Management consultancy Bain & Company is the best employer to work for in the UAE this year, according to professional networking platform LinkedIn.
Payment technology company Mastercard, consumer goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble, management consulting firm Kearney and Dubai’s flagship airline, Emirates, round off the top five preferred employers, according to the 2024 LinkedIn Top Companies List released on Tuesday.
Other sought-after companies in the UAE include management consultancy Boston Consulting Group, regional mall operator Majid Al Futtaim, global ports operator DP World, consulting firm McKinsey & Company and entertainment provider Miral.
Payment company Visa, Abu Dhabi's Adnoc Group, energy services firm Schneider Electric, financial services company Marsh McLennan and HSBC complete the top 15 list.
“This year’s lists show how companies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are continuing to grow and expand, which further cements the region’s reputation as a leading business hub,” Salma Altantawy, senior news editor at LinkedIn, said.
The seven criteria LinkedIn used to identify the best companies in the UAE were the ability to advance, skills growth, company stability, external opportunity, company affinity, employee mix and gender diversity. The companies were analysed from January to December last year.
To be eligible, a company must have at least 500 employees and the attrition rate can be no higher than 10 per cent, according to LinkedIn.
The jobs market in the UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, driven largely by government measures to attract skilled workers and incentivise companies to set up or expand their operations.
The Emirates is shifting to an employers’ market, with more people moving in because of economic problems in other countries, recruitment consultancy Robert Half said in its 2024 Salary Guide report.
The influx of talent and greater competition for roles means candidates are willing to accept lower remuneration to gain a foothold in the Middle East, which brings down the overall market rate and restricts salary growth, Robert Half said.
A majority (82 per cent) of professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia said they prefer working in the GCC region to moving to Europe or the US, according to a survey by LinkedIn in January.
About 46 per cent of respondents said the region’s standard of living made it a preferred destination, followed by the attractive lifestyle at 35 per cent and opportunities for professional growth on 31 per cent, the survey found.
The most sought-after skills at consultancy Bain are economics, scientific computing and mathematics, LinkedIn said.
At Mastercard, the skills most in demand are artificial intelligence, economics and competitive strategies, while at Procter & Gamble, they are operational efficiency, scientific computing and economics, the list revealed.
Air traffic control and aircraft management are sought-after skills at Emirates, according to LinkedIn.
Top global business consulting firms dominated the list of good employers in the UAE, with Bain & Company, Kearney, BCG and McKinsey all ranking in the top 10.
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, telecommunications major STC ranked as the best employer, while oil and gas major Aramco dropped to third place after three consecutive years of topping the list.
Hospitality mega project Red Sea Global retained its second place for the second year in a row.
Electric vehicle brand Ceer and developer Roshn round off the kingdom's top five preferred employers, according to LinkedIn.
Other sought-after employers in Saudi Arabia include Riyad Bank, Saudi Airlines, Procter & Gamble, luxury retail group Chalhoub and Saudi Entertainment Ventures, a wholly owned unit of the Public Investment Fund, LinkedIn said.
LinkedIn's list of the best 15 companies to work for in the UAE
- Bain & Company
- Mastercard
- Procter & Gamble
- Kearney
- Emirates
- Boston Consulting Group
- Majid Al Futtaim
- DP World
- McKinsey & Company
- Miral
- Visa
- Adnoc Group
- Schneider Electric
- Marsh McLennan
- HSBC
