Dubai & Abu Dhabi Ranked Among Top 10 Most Attractive Cities For Global Digital Experts
The United Arab Emirates’ key business and innovation hubs have strong career appeal for the world’s digital talent pool, according to a new study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network. In a report based on BCG’s 2019 study, titled Decoding Digital Talent, Dubai ranked as the sixth most appealing country to relocate to for digital experts, followed closely by Abu Dhabi (10th).
The study polled over 27,000 people in 180 countries with expert-level knowledge in fields such as data mining, engineering, and analytics, programming and web development, artificial intelligence, robotics and engineering.
“Digital experts are in high demand for countries and companies driving futuristic agendas for digital innovation,” said Dr. Christopher Daniel, Partner and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group Middle East. “In the Middle East, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are ahead of the curve when it comes to digital transformation, especially with digitally-forward visions in place for economic and social progress. This study affirms that these cities are highly appealing for professionals with digital skills.”
High Interest of Digital Experts to Move Abroad
The willingness of digital experts to move abroad for work revealed that 67% were in favor of taking an overseas post for a better career opportunity. In contrast, only 55% of non-experts would relocate for work.
Of the most desirable countries to move to for new opportunities, the US is the top destination for digital experts worldwide, followed by Germany and Canada. London is their preferred city for working overseas, followed by New York and Berlin.
The study’s findings reveal that some top-ranked cities exceed their countries’ attractiveness among digital experts. The UAE is a clear example of this.
“Our research shows that people with unique skillsets in the digital field are more willing to move for a job opportunity compared to non-experts. This is good news for this region with a strong focus on leveraging digital to diversify economies,” said Cristiano Rizzi, Partner and Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group Middle East. “As magnets for attracting global digital experts, Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s appeal signifies a clear mandate for appealing to digital experts as well as a commitment to pushing the envelope forward for future job creation in digital areas.”
Establishing Mandates for Attracting Digital Talent
Companies and governments must understand their specific need for digital talent by undertaking a thorough workforce analysis to identify current and future demand for digital experts. This requires a thorough understanding of fields for growth, digital opportunities as well as the different types of digital experts to attract what they value.
As digital experts are open to relocate in order to advance their careers, the study found that companies and governments need to take active steps to attracting them in the first place.
For governments, these steps include conducting country-wide strategic workforce plans, closing digital talent gaps, creating a national employment “brand” to support in-bound mobility, and avoiding becoming an “education only” country.
For companies, these steps include closing digital talent gaps through upskilling, reskilling, and recruiting, as well as attracting and/or retaining digital experts by offering things that they want and value.
Of 26 important job factors that respondents could choose in our survey, digital experts put work-life balance, learning and training at the top of their list. Additionally, the study’s respondents noted they put feeling appreciated for what they do and working in a creative, innovative environment among the job factors, they appreciate most.
People with sought-after digital skills required to lead countries and companies into the future are in high demand globally. With so many expert level digitally skilled workers showing a willingness to move for new opportunities, it’s in countries’ and companies’ best interests to take steps to attract or retain them.
A copy of the report can be downloaded here.
