Dubai: UAE job applicants looking for opportunities in the construction industry, manufacturing, as well as consultancy and advisory may not be disappointed this year.
According to a specialist recruitment firm, such industries are playing a major part in the recruitment drive for 2017. Cooper Fitch’s Salary Guide for 2017, which covers mid to senior level professionals across the UAE, has revealed in detail where the jobs and opportunities will be for 2017 and what employers are currently looking for.
Jobseekers are advised that the so-called Big Four or huge accounting firms are currently expanding their teams as they look to assist or prepare companies for the upcoming implementation of value-added tax (VAT) in the region.
Local conglomerates, as well as those in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), aviation, energy and financial services are likewise creating their own tax teams in preparation for VAT, so companies that belong to these industries are worth looking into.
Although hiring in the banking industry is not as robust, Cooper Fitch said that multinational banks in the UAE continue to hire additional employees to fill positions in their compliance and financial crime departments.
There has also been an uptick in recruitment for compliance professionals with foreign exchange, asset management and private banking experience.
Within the digital sector, one in every four organisations in the region will most likely expand their teams. About seven in ten companies are also increasing their investment in digital marketing, so more jobs for professionals in the digital space can also be expected. In particular, there is a high demand for applicants on the more creative side of digital.
In the human resources field, candidates with experience in multinational companies in the UAE and GCC can expect job offers in the second half of the year.
Law firms in the UAE are likewise offering opportunities, especially for top-end dispute resolution professionals.
In the property and construction sector, more positions may still open up, with hiring activity already taking place across key senior level appointments with master developers and project management consultants in the GCC looking to pirate top talent from their competitors.
Jobseekers with knowledge and experience in cloud technology won’t be disappointed either. According to Cooper Fitch, there has been an increase in hiring for candidates with technical and commercial experience in cloud technology, as well as sales professionals with strong experience in this area.
Also, because of the introduction of VAT, there are opportunities for professionals with software skills in the UAE, as companies look to incorporate taxation in their core processes. Cooper Fitch said there has been an increase in hiring for professionals who have experience in implementing VAT into ERP, the software that helps automate financial transactions on the computing system. Demand for these professionals is only expected to grow as the VAT roll-out nears.
