Consultancy and healthcare firms expected to be the biggest recruiters over the next three months

Sales managers, accountants and marketing managers are the top roles employers are looking to fill

Sales managers, accountants and marketing managers are the jobs that Mena employers are most keen to fill Getty

Consulting, healthcare and energy companies in the Mena region are looking to hire the highest number of employees over the next three months, according to a new survey.

The 2020 Middle East Job Index Survey, which was conducted by Bayt.com and online market research company YouGov, said 58 per cent of business or management consultancies will recruit more staff, followed by healthcare and energy companies, both at 55 per cent.

The survey was conducted from June 23 to August 6 and involved 1,055 respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Qatar, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan and Morocco.

“Faced with an unprecedented global crisis in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic, our region continues to evolve and transform ... affecting the most in-demand jobs and skills, as well as the factors which are crucial in attracting and retaining top talent,” said Ola Haddad, director of human resources at jobs marketplace Bayt.com.

Sales managers (20 per cent), accountants (19 per cent) and marketing managers (16 per cent) are the top jobs that Mena employers are most keen to fill over the next three months, according to the survey.

In terms of seniority, most of the appointments expected to be made by Mena companies are for entry level-staff and junior executives (41 per cent), managers (24 per cent) and co-ordinators (23 per cent).

“For job seekers, this survey is a useful guide outlining the general perspectives and sentiments regarding matters [such as] job availability and skills required,” said Zafar Shah, research director for data services at YouGov.

The skill sets that most employers are looking for include good communication in English and Arabic (64 per cent), the ability to be a team player (44 per cent) and trustworthiness (40 per cent).

More than a third of employers (35 per cent) in the Mena region who were surveyed said they are looking for candidates with managerial experience, while 34 per cent said they require candidates with sales and marketing experience and 27 per cent want those with midlevel experience of three to seven years.

Business management (26 per cent), commerce (22 per cent) and engineering (21 per cent) are the academic qualifications most sought-after by employers in the region.