Top 5 roles growing in demand in Saudi Arabia in 2023

According to a report by LinkedIn, one of the biggest job-hunting platform in the world, demand for hybrid work, a murky economic outlook, many professionals pondering about their next career move, and the rise in skills-based hiring have allowed the employment landscape to undergo a wave of changes.

LinkedIn 2023 Jobs on the Rise list have provided the much-needed insight into where long-term opportunity lies and where the growing workforce is headed in Saudi Arabia.

Here is a list:

Environmental Manager

What they do: Environmental managers support environmental health and sustainability efforts, including appropriate disposal of hazardous materials and on-site facility inspections to rectify violations and adhere to local and regional regulations. 

Most common skills: Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Compliance 
Most common industries: Construction, Government Administration, Oil, Gas, and Mining 
Education levels: Bachelor’s degree: 46%, Master’s degree or higher: 54% 
Median years of prior experience: 4.8 

Related titles include Sustainability Manager or Environmental Advisor

Human Resource Operations Specialist

What they do: Human resources operations specialists review and approve budgets, compensation, and benefits packages, set up and implement new company policies, and maintain internal HR systems and employee records. 

Most common skills: HR Operations, HR Policies, Recruiting 
Most common industries: Manufacturing, Government Administration, Financial Services 
Education levels: Bachelor’s degree: 66% Master’s degree or higher: 31% 
Median years of prior experience: 2.4

Back-end Developer

What they do: Back-end developers build and code server-side technology to develop and maintain functional and stable web and mobile applications, whilst working with engineers to ensure system consistency and improve user experience. 

Most common skills: Node.js, Laravel, PHP 
Most common industries: Technology, Information and Media, Financial Services, Real Estate and Equipment Rental Services 
Education levels: Bachelor’s degree: 81% Master’s degree or higher: 19% 
Median years of prior experience: 1.6

Related titles include Back-end Engineer, SQL Developer or PostgreSQL/MySQL Developer.

Security Operations Centre Analyst

What they do: Security operations center analysts design and implement cyber protection, set standards, and investigate cybersecurity breaches and incidents to proactively defend the organization’s database, website, servers, and network from cyber attacks. 

Most common skills: Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Splunk, Information Security
Most common industries: Government Administration, Financial Services, Technology, Information and Media 
Education levels: Bachelor’s degree: 79% Master’s degree or higher: 20% 
Median years of prior experience: 1.9

Related titles include Threat Intelligence Analyst or Vulnerability Analyst.

Cyber Security Manager

What they do: Cyber security managers protect data on computer systems, run vulnerability assessments, identify gaps in network security, and install new hardware and software, such as firewalls, to fix those gaps. 

Most common skills: Information Security, Vulnerability Assessment, Threat & Vulnerability Management 
Most common industries: Financial Services, Government Administration, Accommodation 
Education levels: Bachelor’s degree: 50% Master’s degree or higher: 50% 
Median years of prior experience: 4.4 

For the full list, click here.

List Methodology

LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers examined millions of jobs started by LinkedIn members from January 1, 2018, to July 31, 2022, to calculate a growth rate for each job title. To be ranked, a job title needed to see consistent growth across our membership base, as well as have grown to a meaningful size by 2022. Identical job titles across different seniority levels were grouped and ranked together. Internships, volunteer positions, interim roles and student roles were excluded, and jobs, where hiring was dominated by a small handful of companies in each country, were also excluded. 

Job Insights

Additional data points for each of the job titles are based on LinkedIn profiles of members holding the title and/or open jobs for that title in the country.