New jobs growth across the GCC region will continue to strengthen in 2022, particularly in Saudi Arabia, which is undergoing a period of a significant revival in all industries.
According to recruiting specialist Cooper Fitch, Saudi Arabia’s job market will continue to improve in 2022, owing to the kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy and the Covid-19 vaccine campaign, which have eased restrictions for tourists, job seekers and businesses.
The Saudi Arabian recruitment market
Over the past four years, Saudi Arabia has created 555,000 new jobs as part of its plan to develop $1 trillion worth of new projects to meet its Vision 2030 goal of diversifying the economy away from oil, according to the General Authority for Statistics.
Working on infrastructure projects like the ones currently underway in Saudi Arabia will demonstrate future companies’ capacity to work within different cultures and adapt to different ways of doing business.
Insights from Michael Page, a specialist recruitment agency, revealed to TRENDS an increase in the number of international candidates willing and able to move to Saudi Arabia.
Job seekers in the region or internationally have been increasingly looking at opportunities in Saudi Arabia since COVID-19 hit. Indeed, Saudi Arabia offers many growth opportunities from entry-level to senior executive roles and across sectors.
The agency added that living and working in Saudi Arabia is a one-of-a-kind experience as candidates will experience new infrastructure and the application of advanced technologies.
Furthermore, the pandemic has adversely impacted other markets like Europe and Africa, leading to company-wide restructures and job losses. Thus, all these factors make candidates more open to relocating to Saudi Arabia for the right opportunity.
Several reasons behind this interest
According to Michael Page, several factors drive interest in the Saudi market today, the most notable of which is the large number of significant projects being carried out in Saudi Arabia where a company, concept, or even industry is being built from scratch. For example, international tourism didn’t exist four years ago.
“A lot of the work is truly interesting for expats to use their experience of creating from scratch but now within a completely new environment,” the company noted.
In addition to the above, the pay and stability factors play a significant part in the interests of foreigners and residents in the Saudi market.
“With the expectations and timeliness of projects set to continue at pace for the next three to ten years, there is an opportunity to stay in an organization for a significant period and earn well (tax free) to contribute to retirement plans,” the company explained.
Meanwhile, the following are the fastest-growing sectors
Construction and Real Estate
The Saudi Vision 2030, which includes major infrastructure and building projects such as Neom and the Red Sea Project, has created opportunities for growth in various sectors.
The property and construction sector has created a significant influx of jobs, and these big projects have required talent from across the world with extensive experience to carry them through.
Sales and Marketing
Michael Page has noticed a considerable increase in demand for Sales and Marketing roles in Saudi Arabia over the last few months. For instance, professional marketers are needed to boost the awareness of the Vision 2030 projects.
Business Development professionals are also in high demand as many startups are opening branches and offices in Saudi Arabia to increase revenue.
Healthcare and Life Sciences
Further to the above, there is also an increase in job opportunities within the Healthcare and Life Sciences industry, owing to the Health Sector Transformation Program established for the Vision 2030.
Technology
When it comes to jobs in Technology, there is a huge opportunity due to the demand for cloud services increasing in Saudi Arabia, the need to implement cyber security frameworks, and smart city technology required for real estate projects.
Expat Tech talent is also in high demand in Property & Construction Development, Design, and Leadership.
Project Management Office/Strategy
There is an increase in PMO/Strategy roles within the Government/Semi-Government sectors.