Key Highlights of the Month
The foundit Insights Tracker (FIT) in the Middle East recorded a strong 53% annual increase in online recruitment activity in January 2026. Month-on-month, the index grew 5%, reflecting a positive start to the year across the region.
Over the past three months, e-recruitment activity expanded 26%, with the six-month view showing a sustained 38% rise. Growth was broad-based, led by IT & Telecom, Production/Manufacturing, and HR & Admin, reinforcing the region’s continued momentum on economic diversification and digital transformation.
Month-on-Month (MoM) Hiring Trends
Industry Trends
Growth
- BFSI (+9%): Led monthly gains, reflecting renewed activity in financial services and continued fintech expansion.
- Oil & Gas (+6%): Rebounded with solid month-on-month growth despite a marginal annual dip.
- Retail/Trade & Logistics (+4%) and Hospitality (+4%): Maintained steady upward movement heading into the new year.
Declines
- Education (-15%): Registered the sharpest monthly contraction, likely reflecting post-January-enrolment cycle adjustments.
- Petrochemicals (-2%): Continued its modest downward trend month-on-month.
Annual (YoY) Industry Standouts
- IT & Telecom (+57%): Continued to dominate annual growth, driven by accelerating digital adoption across the Gulf.
- Production/Manufacturing (+50%): Sustained exceptional growth, underpinned by Gulf-wide industrialisation programmes.
- Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+21%) and Hospitality (+21%): Maintained strong year-on-year expansion.
- Oil & Gas (-2%), Healthcare (-2%), and Consumer Goods/FMCG (-7%): Were the sectors to record annual contractions, reflecting sector-specific recalibrations.
Hiring Trends – Regional
- UAE (+48%): Led annual growth across the Gulf, continuing its strong hiring momentum across multiple sectors.
- Kuwait (+22%): Posted notable annual gains, supported by diversified sectoral activity.
- Oman (+19%): Maintained its upward trajectory, backed by infrastructure and manufacturing projects.
- Bahrain (+8%) and KSA (+7%): Recorded moderate annual growth.
- Qatar (+5%) and Egypt (+3%): Maintained steady, if modest, recruitment activity.
Month-on-month, UAE (+7%) and Oman (+5%) led regional gains, while Bahrain (-9%) was the only country to register a meaningful monthly decline.
Hiring Trends – Functional Area
Recruitment activity demonstrated a broadly positive performance across functional areas:
In Demand:
- HR & Admin (+54% YoY): The top-performing functional area annually, reflecting sustained organisational expansion and workforce buildout across the region.
- Software, Hardware & Telecom (+35% YoY): Driven by continued technology adoption and digital infrastructure investment.
- Engineering & Production (+25% YoY): Aligned with ongoing infrastructure and industrial projects.
- Customer Service (+19% YoY) and Purchase/Logistics/Supply Chain (+16% YoY): Benefited from expanding commercial and supply chain activity.
Facing Challenges:
- Finance & Accounting (+1% YoY): Barely flat annually, reflecting a continued shift toward automation and fintech in financial roles.
- HR & Admin (-3% MoM): Despite strong annual numbers, saw a marginal monthly pullback, likely a post-December correction.
Regional Highlights
- UAE (+48% YoY): Demonstrated the strongest annual growth in the Gulf, with particular strength in Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+31%) and a robust performance in Sales & Business Development (+24% YoY), reflecting expanding commercial and infrastructure activity.
- Kuwait (+22% YoY): Emerged as a standout performer, with broad-based annual gains across sectors pointing to growing economic diversification.
- KSA: IT & Telecom (+63% YoY) was the standout sector, while Production/Manufacturing recorded an exceptional +87% YoY — underscoring the Kingdom’s Vision 2030-driven push to build industrial capacity.
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (FIT), formerly the Monster Employment Index, provides a comprehensive view of online recruitment trends in the Middle East (Gulf). By analysing millions of job postings across key industries and functional areas, FIT offers invaluable insights for job seekers and recruiters alike. For more details, visit founditgulf.com.
