Despite continuing economic challenges and uncertainty in global market, most companies will continue to hire as per a report by Manpower group.  The Middle East region, particularly paints a rosy picture of employment prospects for candidates in 2014. However more than the work opportunities, it the work area that is going to witness sweeping changed in the coming year, courtesy a liberal adoption of technology in otherwise closely-knitted culture of Middle East.    

 As 2013 draws to a close, job aspirants, globally, are looking forward to the New Year with renewed enthusiasm and optimism for economic growth and hiring activities. The Global Market Sentiment Survey conducted by CFA Institute, reveals similar facts.  A majority of respondents in the survey, and that includes members from Middle East as well; all predict economic growth in their home markets for the coming year.  This will sound music to the ears of professionals who were looking for better work opportunities in Middle East.

However, as we move to a different year, there is an increasing buzz about the way work conditions are being affected by technology in this region. It is pretty plain and simple fact that Middle East has always been largely oblivious to the changes in trends happening in the world around owing to a certain cultural divide. However, as more and more expats make Middle East their preferred work place owing to unmatched monetary benefits and the Middle Eastern companies also working hard to improve their reputation so as to attract the top talent from across the world, sweeping changes are expected in the work place here.

So, what are the changes that will have the most far-reaching consequences on jobs in Middle East in 2014?

  •  Remote working and collaboration

While the technology world is still occupied with a debate over the benefits and disadvantages of working from home, the Middle East is all set to embrace the concept of remote working in the coming year. Most executives working in the region are in favor of work hour’s flexibility. The management of companies is expected to provide greater amount of freedom and flexibility to its middle to senior level executives in terms of the place and time of work. This will introduce to them concepts and tools of technologies that help in remote working and collaboration.

  • Startups upbeat about mobile apps

The Valley culture is yet to emulate itself in Middle East; however countries like UAE, Iran and Israel are already serving as a breeding ground for new startups that believe in mobile technology and its role in shaping the future. With so many success stories, more startups are expected to flourish around the concept of tablet and mobile app development in the near future.

  • Better  salaries

Employees across the region have something better to look forward to in the coming year. In a survey by Aon Hewitt, most organizations that are based out of Middle East have predicted an average pay hike of five per cent for 2014. These hikes are not uniform across the different sectors. Higher hike is expected in sectors like pharmaceutical, oil & gas and financial services.

  • Bring your own device to work

BYOD is a very prevalent concept in the West. Many people consider it a tool to increase productivity. Companies in Middle East are also opening up to this idea. They allow employees to use their tablets and smartphones for work related purposes. However, there are still some reservations regarding the usage of personal laptops for office work. The New Year is expected to change that and for good.

Authors Bio Saurabh Tyagi is a new media enthusiast with professional experience as a blogger. He pens his thoughts on a variety of topics related to career and employment. Mostly he shares his views on the employment in Gulf countries and job search trends.

Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/RecruiterCori

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