Research published this week indicated that the recent political turmoil in Egypt and Tunisia will repel expats from taking work in the Gulf region.
The report, which was issued by Gulf recruitment agency GulfTalent, was based on a survey of over 32,000 professionals working within 1,400 companies within the Gulf region. According to the report’s findings, many Western professionals have been deterred from relocating to the region as a result of the recent events in Egypt and Tunisia: “Employers in the Gulf are likely to face tougher workforce nationalization targets in 2011, as governments accelerate existing efforts to create jobs for their nationals,” the report said.
The survey also revealed a number of expat concerns about labor market trends. According to GulfTalent’s survey, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had the lowest pay rises in the region in 2010, at just 5.2% and 4.9% respectively. More than half the professionals working within the region did not get a pay rise at all.
Job prospects in the region have also been severely impacted by the recent economic crisis. According to GulfTalent 5% of Dubai residents have been forced to relocate to Abu Dhabi or commute there on a daily basis in order to attain suitable work.
Read the full article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/offshorefinance/8313484/Political-instability-in-Tunisia-and-Egypt-likely-to-discourage-Western-job
