Recruiters hoping to take advantage of a possible bonanza in Qatar in the years leading up to the 2022 World Cup will face a tougher challenge than that faced by recruiters in the Gulf state up to now. 

That is the view of Paul Clark (left), chief executive officer of Penta Consulting, winner of the Best International Recruitment Agency Award at the recent Recruiter Awards for Excellence, sponsored by Eploy.  

Penta has been doing business in Qatar since 2007, where it operates as a limited liability company, its business sponsor being a member of the Qatari ruling royal family. 

Clark told Recruiter: “As the market matures, for anybody going to trade there, there will be a lot more hoops to jump through than when we first got involved.” Jamie Sobrany (above, right), managing director of the firm, added: “All round there will be tighter regulation on what you do and how you do it.”

This will include greater restrictions on the number of foreign companies allowed into the country, as a result of pressure from the media in Qatar, he predicted. 

“There will be a bit more bias towards Qatari organisations, so that if you are already there you are established and you can trade. If you are not [already operating in Qatar] you’ll have to have a joint venture or be able to invest in an organisation in Qatar.  

“For us, all I can see is a benefit because we are established, and we have been for a number of years. It will be a boom market for us to be able to capitalise on.”

• For more on the inside story behind Penta’s international success, see pp28-30, Recruiter, June 2013.

Colin Cottell