Overview of Hiring Activity
Hiring activity across the Gulf accelerated sharply in November 2025, with the foundit Insights Tracker (fit) recording a 40% year-on-year increase, signalling a broad-based rebound in employer hiring confidence.
Month-on-month hiring rose by 14%, while both the 3-month and 6-month trends stood at +25%, indicating sustained momentum rather than a short-term spike. Growth continues to be anchored by technology, manufacturing, education, hospitality, and HR-led expansion, supported by diversification agendas, digital adoption, and workforce restructuring across the region.
Hiring Trends by Industry (YoY change)
A majority of tracked industries recorded positive annual growth in November, with technology-led sectors clearly outperforming traditional and consumer-sensitive segments.
In demand
IT & Telecom/ISP (+47%)
Technology hiring remains the strongest growth driver, backed by cloud migration, cybersecurity needs, AI integration, and large-scale digital transformation initiatives across Gulf economies.
Production/Manufacturing, Automotive & Ancillary (+36%)
Industrial expansion under localisation and diversification programmes continues to fuel demand for engineers, operations professionals, and supply-chain talent.
Hospitality (+15%)
Tourism recovery, event-led demand, and expanding hotel pipelines are translating into steady hiring growth across operations, services, and travel-linked roles.
Education (+14%)
Private school expansion, higher enrolments, and demand for specialised educators are supporting consistent hiring momentum.
Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+12%)
Infrastructure development and urban expansion projects are sustaining demand across civil engineering, project execution, and site-level roles.
Facing challenges
Consumer Goods & FMCG (−15%)
Hiring remains under pressure due to margin constraints, cautious consumer spending, and rationalised expansion plans.
Oil & Gas (−18%)
Moderation continues amid conservative upstream investment and a gradual pivot toward renewable and energy-transition projects.
Healthcare (−4%)
Despite being a structurally essential sector, hiring remains muted due to cost optimisation, consolidation, and increased reliance on technology-enabled care delivery.
Hiring Trends by Functional Area (YoY change)
Functional hiring trends highlight strong demand for people-centric and operational roles, while finance and support functions remain under pressure.
In demand
HR & Admin (+24%)
Workforce nationalisation, compliance requirements, HR digitisation, and organisational restructuring are driving strong demand for HR business partners, TA, and L&D professionals.
Hospitality & Travel (+18%)
Sector recovery is translating into healthy hiring across frontline operations, services, and customer-facing roles.
Customer Service (+14%)
Growth reflects expanding service-oriented businesses and increased focus on customer experience.
Sales & Business Development (+12%)
Revenue-led roles are seeing steady hiring as companies prioritise growth and market expansion.
Facing challenges
Finance & Accounts (−9%)
Automation, ERP adoption, and tighter cost controls continue to suppress demand for traditional finance roles.
Engineering & Production (+10%)
While positive overall, hiring remains selective and project-driven rather than broad-based.
Country Highlights
Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Overall hiring in KSA remained flat year-on-year in November 2025.
Top performer:
- Production/Manufacturing, Automotive & Ancillary (+95%), driven by Vision 2030-linked industrialisation, localisation mandates, and manufacturing capacity build-out.
Lowest performer:
- Education (−58%), reflecting slower school expansion cycles and skill mismatches.
- Finance & Accounts (−30%) and IT & Telecom (+38%) indicate a clear shift toward operational and technology-led hiring over traditional support functions.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The UAE posted a robust 33% annual increase in hiring, reinforcing its position as a key regional growth engine.
Top performers:
- Engineering, Construction & Real Estate (+44%), supported by infrastructure and urban development projects
- HR & Admin (+28%), driven by Emiratisation, compliance, and HR tech adoption
- Others (+37%), reflecting diversified hiring across emerging sectors
Under pressure:
- BFSI (−27%) and Oil & Gas (−22%), due to selective hiring and efficiency-led workforce planning
- Retail & Logistics (−9%), reflecting demand volatility and cautious expansion
Why the Hiring Trends Look This Way
- Technology and Industrial Strength
IT, manufacturing, and engineering continue to benefit from diversification agendas, digital investments, and infrastructure spending. - People and Productivity Focus
HR, sales, and customer-facing roles are gaining prominence as organisations prioritise efficiency, compliance, and revenue generation. - Caution in Cost-Sensitive Sectors
Finance, FMCG, and traditional energy roles remain under pressure as employers optimise costs and reassess workforce structures.
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit) Gulf — formerly the Monster Employment Index — is a leading indicator of online hiring activity across the region. By analysing millions of job postings each month, fit delivers timely, actionable insights into recruitment trends across industries, functions, and geographies.
