Technology functions within organisations are playing a greater and more integral part in businesses' strategies in the Middle East. We look at what impact this will have on hiring in the region.

Across the region there has been an increase in the demand for senior technology professionals who come with strong commercial experience, primarily from mature markets.

Whilst the trend in other specialisms has been to look for talent within the region, many senior IT professionals in 2018 have been brought in from international locations. We expect to see this trend continue in 2019.

As most industries have embarked on a digital transformation journey, candidates who have led or been part of large digital projects will find opportunities easier to come by, especially in the banking and retail industry.

Information security is a key area of hiring as businesses are maturing and starting to recognise the importance of having secure environments.

Robotics, AI and machine learning have an increasingly important role within technology functions and candidates with experience in these areas will be highly sought after, especially those from North America and Europe.

At the junior end of the market, candidates with a strong mix of interpersonal and technical skills were consistently in demand.

Strong commercially focused technology professionals with true business partnering experience had salary increases of around 10-15%. Senior roles within financial services continue to pay the most.