Linkedin welcomes economic growth in UAE

The big business social media platform LinkedIn is more than a way for individuals to get connected to career choices; it also manages a fair amount of analytics and research into employment trends worldwide.

An Oct. 31 press release shows LinkedIn has dug into the workings of the UAE economy, and found that in some ways, robust employment is driving growth there.

LinkedIn research found that 60 percent of workers in the UAE are employed by local companies, and that sectors like banking, aviation, hospitality and telecom are providing jobs to many among the younger generation of workers.

In order to compile this data, LinkedIn created what's called an “economic graph,” which maps economic activity around the world. LinkedIn contends that the economic graph “includes every job opportunity in the world,” as well as information about skills requirements and the companies who are offering workforce opportunities.

Last month, LinkedIn released some findings at its UAE headquarters, with various national UAE officials participating.

As for the goals of this program, LinkedIn believes findings will help students decide how to enter the job world, and how to make choices about pursuing qualifications and credentials. To this end, LinkedIn has also published a list of UAE top skills for the year, including things like statistical analysis and data mining.

“Our private sector collaborations with companies such as LinkedIn are vital in helping us to achieve our strategic pillars and contribute to Smart Economy,” Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr, director general of the Smart Dubai Office, said in a press statement. “This innovative in-depth analysis of data aligns with our purpose of maximizing happiness for individuals in Dubai. By better understanding the UAE economy and pool of talent, we can work together to empower our residents. Smart Dubai prides itself on identifying global best practices and we recognize the work that LinkedIn is doing around the world through Economic Graph. We are happy that the UAE is the first regional market to launch Economic Graph and we look forward to using the data to maximize happiness in the UAE.”

To find out more about how this research project works, Gulf News Journal spoke with Ali Matar, head of LinkedIn talent solutions and growth markets for southern Europe, Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

“The UAE Economic Graph has been built on the data of the country’s 3 million registered users of professionals,” Matar said. “LinkedIn’s collaboration with the Ministry of Education aims to equip students with the information they need to learn the skills of the future.”

Matar cited other locations like Stockholm, Milan and Manchester, where similar programs have been laid out.

“The Economic Graph is, in short, a digital mapping of the world economy,” he said. “This is the first-ever Economic Graph study done in the Arabic region.”

Matar also noted particular features of the LinkedIn platform that are popular with users in the region -- such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, a social selling tool useful for sales pros targeting the right buyers and companies.

“According to a recent LinkedIn's survey, it was found that professionals in MENA were found to be more likely to land a new job by applying through social networks like LinkedIn,” he said. “It was also found that the average MENA salesperson noted spending 4.8 hours per week using social selling tools to sell his products.”