Growth in Middle East advertising industry hindered by skills shortages in key areas, says regional expert

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Skills in advertising are expected to be in high demand across the Middle East markets until 2010. Expertise shortages will continue increasing vertically and horizontally, most significantly in roles that specialize in creative artwork and strategic planning says regional marketing expert.

"The past year has been a significant one for the advertising industry in the Middle East. As the region sees an unprecedented growth across various sectors, there will be further boost in demand for creative specialists who really understand the nitty-gritty characteristics of the market. Currently, the major shortage continues to be in the fields of strategic planning and creative conceptualizing and development," emphasizes Shadi Al Hasan, Managing Director of Flagship Projects Marketing, one of the fastest growing integrated marketing solutions providers in the region.

Al Hasan adds: "As an emerging market, the region still has significant challenges to meet such as growing the pool of available advertising talent. The Arab world shares the same culture, language and understanding amongst its states. From an agency's perspective, this homogeneity should boost the advertising industry and reduce the people's shortage as markets with high advertising demand could recruit people from less demand markets who still have strong grasp of the region as a whole."

"In a cut-throat competitive marketplace such as the Middle East, it is a well known fact that the people who work for any agency are the driving forces behind its success regardless its history or international network. Little wonder, there is a fierce war for talent especially bilingual professionals."

The supply of professional expertise in the region is unable to meet the current demand and agencies are recruiting more from overseas to compete for the limited talent pool.

"We forecast that it will take about three years to prepare enough talent to meet the demands we face today to fill junior and senior positions," Al Hasan says. "We are largely short of Arab talent for more senior positions, especially candidates with strong English skills and wealth of international experience."

"The Gulf market is offering an ideal opportunity for Arab professionals to gain knowledge and experience from their foreign counterparts. We should bring our domestic talent up to speed, and this is something that will only improve with time," he added.

Al Hasan says: "There is an overall shortage of talent and this is both the main constraint on growth and on maintaining high standards across the industry. In 2007 marketers were plugged into what was good and best in the communication world. Professional, talented and knowledgeable should be fostered in the region to cope with the proliferative number of brands arriving on a daily basis."

Al Hasan concludes that advertising associations should hold responsibility for enhancing the Arab advertising industry, taking it to a new level of professionalism and innovation through a 360º approach. This approach should include attracting the finest minds in the industry and nurturing new local capabilities."

© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)