Dubai sees increased hiring activity
Macdonald & Company Salary Guide finds that regional construction industry on the upswing as developers look for staff
Ben Waddilove says that the situation in the GCC is improving compared to western economies.
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Macdonald & Company, a property recruitment specialist, has said it has noted an increase in hiring activity over the last few weeks, following a relatively busy summer, signifying renewed optimism in the industry.
Director Ben Waddilove said that this upswing in hiring was indicative of the health of the region’s construction industry, especially in comparison to the likes of US, Europe and the UK.
“The current situation is definitely improving and we expect that the Gulf States will continue to achieve a significant GDP growth compared to other western economies as the year progresses,” said Waddilove.
He added that several major developers in Dubai, along with government institutions, were looking for senior-level individuals, while there has been a real willingness to look forward, plan and budget for new staff appointments.
Furthermore, data compiled by Macdonald & Company for the Middle East Salary Guide found that employers are now being very selective about new hires, with an increased emphasis on hiring expertise from outside the region again.
Abu Dhabi’s employment market remains steady, the Guide found, with only a few developers active in hiring. The majority of companies are waiting for the proposed Sorouh and Aldar merger to go through and for greater clarity of the newly formed company.
Industry experts also said that they were interested in what impact the recent government decree that all Abu Dhabi government employees must reside in the capital will have on rent, salaries and lifestyles.
The report pointed out that the residential sales and leasing market in Dubai continued its improvement, with well finished and well located properties being delivered by respected developers.
Waddilove added that the other main generators of hiring activity were the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Saudi Arabia remains the largest market by far, but is very challenging to recruit for, due to the stringent nationalisation policies.
Although there is a strong air of expectancy around Qatar due to the World Cup, Waddilove said that it was yet to really move forwards in terms of hiring staff.
In comparison to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the rest of the Arab World, including Syria, Yemen, Egypt and Libya, have remained off limits in terms of hiring staff while the Arab Spring continues to play out.
