Labor costs in construction industry MENA 2021, by job and country

In the third quarter of 2021, the hourly wage of a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) foreman in Saudi Arabia amounted to 15 U.S. dollars, the highest among the selected jobs in the construction industry in four listed Middle Eastern countries. Meanwhile, construction skilled laborers received far lower hourly wages, at only 6.1 U.S. dollars in Qatar and 4.5 U.S. dollars in Bahrain.

Labor force of the construction industry

The construction sector accounted for one of the largest shares of employees in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, along with the agriculture and trade sectors. As of 2020, the overwhelming majority of jobs in the region’s construction sector were occupied by male workers. In Saudi Arabia in 2019, the average monthly wage for a construction worker was ranked the lowest among its main industries.

Labor participation in MENA

In 2019, the labor participation rate of the MENA region stood below 50 percent. Female participation in the labor force is much lower than male participation. The participation rate of the female population in MENA was also lower than the global average. Although the region has witnessed an increasing female enrollment ratio for tertiary education, improved education and employment opportunities among women seem to have not reflected in female participation in the workforce.