Dubai: The UAE’s most sought after job skills this year are mainly tech-related, with Data Mining on top, new research suggests.
Six of the top ten skills for 2016 are in the tech industry, shows The Economic Graph — UAE, revealed by LinkedIn on Monday in Dubai.
Data Mining uses statistical software to summarise raw data in huge databases (such as sales records) into useful information (such as customer habits).
However, non-tech related skills in Public Policy and International Relations comes in second, while the Corporate Law and Governance category is tenth on the list of most in demand job skills by UAE-based employers.
The Economic Graph — UAE is based on data covering more than 3,000,000 UAE-based users of LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional network with more than 467 million members worldwide.
The findings were released on Monday at LinkedIn’s Dubai headquarters in partnership with Dr Ahmad Abdullah Humaid Bel Houl Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education, and Dr Aisha Bin Bishr, director-general of the Smart Dubai Office.
Monday’s LinkedIn presentation pointed out that the study can be instrumental in closing a “skills gap” in the UAE job market.
The study also noted that the Professional Services sector employs the highest proportion (16 per cent) of residents, such as architects, auditors, engineers, doctors and lawyers.
The sector is followed by Architecture and Engineering, which attracts 14 per cent of the UAE workforce while Financial Services employs 10 per cent.
The data shows that 58 per cent of the UAE’s workforce is currently employed by local companies. The remainder are employed by companies based in the US, India and Europe.
The study also notes that the UAE has the highest number of professionals in the Arab world with “happiness” in their job title, such as chief happiness officer or happiness administrator.
The research is part of the LinkedIn Economic Graph, a “digital mapping” of the global economy. The vision for the graph includes every job opportunity in the world; the skills required to obtain those opportunities and the profiles for every company in the world offering those opportunities.
Dr Al Falasi said the study “will help university graduates better understand professional opportunities available in the country and globally. Furthermore, the Economic Graph will be integral to shaping the higher education landscape in the UAE to ensure that our students are graduating with the skills they need for the jobs of the future”.
Dr Bin Bishr said: “Our private sector collaborations with companies such as LinkedIn are vital in helping us to achieve our strategic pillars and contribute to Smart Economy. This innovative in-depth analysis of data aligns with our purpose of maximising happiness for individuals in Dubai”.
The UAE Economic Graph represents the first Economic Graph to be launched in the Middle East, whose findings are “positive indicators of local economic development and the confidence that UAE citizens have in the UAE as a hub for industry and business” said Ali Mattar, Head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Growth Markets, Southern Europe, Middle East and North Africa.
