Gulf State governments should heed warnings that booming employment opportunities may be built on sand.
Despite soaring numbers of vacancies in some sectors, employment experts are warning that the number of jobs is not reducing unemployment in some countries and that too many jobs are in the public sector.
Banking and financial services provided the largest number of job vacancies across the Middle East and North Africa, according to an analysis of openings by online jobs portal Monster.
The number of available jobs surged by 42% in 2013, compared with the vacancies advertised in the previous 12 months.
Overall, jobs posted online increased by 13% across the region in the year ending December 31.
Online recruitment
Behind jobs in banking, financial services and insurance, the next most buoyant sector was engineering, construction and real estate, showing a 25% increase in the number of vacancies.
The automotive sector saw vacancies drop by 22%, while oil and gas posts were down for the 11th consecutive month.
By country, the largest increase in job openings was in Saudi Arabia – 24% up in the year and 10% higher than the previous month.
Although oil and gas jobs generally declined, they were up 43% in Saudi Arabia.
The largest fall in vacancies was a 16% drop in the United Arab Emirates.
“Online recruitment is gaining in popularity in the Middle East and North Africa every year,” said Sanjay Modi, managing director, Monster for India, the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia.
Jobs for locals
“Employment indicators in the Gulf States are good, but the International Monetary Fund has pointed out that unemployment remains high as many of the posts go to expats. This may lead to problems if continuing economic growth does not offer more jobs to locals.”
Several Gulf nations have already started programs aimed at finding jobs for locals.
Saudi Arabia has a freeze on all expat public sector posts and is encouraging qualified nationals to apply for them.
However, one shortage of skills is in healthcare, and the kingdom is advertising 3,500 posts for doctors and skilled nurses in other Middle East countries and India.
Qatar is another nation looking at replacing expat workers with qualified nationals.
The nation is also hoping to cash in on hosting the 2022 World Cup Finals by boosting the hotel and tourism trade with 127,000 by 2030.
Qatar has 20,000 hospitality professionals and 81 hotels, according to government figures, and bases the need on the staff required by 110 hotels currently being built for the World Cup.
