Image Credit:

Dubai: Tech-oriented and digital jobs are the topmost emerging roles in the UAE, making up for as much as 11 out of the 15 most coveted jobs of 2020, Gulf News can reveal.

According to professional network LinkedIn’s Emerging Jobs Report 2019, with a focus on the UAE for the first time, data scientists, full-stack engineers, digital marketing specialists, cyber-security specialists and android developers feature prominently in the top emerging jobs in the UAE.

Disclosing the results of the report exclusively to Gulf News, based on data compiled between 2015 and 2019, Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn MENA and EMEA Emerging Markets, said, “An emerging job is defined as a role that has seen tremendous growth within a region. This means, while there may not yet be a large pool of talent who hold this job, we have observed large, sustained year-over-year growth of professionals who are hired into the role and believe these to be long-term trends.”

He said, “We’re navigating significant changes in the way we work. From automation to the gig economy, the economy in 2020 doesn’t look like it did three years ago. As jobs change, skills change along with them. We also know now that career paths are no longer linear.”

Are skills adequate?

Asked whether employees are adequately skilled to meet the emerging job demand, he said, “LinkedIn’s report clearly identifies the new skills required for each of the emerging jobs. Interestingly enough, while advanced and applied digital expertise are essential for tech occupations, our findings reveal that soft skills are equally important.”

As such, he said, the demand for soft skills is likely to increase as automation becomes more widespread. “Skills like communication, creativity, and collaboration, which are impossible to automate, will become even more valuable for organisations in the future, and will remain integral to digital roles. Additionally, team management, negotiations and creative skills were some of the skills required for both digital and non-digital emerging jobs.”

The report reveals that the top industries hiring digital talents include information technology and services, with over 1,488 hires completed in the past five years across digital emerging jobs. The emerging tech talent is being hired across sectors from financial services, automotive and education to retail and marketing.

How to stay employable

As individual job seekers, what can people do to stay employable in the emerging job market? Mater said, “Learning new skills and honing your abilities will help you remain relevant and boost your professional profile. This process is continuous and sustainable-- as long as the workplace is evolving, so should you. And as our report shows, career builders should not confine themselves to a self-contained set of skills. Skills now are fluid and diverse, and almost all industries now require some element of both hard and soft skills.”

He said as part of the world’s largest professional network, Linkedin’s members have been part of – or witness to – major workplace transformations in recent years. “We encourage them to highlight their roles and evolving skill set on their profiles to boost visibility and enhance recruitment processes that match them to opportunities.”

Is digitisation UAE-centric?

Mater said, “Across the world, many jobs have emerged as a result of AI integration in fields like cybersecurity and data science, but many other roles may demand more knowledge of AI than people may think. In the UAE specifically, the digital transformation we are witnessing across industries is well reflected on the workforce. A great example of this is that ‘data scientist’ is ranked as the top emerging job, which is perfectly aligned with the UAE’s move towards technologically-oriented employment and digitisation, as directed by the UAE government’s strategies such as the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Smart Dubai 2021 Strategy. “

List of Top Emerging Jobs in the UAE

1. Data Scientist

2. Full Stack Engineer

3. Customer Success Specialist

4. Tax Specialist

5. Learning Support Assistant

6. Digital Marketing Specialist

7. Content Specialist

8. Cyber Security Specialist

9. Digital Specialist

10. Android Developer

11. Analytics Specialist

12. Commerce Manager

13. Chief Marketing Officer

14. Technology Specialist

15. Technical Specialist

Report’s methodology

The Emerging Jobs analysis was done on all LinkedIn members with a public profile and who had held a full-time position within a region during the past five years. Once the talent pool was identified, the share of hiring and Compound Annual Growth Rate of this proportion for each occupation between 2015 and 2019 was calculated to identify the roles with the largest growth. These become the emerging jobs. LinkedIn has over four million members in the UAE, and 660 million worldwide.

Are UAE residents ready for the emerging jobs?

-By Roudha Mejren, Intern

Mishal Al Jashaami, 26, Student

“For me I feel like the digitalisation that is rising in the job industry will not eliminate other types of traditional jobs. There is an entire generation of professionals whose skillsets are suited for jobs and fields that have yet to become digital. I recommend that companies train their current employees to adapt to the market rather than displacing professionals due to a change in the nature of the work.”

Amir Lamer, 27, journalist, government department

“I am a big supporter of the progression towards a more digitalised workforce. We all know that technology has made things faster and more effective. Digitalisation leads to a more innovative work environment. More things are possible and that is why a massive wave of new jobs and professions has been created due to meet that demand of a digitalised world.”

Fatima Kodssi, 24, graphic designer in a retail group

“Businesses has refashioned some industries and jobs since they realised that digitalization is saving time, effort. They started to engage technology and machines (robots) which may have impact on some jobs, which could be at a high risk of automation. Digitalisation will reset the entire business environment. As a result of that, education systems should be adjusted to give the new generation the right knowledge to find digital jobs and do them successfully.

As a graphic designer and social media executive in the retail field, I believe that the retail industry is most affected by digitalisation. Nowadays customers want immediate, easy, 24/7 shopping experiences. Digitalisation and technology help retailers in understanding their target audience and keep pace with the evolving needs of a 24/7 customer base. These points lead to better buying experience and transferring the wanted message at the right time to them which achieve consumer satisfaction.”

Arpi Barbarian, 25, social media executive

“It’s very crucial to keep up and incorporate digitalisation in our day-to-day activities. There are a few people that may have a bit of a skeptical outlook on it in fear of the digitalization taking over their jobs, which is completely understandable. On the contrary, the digitalisation of jobs has room to open even more job opportunities, if your organisation pivots in a smart and fast manner, for the younger generation and by parallel giving the current working class an opportunity to further their education on technology and what it can do for us - not the other way around.

I am prepared for this shift into digitalisation with an open and curious mind.