MBB Middle East for Experienced Hires

Sorry to hear you haven't managed to get in touch with the recruiters directly. That would have clarified the timeline. 

Honestly, the timeline differs for more senior, experienced hire roles. Meaning that they hire mostly based on need, so then if the need is urgent they tend to move very fast. If not, then they can take their time and they are more flexible to adjust to whatever pace you want to go for. 

How can you stand out? By having a very clear idea (which you should be able to substantiate with examples) of your value proposition, i.e., what is it that you and only you are bringing to the firm. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

• First of all, you are unfortunately not the first candidate who has had trouble getting a response from Middle East recruiters, and I'm sorry to read this.
• Moreover, contrary to what other coaches have said, there is really no defined timeline for when you'll hear back, as this varies by region, role, and the recruiter’s bandwidth. I would advise you to just stay patient, continue preparing, and avoid overanalyzing any potential silence.
• Lastly, contrary to what other coaches have said, you don’t need to stand out in the interviews beyond delivering strong performance. Nonetheless, being a local national can be a strength. I would advise you to demonstrate your understanding of the local economic and political context, and how you see yourself contributing to projects in the region.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi! Some thoughts on the second part of your question as I’m less familiar with the post-MBA experienced hire timeline. 

I recruited in both the UK and the Middle East and my prep was broadly identical, except the following:

- For ME, be prepared for more creative, greenfield cases and market sizing 

- Interviewers might intentionally attempt to test how you can maintain your composure and professionalism - for e.g., while they pace around the room. This may happen across geographies but specifically in ME 

- Think about what’s exciting in the region from a consulting standpoint - if you can bring this out, it will showcase to the interviewers that you understand the nuances and uniqueness of the region

Hey there :)

For MBB in the Middle East, once online assessments are done, interviews usually start within 3–6 weeks, though timing can vary depending on the office and hiring needs. For post-MBA experienced hires, processes tend to move a bit faster and are often linked to specific project pipelines or intake windows. To stand out, focus on local relevance, show understanding of the region’s economic landscape, public-sector transformation projects, and cultural context, while demonstrating global consulting polish. Strong business judgment, structured thinking, and genuine motivation for the region make a big difference.

best, Alessa :)

Hi,

I think the biggest differentiating factors lie around the maturity in both the fit stories and also the way you drive/answer the case question.

For e.g., if you have significant industry experience, I would expect some of that to be leveraged to enhance your answer where relevant. 

In addition, having been an interviewer myself for several years, I've noticed several common pitfalls of experience hire interviewees. You can check out my article that talks about this in more detail:

• 5 reasons why Experienced Hires fail the consulting interview

All the best!