New Survey Reveals Most Sought-After Skills and Jobs by MENA Employers for 2022

Posted on 2022 Feb,14

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New Survey Reveals Most Sought-After Skills and Jobs by MENA Employers for 2022

The latest Job Index Survey, from Middle East’s job site Bayt.com and global online market research company YouGov, has revealed that over two-thirds (67%) of MENA employers are planning to hire new employees in 2022.

Further, most MENA employers are demanding good communication in English and Arabic (58%), followed by being a team player (45%), ability to work under pressure (41%) and good leadership skills (41%) as top skills for their hires.

Demand: Skills, Job Roles, and Academic Qualifications

Accountant (17%), Sales Executive (14%), Sales Manager (14%) and Marketing Manager (14%) are the top roles that MENA employers are hiring for in the coming quarter. In terms of experience required, 33% of respondents state that they are looking for candidates with managerial experience, while 31% are searching for those with sales and marketing experience and 28% want candidates with mid-level experience.

In addition, Business Management (26%), Engineering (23%) and Commerce (21%) are the most sought-after academic qualifications amongst employers in the MENA region.

Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “The Middle East Job Index survey demonstrates that demand for professionals continues to grow in the MENA region. A fast and effective talent acquisition program, being clear about what the organization stands for, its culture and flexible working conditions are the deciding factors in winning talent during this period of growth.’’

Hiring Trends in the MENA

Job seekers in the MENA region will be pleased to know that hiring intention across many sectors is positive in the short term, with top industries looking to hire new employees in the next three months are Human Resources (68%), Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment (67%) and Banking/ Finance (65%).

In addition, 46% of the companies that plan to hire in the next three months will be hiring for a maximum of five jobs, while 19% of the companies will be hiring for about six to 10 jobs.

The outlook looks positive for job seekers in the near future as well. Hospitality/ Recreation/ Entertainment (79%) emerges as the top industry looking to hire in the next one year. This is followed by Business Consultancy/ Business Management/ Management Consulting (78%) and Manufacturing (75%).

Most Attractive Industries

Banking/ Finance (30%), Advertising/ Marketing/ Public Relations (30%) and IT/ Internet/ E-commerce (28%) emerge as the industries that attract or retain top talent in the MENA region.

Overall, Banking/Finance emerges as the main industry attracting the national talent (30%), fresh graduates (33%) as well as female talent (38%).

Zafar Shah, Research Director at YouGov said: “The future is bright for job seekers as the MENA starts to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Thanks to robust vaccine programs and people returning to the office, hiring trends reflect an encouraging recovery as this year’s first Job Index tracks, follows and communicates required skillsets.”

Released bi-annually, the Job Index survey is an in-depth study that aims to measure the job availability and hiring trends. It also identifies trends in the MENA job market and provides an understanding of required skill sets and qualifications in the region.