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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is at the cusp of great change. As the country dusts off remnants of the debilitating Covid-19 pandemic, the kingdom’s construction industry is clanking and whirring towards an annual growth of up to 4.5% from 2023 to 2026.
An entire bevy of building blocks is set to rise up from a large greenfield through not one but multiple giga projects, including the Red Sea Development, Amaala, NEOM, and Qiddiya, the likes of which the world has never before seen. These projects are set to create millions of new jobs, and they are aligned with the kingdom’s Saudi Vision 2030, the plan to diversify away from oil.
While the expanse of this vision is designed to awe and inspire, the road to executing it comes with its own crop of challenges, chief among them being to attract the army of talent at all levels of expertise that will be able to pull this off. “It is an exciting time to witness such mega growth and it is even more excellent to participate in building this vision. The KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is looking to fill a wide array of roles in design, development and delivery. Since the local talent cannot meet the growing demand, the country is looking for unicorn solutions,” says Michelle D’Souza, Senior Consultant, Michael Page – Middle East.
Saudi Arabia is looking both within and outside its borders for just the right candidates. It’s worth noting that 87.5% of employees in the KSA’s construction industry are from outside Saudi Arabia. One of the biggest challenges in attracting talent to the KSA is the popular perception that the kingdom is conservative. “But there are major visible changes now, both economic and social. The kingdom is improving the quality of life it offers, economic indicators, health quotient, and is working on increasing its GDP to put the KSA on the global map, says Aleks Milanovic, Senior Consultant, Michael Page – Middle East. In short, the KSA is on the road to sustainable community-building.
Consultants at Michael Page have an ear to the ground, and are tuned in to the shifting trends. Their advice for candidates looking to work in the KSA is to, firstly, bring sharper focus to their ideal career move. There are several active projects in the kingdom that are in progress to meet the sheer magnitude of development. Candidates will benefit from researching the projects, the required skillsets and how it all aligns with their personal career goals.
The biggest worry for expats moving to the KSA is the local culture that could be starkly different from their home country. Michael Page’s consultants update potential candidates on the status of social and cultural life in the KSA. Besides, a growing support system for expats, including international schools and cultural activities for families, has made the KSA a viable destination for candidates seeking international exposure.
The KSA is actively looking outside its borders to attract the best talent to the construction industry. Companies would do well to spread their net wide to international markets, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, the US, France, Germany, the UK, etc. Candidates who are moving to the kingdom for the first time are likely to be concerned about its value. It would ease candidate apprehensions if companies educate potential candidates about workplace policies, benefits, compensation and the supportive, inclusive culture in the kingdom. Most of all, clients stand to benefit greatly by sourcing and planning their hiring strategy by partnering with a recruitment agency.
In what seems like a daunting task, companies need not feel isolated in their search for talent. Michael Page brings a wealth of experience in understanding the country and culture with its strong presence in the region. Its global footprint is a big bonus to Saudi Arabia’s expanding international talent search. In being the bridge between candidates and clients, Michael Page’s Relocation Guide hits the sweet spot for candidates during the hiring process. Check the results from Michael Page’s Candidate Pulse here.
Candidates: Look for Saudi Arabia jobs on Michael Page here.
Companies: Get in touch with one of our expert consultants about how Michael Page can help you find the right talent for your organization.
If you’d like to have a chat about hiring talent, exploring new challenges or better understanding the market, please reach out to me on michelledsouza@michaelpage.ae or request a call back.
