Doha, 10 April 2013 – Doha has been identified as the city with the second lowest people risk in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), according to the findings from the 2013 People Risk Index by Aon Hewitt, the global human resources business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON).

The Aon Hewitt 2013 People Risk Index measures the risks that organizations face with recruitment, employment and relocation in 138 cities worldwide by analyzing factors as demographics, access to education, talent and development, employment practices and government regulations.

Doha ranks 31st among the 138 cities covered in the Index, rising 11 places compared to the 2012 People Risk Index, and is the second highest ranked city in the Middle East after Dubai (19^th).  Significantly, the Index supports Doha’s growing reputation as a major business hub, with the Qatari capital ranking higher than many leading international business hubs – such as Paris (36^th), Manchester (37^th) and Frankfurt (37^th)  – and alongside those cities such as Brussels, Denver and Sydney  who ranked equally at 27^th.

When it came to Middle Eastern cities, Doha is ranked well ahead of Muscat (50^th), Riyadh (53^rd) and Manama (57^th) on the list, while Sana’a and Damascus were ranked the lowest of all cities involved in the survey.

2013 People Risk Index – Rankings of Cities in the MENA Region

“The MENA region provides plenty of opportunities for local and foreign companies, however, significant changes due to the Arab Awakening means employers are facing deeper challenges and need to adjust as the economic and business environment changes.  The region’s employable population is expected to almost double by 2050, to reach 278 million from the current 145 million and with increasing amount of young people entering the work force and integration of women, this will have a significant impact on how employers obtain talent,” said Markus Wiesner, CEO of Aon Hewitt Middle East.

To find out more about the 2013 People Risk Index, and to obtain a copy of the 2013 People Risk Index Ratings, please visit http://www.aonpeoplerisk.com

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About Aon Hewitt’s People Risk Index

The results of Aon Hewitt’s People Risk Index are based on in-depth research conducted over a six-month period by the Aon Hewitt’s Regional Talent & Rewards Analytics Center in Singapore. Data from more than 100 statistical sources provide the quantitative basis for the ratings, which were augmented by the assessment of Aon Hewitt’s local and regional human resources experts from around the world.  The 138 cities were selected based on population size, rate of population growth, level of business investment and geographic spread among the cities covered.  

Aon Hewitt’s People Risk Index assigned ratings relative to risk for 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad areas: Demographics; Education; Government Support; Talent Development; and Employment Practices. Each of the 30 factors has a scale from 1 (minimal risk) to 10 (extreme risk). Employment Practices area has 10 factors that are weighted by 50%. Thus, the overall ratings are from 25 to 250, where 25 is minimal or no risk and 250 is extreme risk.

About Aon Hewitt

Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions.  The company partners with organisations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance.  Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies.  With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees.  For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurancebrokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 65,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovativeand effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world’s best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon andwww.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon’s global partnership and shirt sponsorship withManchester United. 

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