According to the latest Monster Employment Index (MEI), technology and tourism jobs in Saudi Arabia saw strong growth in the second quarter of 2019.
Saudi Arabia generally recorded a 13% growth in online job postings in Q2 compared to the same period last year. The IT/Telecom and Hospitality industries led the increase in online hiring activity, with a growth of 29% and 22% respectively. The growth in online hiring in the technology industry continues as the kingdom rapidly transforms almost every sector with cutting-edge technology, Monster said in a statement.
Recent research by KPMG also suggests that the hospitality sector is expected to grow by 4,000 rooms, equating to 35%, by 2023.
Other industries to record growth in the Q2 MEI were Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) at 16%, Marketing (including Advertising, Market Research, Public Relations, Media and Entertainment) at 15%, and Oil and Gas at 14%.
Retail was the only industry to record a decline in KSA, dropping 5% from Q2 2018.
In the UAE, the Education sector led the pack, with a 19% growth in Q2 2019 compared to the same period last year. The UAE had allocated $2.8 billion to education in 2018, representing 20% of the federal budget.
Other industries in the UAE to record some growth in the 2019 Q2 MEI were Production (including Manufacturing, Automotive and Ancillary) at 12%, Oil and Gas at 8%, and IT/Telecom at 8% as well.
Engineering, Construction and Real Estate sectors recorded the largest drop in the UAE with a decline of 19% from Q2 2018.
