Nearly two-thirds of Saudi companies plan to hire this year

21/02/2017 05:56 AST

Many employers are planning to hire soon within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In Saudi Arabia, in particular, more than six in 10 employers (64%) are planning to hire this year, the latest Middle East Job Index Survey, compiled by the Middle East’s leading job site, Bayt.com, and research and consulting group, YouGov, revealed Monday.

Hiring intentions in the next three and next 12 months Within the next three months, nearly half of Saudi employers (48%) said that they are “definitely” or “probably” going to hire. Among Saudi companies that plan to hire within the next three months, nearly half (42%) are going to hire for “Junior Executive” roles, followed by 28% who intend to hire a “Coordinator”, and 25% who intend to hire a “Manager”. Further, 19% of employers in Saudi Arabia said that they are looking to hire “Accountants,” while 16% said they want to hire “Mechanical Engineers”.

From those surveyed, 71% of Saudi respondents claim that their company has hired new employees in the past 12 months.

“The hiring forecast in Saudi Arabia is looking promising, with 64% of Saudi employers planning to hire in a year’s time,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “It is also worth mentioning that 49% of those planning to hire predict having at least five vacancies to fill in the next 3 months. These responses come as no surprise to us: there are currently more than 10,000 jobs posted on Bayt.com. We will continue to work closely with the region’s employers to help them find their talent. We will also continue empowering and supporting job seekers who are going to make use of these new and exciting job vacancies.”

In terms of academic qualification, a large number of Saudi employers are looking for “Engineering’ Graduates or Post Graduates (33%), followed by “Business Management” (27%) and “Commerce” (20%). When it comes to skills in high demand, more than three quarters (77%) of employers in Saudi Arabia are looking for employees with “good communication skills in both English and Arabic”, and almost half (49%) are looking for “team players / cooperative / helpful / flexible” candidates.

In terms of experience, 37% of Saudi employers are looking for candidates with “managerial experience”, 33% are looking for “administrative experience”, and another 30% are looking for candidates with “sales and marketing experience”.

Masri added: “We encourage organizations looking to hire to use features on Bayt.com such as CV Search and Job Postings, which can help meet their pressing hiring needs and ensure that they fill their vacancies as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.”

“We look at hiring expectancy throughout the MENA region as it can serve as a positive reflection on the economy. When looking at the MENA job market, the private sector has highlighted that they are planning to offer a large number of employment options in the next few months and the year ahead. It is also important to have insights on which skills, academic qualifications, and experience levels are in highest demand. Job seekers can plan accordingly,” said Arleen Gonsalves, Associate Research Manager, YouGov.

Saudi Gazette