UAE ranks number 1 among emerging HR hubs globally

DUBAI / WAM

Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest HR professional society, unveiled the findings of an in-depth market survey titled, ‘Emerging HR Hubs – Regional Trends in Internationalisation and HR Mobility’, at the HR Summit and Expo 2017 in Dubai. Surveying HR professionals on their perception of the industry, the joint study aimed to identify global HR trends and emerging HR hubs, and gauge the expansion and risk appetites of HR organisations. The online survey collected responses from 835 employees of HR companies from
27 countries across Europe, the GCC region and Asia.
The research found that the UAE tops the list of emerging HR hubs by an overwhelming margin, outranking established markets such as Singapore and Malaysia. Meanwhile, the respondents
considered the USA to be the unequivocal global leader in innovative HR practices, followed by the UK, Canada and Australia. In terms of emerging markets, the UAE is the prime contender, outweighing countries such as Singapore, India and Finland. Another notable finding is regarding ease of setting up business.
While the surveyed professionals have identified the USA as the easiest location to set up and
operate an HR organisation,
with Canada and the UK plac-
ing second and third respectively,
the UAE ranks fourth, and fi-
rst amongst emerging mark-
ets, ahead of Australia, Europe
and Singapore.
The UAE also takes fourth place among the best locations for an HR organisation to expand internationally, outranking established HR hubs such as the USA and Australia, with Europe, Canada and the UK amongst the top three.
The survey has brought to light the importance of networking, with respondents selecting the USA as the top destination for potential networking opportunities in HR, with the UAE coming second, ahead of the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia. Respondents also rank the UAE as the third most preferred destination for attending international HR events, followed once again by the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia. In addition, the UAE was by far the favou-
rite emerging market for a
professional delegation tour,
followed by China, India, South Africa and Malaysia.
Speaking on the report, Mohammad Abdullah, Managing Director of Dubai Knowledge Park, said, “In an era where industry disruption is pervasive and businesses are constantly challenged to reinvent themselves, the HR function is a key enabler in attracting, developing and retaining quality human capital.”