Expatriates are more likely to secure a new job in Saudi Arabia than in any other country in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, a survey has found.
According to the latest data revealed by GulfTalent.com, the number of expats employed in the kingdom rose by 2.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Qatar and Oman also saw increases over the same period while Bahrain, the UAE and Kuwait saw a drop in the number of expatriate employees, with declines of 7.7 per cent, 4.2 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively.
The company compiled the results, based on actual staff recruitment, after speaking to 11,000 managers across the region.
"Interviews with hiring managers found that the increased demand for staff in Saudi Arabia and Qatar was being satisfied by a combination of new recruitment, as well as staff relocations within the region, with companies moving large numbers of their employees from slower markets such as the UAE," the company said.
The region's logistics jobs increased by 3 per cent, while retail employment saw a rise of 2.6 per cent, the firm said.
However, positions in real estate and the oil and gas industry saw declines of 7.8 per cent and 4.7 per cent respectively.
The research found that among GCC's expat workers, Western nationals were most likely to return home if they lost their jobs, with 55 per cent doing so, compared to 37 per cent of Asians and 18 per cent of Arabs.
Qatar had the highest number of expats leaving the country to return home at 54 per cent, in part due to its strict sponsorship laws, the statement said.
The UAE had the highest proportion of unemployed expats choosing to remain in the country to look for new employment.
This reflected 'both the challenging employment environment as well as the popularity of the country with expatriates,' the statement said.
