15 fastest-growing jobs in UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2025: LinkedIn

According to the latest research from LinkedIn, 75% of professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia plan to look for new jobs this year, yet more than half say it has become more difficult to find a job in the past year. At the same time, nearly half of HR professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia also say it has become more difficult to find qualified talent to fill vacancies, which indicates a necessary shift in how people apply for and secure jobs in 2025.

The report also shows that 58% of professionals struggle to stay positive during their job search, finding the process frustrating and time-consuming. Despite these challenges, there is still optimism among job seekers, with as many as 58% feeling confident about securing new opportunities in 2025, as they believe the job market will improve.

Those looking for new jobs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia will have the opportunity to thrive in a vibrant and dynamic job market. Both countries are expected to achieve strong economic growth in 2025, with the UAE's non-oil sector projected to grow at a rate of 4-5%, while Saudi Arabia is projected to grow at 4.9%, mainly due to its diversification strategy.

To stand out in the intense competition, professionals are turning to applying for more jobs to increase their chances of securing a position. However, this strategy is not working, as 44% of people are applying for more jobs than ever before, but receiving fewer responses. Furthermore, 48% feel it has become more difficult to get a response from recruiters.

Interestingly, hiring managers are also finding the recruitment process increasingly challenging, with 29% of HR professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia spending 3-5 hours a day screening applications. Additionally, 69% say that less than half of the job applications they receive meet the listed criteria. This is not surprising, as nearly half of professionals would like a more effective way to assess whether they are suitable for a job, and a significant portion say they apply for jobs regardless of whether they meet the requirements.

LinkedIn career expert Najat Abdulhadi said: "It's easy to understand why job seekers are applying for more positions than ever before, trying to stand out in the job market, but it's not working. However, the views of the HR professionals we surveyed suggest that the hiring market is healthy - therefore, professionals need to shift their approach and be more strategic when applying for positions that match their skills in order to stand out."

Those looking to change jobs and explore new opportunities can refer to LinkedIn's "Fastest Growing Jobs" report for the UAE and Saudi Arabia to see the fastest-growing positions over the past three years. Notably, nearly three-quarters of the positions on this year's "Fastest Growing Jobs" list are new additions to the annual list, with Artificial Intelligence Engineer becoming the most common position globally.

This year's rankings also highlight the increase in positions in security engineering, tourism, and face-to-face service sectors, as business activities in many parts of the world are returning to normal after the pandemic shift. The 15 fastest-growing positions in the UAE this year include: Media Buyer, Artificial Intelligence Engineer, Real Estate Consultant, Sustainability Manager, Sales Development Representative, Tax Manager, Process Engineer, Development Specialist, Private Client Advisor, Machine Learning Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Sales Executive, Planning Engineer, BIM Modeler, and Analytics Specialist.

The 15 fastest-growing positions in Saudi Arabia this year include: BIM Coordinator, Media Buyer, HR Operations Specialist, Sustainability Manager, Landscape Designer, Health and Safety Manager, Commissioning Manager, Disinfection Technician, SAP Consultant, Quantity Surveyor, Solution Specialist, Piping Engineer, Automation Engineer, Patient Care Technician, and Geotechnical Engineer.

To help job seekers adjust their approach, LinkedIn is launching a new job matching feature that shows how well their skills and experience match open positions. Premium subscribers will also receive additional guidance from LinkedIn's AI tools to improve their resumes, cover letters, and see which positions are a better match for them. LinkedIn career experts say that job seekers must adopt an adaptive mindset. Adapting to the current job market can be difficult, but with a willingness to adapt, there will be more career development opportunities. Highlighting soft skills such as adaptability and communication is very important in the hiring process.

Job seekers can also leverage the power of AI while optimizing their LinkedIn profiles to get noticed through AI tools. Talent recruiters are increasingly using AI to help screen applications, so it is important to keep your profile up to date, including your current skills and experience, to stand out. LinkedIn career experts also encourage job seekers to use LinkedIn's new job matching feature to determine how their skills and qualifications match the requirements of recruiters' positions. This helps make it easier to identify which positions are the best fit for them and where to focus their time and energy. Job seekers must also search for positions with verified information to help them prioritize real job opportunities and apply with confidence.

The articles on our website are for informational purposes only. Content that contains financial, investment, tax, or legal content should not be considered financial advice or recommendations. Please see our full disclaimer policy here.