Hospitality-related job vacancies in the Gulf up as sector develops

Dubai: The number of job vacancies in the Gulf’s hospitality sector increased from 18,000 in 2009 to 61,000 in 2013, according to a new report by Catererglobal.com, a hospitality recruitment website.

The Hospitality Employment Index used data from more than 150,000 job seekers.

The number of management posts has remained relatively steady, while the number of non-management posts has gone up by 32 per cent during the second half of 2013, as per the report.

On the factors contributing to the rise in hospitality-related job vacancies in the Gulf, Pete Willis, director at Catererglobal.com for the Middle East, said: “New hotels are opening. There’s an increase in independent restaurants opening-the food scene has exploded in the Gulf states.”

While the UAE has less hospitality vacancies compared to other Gulf countries, it is the primary destination for employees, according to the report.

Although job vacancies in the hospitality sector have increased by more than 25 per cent since 2012, human resources (HR) managers face challenges in filling positions with qualified candidates that have the required skills.

“The battle for talent has intensified and, to sustain this growth, employers are having to work hard to attract new recruits, both locally and from outside of the region, that have the appropriate skills,” Willis said.

Around 44,000 job adverts from the Gulf were posted on Catererglobal.com between July and December in 2013, which is expected to go up eight per cent between January and June this year, he said.