Living and Working in the Middle East

The Middle East is a region bordered by North Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. For the purposes of this profile we will consider only the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). They provide the main focus for corporate governance Middle East recruitment in the region and consist of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman. However, the broader Middle East is developing rapidly and regular opportunities are now arising in countries such as Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

The Middle East is an emerging market that has historically derived its wealth from the exploitation of its energy resources. More recently it has diversified with the development of trading businesses and the establishment of banking and financial services, property and construction and leisure industries. Whilst the countries that make up the GCC have been developing at varying rates, all their economies have been growing rapidly. This growth has historically been associated with well paid expatriate jobs for engineers and construction workers. Diversification is opening the way for a wide range of professionals from many backgrounds.