Vacancies for professionals across the Middle East increased by 27 percent between the first and second quarters of 2018, according to recruitment firm Robert Walters Middle East.
Its latest Jobs Index showed that in the UAE, the number of advertised job vacancies for professionals, across accountancy and finance, banking and financial services, legal and sales and marketing rose by 13 percent while 41 percent growth was seen in Saudi Arabia.
Job growth quarter-on-quarter in the UAE was strongest in legal (72 percent), with banking and financial services (46 percent) also seeing healthy growth. Accounting and finance (5 percent) saw the lowest percentage change in advertised jobs in the UAE. Year-on-year, the UAE has seen an increase of 38 percent of advertised jobs across the same sectors, Robert Walters added.
Its report said in Saudi Arabia, sales and marketing saw the highest increase in advertised jobs in Saudi (143 percent), while accounting and finance saw the lowest percentage change at 38 percent.
Year-on-year, Saudi Arabia saw an increase in advertised jobs of 111 percent.
Jason Grundy, country head at Robert Walters – Middle East, said: “What a difference a year makes. The first half of 2018 has seen significant increases in placements for Robert Walters compared to the same period last year.
“This is my seventh summer in the UAE – in the two previous years we had reasonable numbers in Q1 and quiet summers that reflected the low oil price and lack of liquidity in the market at the time. The summer so far in 2018 has been the busiest I have ever experienced.”Unfortunately, I can’t simply announce a sustained period of continuous growth for the region, but things are certainly more positive in a world of contradictions.”
He added: “Equally, I’m aware there is a significant exodus of expats from all areas of the GCC and the Qatar situation does not seem to be getting any closer to a resolution.”The optimist in me believes that the positives have real economic foundations now and solutions will be found for the problems in the near future. The second half of 2018 feels important and I expect toreport a continued growth trajectory at the end of the year.”
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