The entire Middle Eastern region is expected to display moderate to strong hiring (especially white collar) in the coming year, especially owing to its long-standing policy of diversification away from oil production. According to auditors and market observers PwC, Middle East and Africa (MEA) can expect an increase in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deal flows in the coming year, especially in the areas of education, healthcare, retail and consumer sectors, leading to an increased demand for finance and accounting professionals in these markets. According to UAE’s Ministry of Labour, the UAE labour market is ‘heading towards attracting talent and expertise in specialised and technical professions’.

The hiring climate in the Middle East is affected tremendously by how the Oil & Gas activity shapes itself. Although the regional economies have experienced a phase of slow growth in recent times – due to reduction in oil & gas plateaued in recent months – attributed slightly to the reduction in oil and gas activities, employers are optimistic in filling up open vacancies.

The UAE region is particularly optimistic because of its bid for the Expo 2020. This has driven business growth in a lot of sectors and hence businesses are looking out for best candidates to take up critical positions and take organizations forward.