All Gulf
Overview
Online hiring across the Gulf rose 35% year-on-year in July 2026, with the index climbing from 150 to 202. The annual gain is amplified by an unusually low July 2025 base and reads larger than the underlying market shift. Month-on-month activity edged up 1%, halting the two-month sequence of declines that ran through May and June.
The near-term picture is softer than the annual figure suggests. The three-month trend now sits at −7% and the six-month at −6%, both wider than a month ago. Employers continue to step back from the aggressive pace built through late 2025 and early 2026 rather than reverse it. Technology, hospitality and services demand are carrying the region, while several cyclical sectors that anchored earlier growth — BFSI, engineering, oil and gas — have now moved into modest annual decline.
Industry Trends (YoY)
In demand
IT and Telecom/ISP (+43%) The clear regional leader. Continued investment in digital infrastructure, cloud and AI enablement across public and private sectors keeps technical demand elevated.
Hospitality (+20%) Tourism and events calendars across the GCC continue to build, with net hiring holding firm through the summer season.
Advertising, MR, PR & Media (+19%) Corporate marketing and campaign spend across the region has firmed further, extending steady demand into a fifth consecutive month.
Production/Manufacturing (+15%) Still positive but decelerating sharply from the pace set in the spring, as industrial hiring shifts from mobilisation into steady-state execution.
Retail/Trade & Logistics (+13%) Accelerating gently, supported by resilient consumer demand and expanding logistics networks across the region.
Health Care (+9%) Clinical capacity build-out and healthcare infrastructure investment continue to support hiring across clinical and allied roles.
Consumer Goods/FMCG (+6%) Steady demand tracking regional consumption growth.
Education (0%) Level with a year ago after modest gains through the spring. Institutional hiring has settled into a stable pattern.
Facing challenges
BFSI (−2%) Slipped into modest annual decline after several strong months, though a 3% month-on-month uptick suggests the sector may be finding a floor rather than deteriorating further.
Oil and Gas (−4%) Back into negative territory. Operators are managing capital programmes selectively, and technical hiring has slowed alongside a moderating investment cycle.
Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (−6%) Regional real-estate pipelines are maturing, and the volume of new megaproject mobilisation has narrowed. This looks more like a base effect than a structural reversal.
Petrochemicals (−6%) The steepest named-industry decline. Global overcapacity and tight refining margins continue to weigh on GCC producers despite their structural cost advantages.
Functional Trends (YoY)
In demand
Hospitality & Travel (+22%) Once again the top functional performer, tracking the region’s expanding tourism and events pipeline.
Customer Service (+18%) Accelerating meaningfully, with strong month-on-month and three-month gains. Expanding service-delivery operations across the region are lifting frontline demand.
Software, Hardware, Telecom (+14%) Consistent with the IT sector expansion, though a step below its recent pace. Demand remains concentrated in engineering, infrastructure and product roles.
Marketing & Communications (+14%) Firmer than in the spring, as brand and performance functions expand alongside campaign spend.
Finance & Accounts (+9%) Compliance requirements and treasury complexity continue to sustain demand.
Engineering & Production (+6%) Slower than in earlier months, as the physical construction cycle moderates.
HR & Admin (+5%) Corporate headcount build-out continues to sustain people and administrative hiring, though at a measured pace.
Legal (+3%) Back to modest annual growth after a period of flat readings.
Facing challenges
Sales & Business Development (0%) Level with a year ago, reflecting more selective commercial hiring across the region.
Health Care functions (−1%) A marginal decline in the functional cut, in contrast with a still-positive sector reading — clinical support hiring is easing while frontline roles remain steady.
Purchase / Logistics / Supply Chain (−1%) Marginal decline as supply chain networks operate at steady state.
Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Overview
Saudi Arabia’s hiring market was essentially flat year-on-year in July 2026, with the index at 192 against 189 a year earlier — a modest 2% annual gain. Month-on-month hiring eased 3%, and the three- and six-month readings sit at −8% and −9%, indicating that the strong first-quarter pace has unwound.
The composition tells the more useful story. Financial services and technology are extending their run of growth, while cyclical construction and industrial hiring continue to pull back from an elevated prior year. Diversification-linked activity — hospitality, consumer, advertising — remains firm even as the broader market plateaus.
Industry Trends (YoY)
In demand
BFSI (+15%) The standout gainer, extending its run. Banking expansion, Islamic finance product growth and compliance-led recruitment continue to drive substantial demand.
IT and Telecom/ISP (+14%) Sustained demand as Saudi organisations invest in digital infrastructure and AI enablement. Saudization requirements add to demand for national technical talent.
Advertising, MR, PR & Media (+10%) Firming further as entertainment, tourism and corporate marketing spend continues to build across the Kingdom.
Consumer Goods/FMCG (+9%) Domestic consumption growth and expanding distribution networks continue to support consumer-sector hiring.
Hospitality (+6%) Positive, though moderating. Tourism and entertainment development continues to underpin recruitment across hotel, F&B and guest services roles.
Retail/Trade & Logistics (0%) Back to flat after several soft months — networks are consolidating rather than expanding.
Facing challenges
Oil & Gas (−1%) Broadly level with last year, as operators maintain conservative capital programmes.
Health Care (−3%) Modestly negative. Institutions are managing capacity carefully after several years of expansion.
Education (−7%) Still contracting, though the rate has continued to ease. Prior-year institution launches and curriculum-reform staffing have largely worked through.
