Hiring in the UAE has picked up steadily over the past six months, according to the second edition of the Naukrigulf Hiring Index. The Index rose from 1,007 in April to 1,167 in September, an increase of 16%. 

The Index tracks more than 200,000 hiring mandates a year from over 7,000 employers in the UAE, Qatar and Oman.

Hiring rose in 14 of 15 major industries 

Between April and September, hiring increased across 14 of the 15 major industries in the UAE. Manufacturing & Industrial recorded the highest growth at 32%, bringing hiring levels to just 2% below last year. Healthcare and Pharma followed with a 26% rise each, while Retail, FMCG & Consumer grew 17%. Real Estate & Construction, which accounts for nearly a quarter of all hiring in the UAE, also recorded a 20% increase.

Hospitality, Travel & Entertainment (up 63%) and Automotive & Transport (up 65%) grew the fastest, though both started from low levels in April. IT & Digital hiring stayed about the same through the six months and is 8% lower than last year. BFSI was the only major industry where hiring fell between April and September.

Engineering jobs lead

Core Engineering, the largest job function with about a third of all UAE hiring, rose 16% since April. Hiring for these roles is now at the same level as last year. Operations roles rose 28%. Sales & Marketing rose 21% since April, though it is still 21% lower than last year. 

Hiring growth strongest for jobs paying up to AED10,000

Jobs paying up to AED10,000 ($2,723) a month, the largest share of hiring, rose 24% since April. Jobs paying AED10,000–20,000 rose 7%, and those paying AED20,000–30,000 rose 10%. Hiring for jobs paying more than AED30,000 is lower than in April.

Hiring becomes more diverse across nationalities

Jobs with no nationality preference rose 20% since April. They now make up about 56% of all UAE hiring, up from 54% a year ago. Jobs preferring South Asian candidates rose 27% and are only 2% lower than last year.

Commenting on the findings, Sharad Sindhwani, EVP, Business & Product Head, Naukrigulf, said: “Hiring in the Gulf is clearly picking up. Over the past six months, UAE hiring has risen steadily since May, led by engineering, manufacturing, healthcare and real estate. Hiring is still lower than last year, though the gap is closing fast, and jobs paying up to AED10,000 a month, which account for the largest share of hiring, are recovering the quickest.”—TradeArabia News Service