Emaar, Emirates among most popular employers in Mena

26/11/2015 06:12 AST

Emaar, Shell and Emirates airline have made it to the top of the list of job-seeker preferences, according to LinkedIn's rankings of the most in-demand employers in 2015 for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena).

The LinkedIn InDemand list represents the most sought-after employers in the region based on millions of interactions from LinkedIn's members. Rather than relying on questionnaires, InDemand measures the actual behaviour of professionals as they explore their career journey on LinkedIn.

According to this year's list, the top represented sectors in the rankings include oil and gas, real estate and construction, and telecommunications and technology.

Ali Matar, head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Mena, said: "The healthy mix of regionally headquartered and global firms in the top 20 list shows the vibrant business environment in the Middle East. Organisations in this list are investing in their employer brand, and their strategic approach to staffing denotes an appreciation of social recruiting."

The oil and gas sector in the Middle East was proven to attract the most talent, with more than six companies in the top 20 list and with prime positions going to Shell, Saudi Aramco and BP.

The real estate and construction industry was the second dominating sector on the list, with Emaar in the lead as the most InDemand Mena employer in 2015. The list also includes other construction firms such as KEO International and Consolidated Contractors Company.

An equally in-demand sector is telecommunications and technology, with etisalat in the lead, followed by Apple, Google and GE.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, MD of Emaar Properties, said: "Emaar's premier ranking in LinkedIn's Top 20 InDemand Employers in the Mena underlines our position as the most preferred employer of choice in the region. It demonstrates the rewarding career and personal development opportunities that Emaar offers to its team members."

Abdulaziz Al Ali, Emirates airline's executive vice-president of human resources, said: "Emirates remains an employer of choice for candidates in the Middle East and around the world. Each year, we receive almost 500,000 applications for just a few thousand positions. Candidates are attracted to work at Emirates because of our reputation as one of the world's most admired and successful airlines."

Khaleej Times