Petrochemicals (−8%) Margin compression and capex caution continue to suppress net hiring across chemicals and refining.
Production/Manufacturing (−11%) A sharp swing into decline after a period of positive readings. Industrial hiring has moved firmly from mobilisation to steady state.
Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (−18%) The sharpest sectoral decline, unchanged from June. Megaproject hiring has moved from mobilisation into execution — a base effect rather than a structural reversal.
Functional Trends (YoY)
In demand
Hospitality & Travel (+22%) The clear functional leader, growing alongside the Kingdom’s tourism infrastructure build-out.
Software, Hardware, Telecom (+5%) Technical demand holds positive as digital and AI-enablement investment continues.
Marketing & Communications (+3%) Steady investment in brand and performance marketing sustains modest demand.
Sales & Business Development (+1%) Marginally positive — commercial hiring has moderated meaningfully from the spring.
Facing challenges
Finance & Accounts (−2%) Marginal decline as finance functions consolidate.
Engineering & Production (−3%) Softening alongside the construction correction — engineering functions have moved to steady-state execution.
Purchase / Logistics / Supply Chain (−3%) Continued pullback as supply chain networks stabilise after prior-year expansion.
Health Care functions (−3%) Clinical hiring easing in line with the sector.
HR & Admin (−17%) The weakest function by a wide margin, following elevated prior-year hiring during rapid workforce expansion. Organisations continue to consolidate support structures.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Overview
The UAE posted a 12% annual decline in July 2026, with the index at 53 against 60 a year ago. Near-term signals remain sharply weaker: month-on-month down 7%, three-month down 24% and six-month down 31% — the steepest correction of any Gulf market.
The unwind that began after the January 2026 peak of 77 continues, but the composition is increasingly polarised. Construction, financial services and specialist technology roles remain in strong growth, while broad support functions and cyclical consumer sectors are contracting further. The picture is of a market resetting into a narrower, more specialised profile.
Industry Trends (YoY)
In demand
Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+37%) The dominant story, accelerating further. The infrastructure pipeline continues to pivot toward energy and transport, alongside sustained public investment programmes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
BFSI (+25%) Extending its expansion. Dubai’s financial hub continues to attract international institutions, with fintech licensing, digital banking and compliance build-out driving hiring.
IT and Telecom/ISP (+16%) Firming further as digital infrastructure investment resumes across public and private sectors.
Hospitality (+3%) Positive, with hiring stabilising after several months of decline.
Oil and Gas (0%) Level with last year — operators maintain conservative capital programmes.
Facing challenges
Health Care (−5%) Institutions continue to manage capacity carefully after several years of expansion-driven hiring.
Retail/Trade & Logistics (−7%) E-commerce maturation and network optimisation continue to limit net additions, though the pace of decline has narrowed.
Advertising, MR, PR & Media (−11%) Agencies and in-house teams continue to manage headcount tightly.
Consumer Goods/FMCG (−13%) Cautious hiring as consumer businesses consolidate.
Production/Manufacturing (−22%) A sustained sharp decline, as firms absorb recent headcount additions amid soft industrial demand.
Education (−25%) A large swing into decline, reflecting a return to a normalised staffing base after elevated activity a year ago.
Petrochemicals (−36%) The sharpest sectoral decline in the market. Margin compression and a high prior-year base continue to weigh heavily on hiring.
Functional Trends (YoY)
In demand
Software, Hardware, Telecom (+41%) The top functional performer by a wide margin, and still accelerating. Firms are prioritising deep technical talent — engineers, developers, infrastructure specialists — over broad headcount growth.
Sales & Business Development (+25%) Commercial expansion and new market entry continue to sustain strong demand for frontline sales roles.
Purchase / Logistics / Supply Chain (+4%) Back into positive territory after several soft months, as supply chain networks reset.
Facing challenges
Marketing & Communications (−3%) Marketing teams continue to operate leaner as digital and content functions consolidate.
Health Care functions (−3%) Slipped into modest decline as clinical hiring eases.
Finance & Accounts (−15%) Shared service consolidation and finance automation continue to moderate net hiring.
Engineering & Production (−18%) A sharp decline that contrasts with the strong construction sector figure — physical build activity is expanding while broader production engineering contracts.
Customer Service (−19%) Automation and self-service digitisation continue to reduce frontline demand.
HR & Admin (−37%) The weakest function, deepening further. Organisations continue to run leaner support structures.
Regional Highlights
Oman (+11% YoY, +2% MoM): The Gulf’s fastest-growing market on an annual basis, and one of only two to post a month-on-month gain in July.
Kuwait (+10% YoY, flat MoM): Sustained annual growth, though monthly momentum has paused after a strong run.
Qatar (+5% YoY, flat MoM): Modest annual growth continues, with the market holding steady month-on-month.
Egypt (+4% YoY, −1% MoM): A meaningful return to annual growth after several months of contraction, though monthly activity remains slightly soft.
KSA (+2% YoY, −3% MoM): Essentially flat against a busy prior year, with BFSI, consumer goods and hospitality still active.
Bahrain (+1% YoY, −2% MoM): Marginally ahead of last year, with hiring easing gently in July after a strong June.
UAE (−12% YoY, −7% MoM): The weakest market in the region and the steepest annual decline, with construction and technology the exceptions holding demand up.
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. 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
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