Post-recession Overview of the Job Market in the Gulf

In contrast to many areas across the Western world, the Gulf region is currently growing and creating dependable jobs within a variety of sectors. Professionals from many nations are being drawn to the challenging positions, attractive compensation and warm climate. Even in the midst of nationalization programs by GCC nations, the job market for both nationals and expats is thriving.

The Saudi Arabian job market leads within the Gulf region, offering a variety of jobs in a range of sectors. Massive government spending on infrastructure has been pumped into the local economy in the post-recession period, such as the SAR 99.75 billion King Abdullah Economic City project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Information released by the Infrastructure Investment World MENA 2011 conference states that the GCC on the whole is undertaking $1.3 trillion in infrastructure investments. These projects involve engineering and design professionals as well as those in the construction, utilities and IT sectors and with international standards in play, the demand for foreign workers is high.

Qatar also has a concentration of development projects centered mainly on the gas industry and a major airport expansion. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a booming business and some of the world's top firms in the industry are located in Qatar. Telecommunications and tourism are also hot job markets in this thriving nation.

The real estate and financial markets in many of the GCC nations were hard hit by the recession as property prices fell and credit froze. Recovery is evident, but slow moving. In the UAE specifically construction is another area that has been slow to pick up.

On the whole the economy in the GCC is rising and major international organizations forecast additional and sizable growth for the next few years. The IMF expects the Mideast region to experience growth at a rate of 4.2 per cent for the current year and a further 4.8 per cent growth in 2011. As the economy strengthens and these nations diversify further into non-oil industries the gulf jobs market is set to expand. Although the effects of the recession were felt worldwide the Gulf region has now moved beyond.