Saudi Vision 2030, introduced in April 2016 by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, aims to cut Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.

According to an update, released this morning by Hays, the recruitment giant has now established a dedicated recruitment team focused solely on supporting firms operating in the kingdom, due to growing business activity and resulting requirements for hiring additional headcount in the region.

Hays reveals there is currently increased demand for Saudi nationals and more opportunities for women in the jobs market, while firms are also struggling to source local talent and have approached Hays for support in finding these workers.

Although Hays reports a market “flooded” with candidates – including both Saudi nationals and expats – the country’s current talent pool is likely to grow due to educational provisions from government and Vision 2030 targets to increase female participation in the workforce from 22% to 30% across all sectors.

Hays further revealed the sector with the most in-demand professionals is HR, while IT and in particularly e-commerce is an “incredibly busy” area for hiring.

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