Post Ramadan Push - Construction Recruitment

As we approach the end of Ramadan (due to end circa 29th July) we get ready a for a real push on recruitment before the end of the year. The month of July is typically a slow month for recruitment in the Middle East as Ramadan is seen as the ideal time for expatriate staff in the region to take annual leave.

A combination of senior level managers not being around to sign off project awards and job offers makes this time of year a less than ideal time to be looking for employment. We have had very few new vacancies in for the last 3 - 4 weeks due to a lack of new work being awarded and this is set to continue for at least another week whilst many of the public and private sector have days off for Eid.

However, the positive news is that from August 3rd we expect business to be back to normal. Ramadan and Eid will be over and the backlog of project awards which have been halted will begin to slowly gather pace again.

The period between August and December is typically one of the busiest times of year for recruitment.

What Can we Expect between now and the end of the year?Firstly, expect to see many news articles regarding project tenders and awards between now and the end of the year. If you keep up to date with the Maxim newsletter, you will have already read about a number of projects that are currently in the design and feasibility stages at present. Those more urgent projects will have consultancies frantically working towards getting them to tender stage before the new year. Couple that with the amount of projects that were awaiting award before Ramadan and you will see the market really begin to move post August.

Secondly you have a number of large contracts that were awarded in the months before Ramadan. Some of the larger projects will have struggled to have recruited staff during the last month. These companies involved in such projects will be desperately looking for staff on these projects post Ramadan and Eid. These will include a number of the Doha Metro consortiums amongst others.

Finally you have the fact that Ramadan has actually coincided with the end of the schooling year which is a common time for employees with children to decide that they are moving jobs. This can lead to a number of vacancies becoming available.

Growth Continues

Stats were recently released for the wider GCC region stating that project awards for 2014 will be up by 22% by the end of this year compared to 2103. A total value of awards for 2014 expected at just shy of $200 Billion. Kuwait and Qatar have significantly contributed to those figures as both countries undergo large infrastructure upgrades.

22% growth is a great sign that the GCC is still among the busiest locations worldwide at present. Stats this week suggested that growth of between only 8% - 10% looked achievable for next year. This may look unattractive however given that this will be a further increase on 2014 which has been a great year, any further growth will be extremely welcome and give us confidence in the GCC for 2015 and beyond.

Are you Ready to Move this Year?
If you are ready for a career move within the Gulf region between now and the end of this year, Maxim Recruitment would love to have your details on file so that we can contact you regarding opportunities in the region.

Either update your details or send your CV via our award winning web-site to avoid being overlooked during this busy time. Alternatively, feel free to register for job alerts on the web-site to be notified of new jobs as they're being added.

Stuart Hackett

Senior Recruitment Consultant
Maxim Recruitment
UK Office