Jobs In GCC: Hiring Grows 1% In Q1, But Regional Conflict Hits Activity In March

2026-04-13 11:38:15

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) [Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect.]

Hiring across the Gulf countries grew by one per cent in the first quarter of 2026, despite military conflict breaking out in March involving the US, Israel and Iran. However, recruitment activity was hampered in March due to the regional war, according to a new survey.

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According to a quarterly survey released by Cooper Fitch, January and February saw solid hiring activity across most markets, but the holy month of Ramadan, the Eid Al Fitr break, and shifting regional conditions tempered the pace toward quarter-end.

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“Ramadan reduced working hours, and Eid further paused business activity. Regional governments moved quickly to protect both people and economic continuity under significant pressure, which limited disruption to business conditions. Market movement was selective. The UAE and Saudi Arabia recorded measured increases, Qatar softened slightly, while Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain held steady - reflecting a region where hiring activity persisted but growth remained uneven,” said Dr Trefor Murphy, founder and CEO of Cooper Fitch.

Data showed that the UAE saw one per cent growth in hiring, followed by Saudi Arabia (0.5 per cent). Job markets in Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait remained stagnant, while Qatar's job market shrank by one per cent during the January–March 2026 period.

The war between the US, Israel and Iran broke out on February 28, 2026, impacting businesses in the Gulf region. Following strong performance in the first two months of the year, companies began revising their recruitment plans due to rising uncertainty.

Dr Murphy said geopolitical uncertainty was the main external pressure on regional business confidence in the first quarter.

Sectoral performance

The survey found that human resources (HR) was among the strongest-performing sectors, rising by nine per cent.

“Demand was high across leadership, L&D (learning and development), talent management, and employee relations, especially in the UAE, where Emiratisation priorities drove hiring. Activity slowed toward quarter-end, but overall, there was significant investment in internal capability.

“Sales and marketing also grew by nine per cent, with demand focused on revenue-generating roles in manufacturing, retail and telecom. Sectors such as real estate and tourism saw delayed mandates. Growth was present but selective,” the report said.

Data showed that demand remained steady in compliance and risk functions, particularly in digital assets and financial regulation.

In terms of roles, the survey revealed that cyber roles grew by six per cent, with consistent demand in threat intelligence, identity and application security. Investment hiring rose by five per cent, although mandates progressed more slowly and capital deployment became more selective.

Software hiring increased by five per cent, driven by demand for ERP upgrades, workflow automation and custom application development. Professionals skilled in development, AI integration and data engineering were especially sought after.

Real estate hiring increased by four per cent, supported by committed development pipelines and government-backed projects. Large-scale public-sector developments continued hiring, while some private-sector roles were paused.

Manufacturing hiring also rose by four per cent, with demand focused on operational delivery, including production efficiency, maintenance, reliability, and cross-functional roles bridging technical and commercial teams. Execution was prioritised over capacity expansion.