FMCG, ICT and banking lead UAE jobs recovery

Hiring is picking up in a number of sectors in the UAE, with financial services, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and telecommunication being the most vibrant ones, according to leading headhunters in the country.

“The most active sectors today appear to be pharmaceuticals, FMCG, IT and telecommunications. Also, we are seeing some pick-up in the financial services sector although those are rather replacements than new management roles,” Michael Al Nassir, Partner, Head of Middle East, Africa & India, Pedersen & Partners, told Emirates 24|7.

“FMCG in our company,” added Royston Fernandes, General Manager at Lobo Management.

Hasnain Qazi, Middle East Business Manager at Pathway Resourcing is particularly upbeat about the banking sector, which was one of the hardest hit during recession. 

“In particular, there is a lot of activity within retail banking and also with investment houses and banks – they are busy replenishing the staff they made redundant the year before at the start of the crisis,” he says.

Speaking of the year so far, he added: “The sector that hired the most was priority banking, in particular front line RMs and SRMs. [This is] also for UAE national bankers across the board.”

Konstantina Sakellariou, Partner and Marketing & Operations Director at Stanton Chase, agrees that there is increase momentum in financial services sector, consumer and retail sector and technology.

“I would say the industrial sector (excluding construction and real estate), some specialised sectors of the broader financial services sector, the consumer and retail sector and the technology sector...have been more active,” she said.

UAE witnessed a number of job losses last year owing to the global economic slowdown. Particularly hard-hit were job numbers in sectors that were directly exposed to the global downturn, including real estate, construction and banking.

Now, experts concur that a turnaround in that trend is evident in the market and nascent recovery in jobs in the UAE is underway.

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