Middle East consulting industry

I spent several years consulting in the Middle East, and before that over a decade in the military. One thing both experiences taught me is that situations can change remarkably quickly.

There is no doubt that some firms are being impacted by project delays, budget changes and regional uncertainty. However, I would be cautious about making long-term career decisions based on today’s headlines.

Consulting hiring has always been cyclical. Firms can move from aggressive hiring to hiring freezes and back again much faster than many people expect.

My advice would be:

• Apply if there are roles open that interest you
• Keep your options broad geographically
• Focus on building skills and interview readiness rather than trying to predict the market

One additional point: many consultants join a large firm in one geography and then transfer internally after a few years. If the Middle East is your long-term goal, there can be multiple routes to get there.

Keep it simple. Focus on what you can control.

Hi,

Unfortunately, nobody has a crystal ball. What I can confirm based on discussions with a few MDs and Senior MDs I know very well in the region, is that BCG recruiting in the Middle East is currently completely frozen.

My personal view is that I would not expect a rapid return to the hiring levels we saw in 2022-2023. Even if activity picks up, firms are likely to remain cautious until there is more visibility on the project pipeline.

If you are flexible, I would postpone till 2027 your applications in the region.

Best,
Franco

I'm sorry to hear about all of this. 

I cannot provide an 'insider' perspective from the region, but I can provide a more holistic perspective of having been in this industry for many years both as a consultant and a coach. 

There are always global events that lead to fluctuations in demand for consulting services and thus in demand for consultants which then affects hiring. 

It's impossible to tell when these fluctuations come. It's virtually certain that they do. And you can't do much about them. 

The only thing you can do is to come up with an application strategy that is broad enough overall, and yet targeted enough at the individual application level that you manage risk. I'm sharing a resource below:

• • Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

On a more practical basis, start reaching out to firms in the region and confirm which ones are actually still hiring and would be interested in considering your portfolio. Then, see to what other offices you could apply outside of the ME - this would especially be possible if you studied or lived abroad before. 

In parallel, consider what other paths you could take during this time. Perhaps you could pursue an additional degree. Perhaps you could work in a firm or company in the ME and gain additional experience. Perhaps you could still get consulting experience by working as an internal consultant in a company. 

Hope these perspectives help!
Best,
Cristian

hi there!

What’s happening is simple. Saudi cut or delayed several mega‑projects, so firms with the biggest KSA exposure took the hardest hit. Bloomberg reported that BCG was hit more than others, and that matches what people in the region are saying. McKinsey still has openings because they staff globally and can rebalance capacity more easily. BCG is being more conservative. Bain is somewhere in the middle.

This isn’t a collapse of the industry. It’s a temporary demand dip after years of hyper‑growth. Firms are reducing bench, transferring people, and slowing hiring, but they haven’t stopped. The expectation among consultants in the region is that demand will pick up again once budgets stabilize and the war situation becomes more predictable.

Alessa

This is reallocation, not collapse. Saudi isn't done spending, it's shifting money from megaprojects toward tourism, entertainment, AI, and homegrown champions. The work changes, it doesn't disappear. Riyadh is already floating Vision 2040. So how I'd plan:

1. Don't anchor on one firm or one country. Spread across MBB, strong Tier 2, and the whole Gulf, not just KSA.
2. Build a story around where spend is going now, not giga-projects.
3. Watch UAE and Qatar seriously.
4. Keep your case skills sharp. The people ready when hiring reopens move first. 

Good luck.