English fluency can raise personal income in MENA 

(MENAFN) The British Council stated that according to a recent research compiled in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, people who are fluent in English can have a better income than those who don't speak the language, reported Arabian Business.

The council added that the research, which was conducted by Euromonitor International, showed that the majority of the region's young people realize the importance of speaking English in finding jobs.

Moreover, the number of those who speak English is forecasted to grow between 5-7 percent annually by 2016 in most of the region's countries.

The research, which was conducted in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia Algeria, Egypt, Iraq and Yemen, also revealed that private firms, especially multinational ones, tend to hire English speakers, thus, boosting demand for the language in the region.

It is worth noting that IT and software development, maritime and air freight, telecommunications, banking and finance, tourism and hospitality are the industries that have the highest need for English-speaking staff in the region.