 percent of companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region anticipate that they will hire; the same is true for 76 percent of Saudi-based companies. The majority of these jobs in the Kingdom will be for coordinators (38 percent), junior executives (35 percent) and executives (26 percent). A large number of Saudi companies are looking for accountants (23 percent), HR professionals (19 percent), and receptionists (16 percent).

In terms of experience, Saudi employers are looking for candidates with a background in management (41 percent), computer skills (33 percent), and sales and marketing (32 percent) work.

Seven out of 10 employers in the Kingdom (70 percent) have hired new candidates in the last six months, with 54 percent having done so in the last three months.

Residents in the Kingdom are particularly keen on the local job prospects, with 54 percent stating that the nation is more attractive than other countries.

In terms of attracting and retaining top talent in the Kingdom, the construction industry is considered by 36 percent of surveyed professionals to be the most popular. Banking and finance (33 percent) and telecommunications (32 percent) are also perceived as extremely popular.

Good communication skills in Arabic and English are a must for 56 percent of employers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. They are also a highly desirable qualification in the Kingdom, according to 73 percent of respondents. The ability to be a team player is also of top appeal to 50 percent of employers in the Kingdom.

The most desirable qualification to have in the MENA region at present is one in Business Management, according to 23 percent of survey respondents. Commerce (22 percent), administration (21 percent), computer science (21 percent) and engineering (20 percent) are also popular. KSA employers are especially keen on candidates with business management (25 percent) or administrative qualifications (25 percent).

Data for the Bayt.com MENA Job Index Survey, Feb. 2014, was collected online from Dec. 15 2013-Feb. 9 2014. Results are reported on a base of 3,137 respondents, of which 2,729 were of working status. Countries that participated are the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on March 17, 2014