Saudi and UAE employment up 50 to 70% post-pandemic, LinkedIn survey finds

LinkedIn surveyed 1,000 professionals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
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Updated 22 September 2021
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Saudi and UAE employment up 50 to 70% post-pandemic, LinkedIn survey finds

RIYADH: Employment levels in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have grown by between 50 and 70 percent as the region exits the pandemic, according to research by LinkedIn.

Ali Mater, head of the Middle East division of the business-focused networking site, said the surge in jobs was fuelled by the retail sector, in which employment jumped by 72 percent as the region emerges from lockdown restrictions. 

Health care employment rates are also strong, he said during an interview with Asharq. 

“We see the rising now compared to pre-pandemic, which means the economy is recovering,” said Mater.

There is a recruitment process that takes place every 15 seconds through the LinkedIn platform, he added.

Mater claimed that digital skills top the list of requirements in today’s labour market, followed by customer service experience — both of which are in demand in the retail sector.

A LinkedIn survey of 1,000 professionals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE showed that while most employees feel comfortable practicing their work remotely, 70 percent of them also believed this may cause a decline in their social skills.

The research also revealed that 40 percent of employees believe that working from home contributes to achieving a better work-life balance.

"Companies worldwide are facing a dilemma in reconciling the contradiction between employees' desire to work remotely, and their increased risk of job burnout as a result," Matar said.


QatarEnergy announces force majeure following Iran attacks: statement

Updated 04 March 2026
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QatarEnergy announces force majeure following Iran attacks: statement

DOHA: Qatar’s state-run energy firm on Wednesday declared force majeure following attacks on two of its main facilities that halted liquefied natural gas production and as Iran pressed missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

“Further to the announcement by QatarEnergy to stop production of liquefied natural gas and associated products, QatarEnergy has declared Force Majeure to its affected buyers,” the company said in a statement.

QatarEnergy invoked the clause, which shields it from penalties and potential breach of contract claims from clients, after stopping LNG production on Monday.

Iranian drones attacked two of the company’s main production hubs in Ras Laffan Industrial City, 80 km north of Doha and in Mesaieed 40 km south of the Qatari capital, Doha’s ministry of defense said at the time.

The Gulf state is one of the world’s top liquefied natural gas producers, alongside the US, Australia and Russia.

On Tuesday, QatarEnergy said it would halt some downstream production of some products including urea, polymers, methanol, aluminum and others.

Qatar shares the world’s largest natural gas reservoir with Iran.

QatarEnergy estimates the Gulf state’s portion of the reservoir, the North Field, holds about 10 percent of the world’s known natural gas reserves.

In recent years, Qatar has inked a series of long-term LNG deals with France’s Total, Britain’s Shell, India’s Petronet, China’s Sinopec and Italy’s Eni, among others.