These are some of the UAE’s fastest-growing jobs

Big Data, network security and machine learning are some of the most sought-after skills in the region, according to LinkedIn

Cyber security specialists are in demand in the UAE and Saudi Arabia as businesses accelerate their digitalisation plans after the pandemic disrupted operations. Reuters

The fastest-growing jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia include data scientist, cyber security specialist, talent acquisition specialist and back-end developer, figures compiled by LinkedIn show, as the job market returns to pre-pandemic levels.

Big data, network security and machine learning are some of the fastest-growing skills in the region as businesses accelerate their digitalisation plans after the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted operations, the world’s largest professional network said on Sunday.

The pandemic, digitalisation, transformation in employee priorities and new government policies in the region have influenced the most in-demand jobs, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn said.

Seventy-eight per cent of professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are considering changing their jobs this year, said LinkedIn, which polled 1,003 workers in the two countries in December last year.

About 48 per cent cited improved salary and 45 per cent picked an opportunity to learn new skills as factors most likely to make them switch jobs.

Meanwhile, 50 per cent of workers said that a salary increase would convince them to remain with their current employer, the survey found.

In the UAE, job competition has dropped by nearly 35 per cent and job seekers are in a stronger position to negotiate salaries and terms, LinkedIn said.

“This is part of a larger global trend that has also seen companies revamp policies and benefits to not just hire, but also retain quality talent,” Ali Matar, head of LinkedIn Middle East and North Africa and Europe, the Middle East and Africa venture markets, said.

“Candidates are being increasingly selective about the organisations they choose to apply for – citing flexibility, compensation and company culture as critical factors.”

About 64 per cent of employees in the UAE said that salary and compensation are the primary reasons that attract them to employers, a survey last week by jobs portal Bayt.com and market research company YouGov found.

Sixty-one per cent of employees cited work environment and 50 per cent picked long-term job security as other reasons that attracted them to companies, according to the survey, which polled 2,473 respondents from countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Lebanon between November 17 and December 14 last year.

The desire to consider a new job seems to decrease with age, according to LinkedIn. About 87 per cent of Gen Z professionals surveyed are looking for a job change compared with 71 per cent of Boomers and Gen X, the LinkedIn research found.

Nearly 85 per cent of workers feel confident to push for a promotion or new job opportunities at work, while almost half of the workers surveyed in Saudi Arabia and 40 per cent workers polled in the UAE think their confidence in their role will only improve in 2022, the research revealed.

One of the key motivators in the boost of worker confidence can be attributed to the increased prevalence of flexible working, with 51 per cent of the workforce saying that it has made them more confident to think about trying a new career.

A flexible working policy was the most common model in the UAE, with many opting for two to three days at home and in the office alternately, a recent study by recruitment consultancy Hays found.

About 19 per cent of private sector employers in the UAE said that Friday will become a day where staff are guaranteed the option of working from home, a recent survey by global advisory Willis Towers Watson found, as the country shifts to a Saturday-Sunday weekend in line with global markets.

Thirty per cent of companies in the UAE said they are considering giving staff the work-from-home option on Fridays, the survey revealed.

The UAE’s top 5 fastest-growing jobs

• Content co-ordinator
• Back-end developer
• Data scientist
• Business development associate
• E-commerce co-ordinator

Saudi Arabia’s top 5 fastest-growing jobs

• Cyber security specialist
• Legal specialist
• Human resources operations specialist
• Talent acquisition specialist
• User experience designer