About the Latest Gulf Employment Trends in 2018

With a rise in government spending and dampening consumer demand, the types of employment opportunities available has begun to change. Whilst nothing is certain, we can only imagine that these forces will continue to have an impact, and that replacing expats with nationals will make waves within the market. According to research also conducted by Gulf Talent – one of the region’s leading online recruitment portals – the Gulf job market is set to grow at an average rate of 9% this year.

SEE ALSO: What You Need to Know About Work and Travel Visas Around the World

Whilst higher oil prices continue to bring in new projects and investments, the ever-growing population has led to governments in the area looking to boost health coverage, meaning the healthcare sector is set to grow over the coming years. This is likely to open up a vast number of new employment opportunities in this particular sector, with a key focus on GPs, nurses, surgeons and other medical professionals.

In terms of demand for skills, the largest surge as of late has been for finance professionals. This is a result of the introduction of VAT and the need to refresh outdated finance systems and processes. Despite this, the demand for human resource professionals ranks second as companies desperately seek to rebuild HR teams that were reduced over the past few years in order to properly prepare for expansion. Marketing professionals are also in demand as companies fight for customers in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

SEE ALSO: The Best Ways to Find Stability When Living Abroad

The report also suggests that when it comes to gender hiring ratio in this area, businesses tend to hire one woman for every three men. Whilst not all workplaces provide equal opportunities for men and women depending on the legal restrictions in the Gulf, reassessing job requirements and ensuring all employees have the same access to opportunities can help employees meet the same standards as they progress in their career.

Above all, Kuwait is expected to have one of the fastest rates of job creation. With the region’s highest dependence on the oil and gas sector, Kuwait is currently witnessing a significant boom as a result of high oil prices. A net 13% of firms are experiencing an increase in personnel, largely due to a recovering oil sector in Abu Dhabi, also.

On the other hand, the Saudi job market is expected to shrink this year. This is a result of a net 2% firms reporting a considerable reduction in headcount, due to the government’s imposition of Saudization policies.

If you are considering relocating to the Gulf, and you would like advice throughout the relocation process, get in touch with a member of our expert team, today.