Employment Doha and Dubai most competitive cities for jobs Doha and Dubai are the top two most competitive cities in the world for applying for new jobs, according to a study from online resume builder Resume.io. The Gulf cities boasted the highest number of candidates per LinkedIn job posting in February this year. In Doha, the average listing received more applicants (399) within a […] June 26, 2023
Construction Construction workers on the up as Turkey rebuilds The number of construction workers in Turkey has risen 11 percent year-on-year to over 1.5 million in April, as the country rebuilds from the devastating earthquakes in February that killed 50,000 people. The disaster caused $34 billion worth of damage. Latest data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, reported this week, shows that the number of […] June 18, 2023
Employment UAE talent drive continues despite rising living costs The UAE’s talent drive continues to record strong growth despite the Gulf state’s rising cost of living. Industry executives say that the number of overseas companies and candidates looking to join the labour market is at a record high. “Dubai is becoming increasingly more attractive for people to move here, with record levels of new […] June 15, 2023
Video length: 04:29 Exclusive Employment Sharp rise in family disputes, says Emirati lawyer The UAE has seen a marked increase in disputes within family-run businesses which is likely to continue, according to a leading Emirati lawyer. Habib Al Mulla has been practising in the UAE for four decades and had until five years ago only seen one dispute case involving family members and shareholders of a company. However, […] June 8, 2023
Video length: 2:08 Video Employment UAE corporate tax arrival triggers recruitment fever UAE companies advertised for double the number of tax accountants in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, ahead of the introduction of the Emirates’ corporate tax. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) saw a 40 percent increase in tax roles last year compared to 2021. “Recruitment is big […] June 2, 2023
Employment ‘Saudisation’ creates 500,000 jobs for home nationals Saudi Arabia has created half a million new jobs in the last four years as part of its “Saudisation” policy of requiring companies to hire Saudi nationals, helping the kingdom’s unemployment rate fall to its lowest for six years. Ahmad Al-Rajhi, the minister of human resources and social development, speaking this week at an event […] May 19, 2023
Employment 280,000 jobs lost due to Moroccan drought Morocco’s economy lost 280,000 jobs in the past 12 months, as the farming industry continues to battle against the worst drought the North African country has seen in decades. A report from the Higher Commission for Planning (HCP) said 229,000 jobs were lost in rural parts of the country, where agriculture employs over 30 percent […] May 10, 2023
Analysis Manufacturing UAE and Saudi Arabia race to develop defence industries Saudi Arabia and the UAE are spending big to develop homegrown defence industries. The two governments aim to reduce their reliance on foreign arms and equipment manufacturers by partnering with some of their own top suppliers to nurture local expertise and capabilities. Relative to the size of their economies, Middle Eastern countries are among the […] May 1, 2023
Video length: 03:47 Video Middle East tech sector’s hire and fire conundrum The mass layoffs in the global tech sector last year were the highest since the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, but they are not necessarily a reflection of the job market globally or in the Middle East, according to a Dubai-based digital transformation and Web3 expert. “The layoffs only constitute 10 percent of all the […] April 20, 2023
Analysis Employment Saudi unemployment tumbles as more women join workforce Unemployment in Saudi Arabia has fallen to 8 percent, its lowest level for six years, as the kingdom’s non-oil economy recorded strong growth in 2022. The rate dropped by 3 percentage points in 2022, according to the General Authority for Statistics and analysts expect it to fall further this year. “As we expect higher growth […] April 20, 2023
Employment GCC consulting market to exceed $4 billion The GCC consulting market is expected to pass $4 billion in revenues this year, as the huge raft of giga-projects continue to transform the region. According to a report from UK research firm Source, the region’s consulting sector witnessed almost 16 percent growth in 2022 to reach $3.87 billion. Dane Albertelli, research analyst at Source, […] April 18, 2023
Employment Highest earning Saudi executive paid $3.3m in 2022 With total earnings of $3.3 million, the chairman of Saudi Automotive Services Co was the highest paid executive of listed companies in the kingdom last year, as pay for senior officials and board members continues to rise. Ibrahim Al Hudaithi topped the list compiled by Saudi financial news platform Argaam, with total earnings of SAR12.4 […] April 13, 2023
Opinion Employment Seven deadly career sins and how to avoid them How to make the most of your career April 5, 2023
Employment UAE sees strongest job growth since 2016 Employment in the UAE last month increased at the fastest rate in almost seven years as non-oil business activity continued its upward trajectory. Buoyed by growth in new orders and capacity pressures, the seasonally adjusted S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 55.9 in March, from 54.3 in February, its highest since November. […] April 5, 2023
Employment Professions named and shamed in UAE ‘worst reputation’ survey Recruiters have topped a list of the worst professionals to deal with in the UAE for the third year in a row, while social media influencers offering financial advice were also targeted as “infuriating”. UAE residents were asked which industries delivered the most unreliable customer service in a survey for the fifth annual “Worst Reputation” […] March 31, 2023
Opinion Employment Smash the glass ceiling for women in gaming and esports We need more women in this burgeoning multi-million dollar industry March 24, 2023
Majid Al Futtaim announces 105 job cuts Majid Al Futtaim is cutting 105 jobs from its 46,000-strong workforce after reporting a 2% drop in profit for 2022. The cuts will be at the holding level and in divisions including its leisure and entertainment operations, according to a report from Reuters. A statement from the retail and property conglomerate on Thursday said the […] March 16, 2023
GCC faces tech talent shortage while Meta cuts 10,000 jobs Experts warn that the fintech sector in the GCC still has several obstacles to overcome, chief among them a shortage of talent. Against this backdrop, Riyadh hosted the region’s largest fintech recruitment fair last week. The two-day Fintech Careers Fair involved more than 50 companies showcasing 600 job opportunities. Over 8,000 people attended. It took […] March 15, 2023
Employment GCC firms compete for talent as they expand workforce Gulf employers, especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, expect to expand their workforces further this year, boosting salaries as organisations vie to hire the region’s best talent. Top recruitment agency Hays surveyed about 4,500 working professionals in the GCC in the final three months of 2022. It found that last year 67 percent of […] March 7, 2023
Banking & Finance Mandatory health coverage boosts Middle East insurance sector Mandatory health insurance requirements swelled Gulf insurers’ income last year, although growth will slow in 2023 and profitability remains a challenge despite the coverage boom. Those are some of the findings in a report by S&P Global Ratings which predicts easing inflationary and supply chain pressures should lower costs arising from property, motor and casualty […] March 7, 2023
Opinion Employment Let’s drop the empty business buzzwords and get ahead Vague terms like 'leverage' and 'empower' do not help leaders assign clear tasks March 6, 2023
Employment More senior execs opting to live in Emirates and work globally Global firms are increasingly looking to hire senior executives based in the UAE to work for them remotely, according to industry experts. Deel, a headhunting company based in San Francisco, found that 89 percent of global roles it handled were for remote workers, with this figure rising to 97 percent in the UAE. The company’s […] February 27, 2023