Vacancies in 2021: Top 10 jobs in UAE that will be in demand

Labour market is gradually recovering after taking a major hit because of Covid-19, say recruiters

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Related: UAE salaries: Half of Emirati graduates 'expect Dh15,000 to Dh30,000 starting pay'

Recruiters in the UAE have said the number of job vacancies will grow next year, as the employment market slowly recovers.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused a major downturn in the labour market this year, with many employees across a variety of sectors being laid off, sent on unpaid leave or receiving salary cuts.

But recruiters said hiring is slowly picking up speed, with many opportunities in e-commerce and distribution.

“In the past few months, we’ve managed to speak to several employers and job applicants. Hiring is slowly picking back up again across key sectors contributing to the economy that include entertainment, hospitality, logistics, tourism, retail and property, but that is constantly changing amid the current uncertainty where a vaccine has yet to be found,” said Nevin Lewis, chief executive of Black and Grey human resources.

He told The National there had been a "massive growth" in new e-commerce retailers, online groceries and last-mile distribution centres in the UAE, especially in Dubai.

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Top 10 in-demand jobs in 2021

  1. Software engineers (mobile developers, devOps, full stack developer) Dh15,000 - Dh30,000
  2. Digital product developers - (UI/UX) and product managers Dh20,000 – Dh40,000
  3. Cloud infrastructure and cyber security Dh15,000 - Dh30,000
  4. Business development and sales specialist Dh10,000 – Dh30,000
  5. Credit controllers and finance analyst Dh10,000 – Dh25,000
  6. Flexible part time roles – Flexible pay
  7. E-commerce managers Dh8,000 – Dh20,000
  8. Data scientist Dh10,000 – Dh35,000
  9. Marketing and social media specialist Dh5,000 – Dh15,000
  10. Edtech experts Dh10,000 – Dh25,000

(List is compiled based off data from Future Tense and Black and Grey human resources)

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Mr Lewis’ company is also receiving “many enquiries” from global start-ups in digital transformation, augmented reality and e-learning who want to establish a base in the Middle East and is encouraging jobseekers to develop skills for the coming market.

“Professionals in the region who can upskill or reskill to adapt to target job opportunities in these new thriving industries will have a competitive advantage when the demand spikes in the coming year,” he said.

“As technology facilitating remote working continues to improve, numerous local businesses are planning to increase their share of work-at-home employees – this trend is also motivating more job applicants to embrace remote working beyond the pandemic.”

Karuna Agarwal, director of Future Tense human resources, expects that salaries will remain stable next year, with no cuts or increases expected.

She said freelancers were currently in demand as the trend of a gig economy continued and might extend into next year.

“I'm seeing that the market is so agile and everything looks like it's bouncing back,” she said.

What does the future of the office look like?

What does the future of the office look like?

“Things look positive in 2021, in my view," she said. “Sectors like e-commerce, logistics, healthcare, education is another space that I've seen a lot of movement in.

“Businesses without existing e-commerce capabilities or the means to develop and activate their online presence suffered drastically [during the pandemic].”

Online employment platform, LinkedIn, also said digital skills in particular are in demand.

The company currently has 14 million jobs listed on its platform globally, with the most in healthcare and technology roles.

Their data shows that technology sector will add 150 million jobs worldwide in the next five years.

“Over the past three months we have seen an improvement in the UAE hiring rate, although it is unclear whether this will offset the potential global economic impact of a second wave of infections facing many countries,” said Ali Matar, head of LinkedIn Europe, Middle East and Africa Emerging Markets.

“Focusing on transferable skills can help open a variety of roles that people may not have previously considered. Skills can be applied to different jobs or industries, creating new employment opportunities.

"Likewise, investing time in developing new skills, being proactive in your job search and engaging your professional network is key to finding a new job quickly.”

Photographer's warm gesture for people who lost their jobs in Dubai

Photographer's warm gesture for people who lost their jobs in Dubai