The Ministry of Labour convened the inaugural Gulf Forum for Labour Market Skills on October 29, in collaboration with the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs and the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST). The event brought together senior government officials, policy experts, private sector leaders, academic representatives, and international organisations to discuss strategies for developing labour market skills in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The forum aimed to address key challenges related to aligning national workforces with evolving regional employment demands amid rapid economic and technological change. Discussions focused on integrating educational frameworks with market needs and fostering agility within the workforce to meet future demands.
Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman bin Nasser al-Thani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour, stressed that developing human capital and enhancing skills are essential for improving productivity, bolstering economic competitiveness, and achieving sustainable growth. She emphasized the importance of collaboration across government bodies, academic institutions, and private sector industries to build a resilient and future-ready workforce ecosystem.
Mohammed al-Obaidli, director-general of the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs, highlighted the significance of regional cooperation in empowering GCC nationals. He outlined initiatives underway to create a unified Gulf-wide skills framework aimed at standardizing professional qualifications and harmonizing vocational training across member states to better meet the changing needs of the labour market.
Dr. Salem al-Naemi, president of UDST, pointed to the critical role of partnerships between industry and academia in shaping adaptive curricula. He noted the need for higher education programmes to dynamically align with digital transformation trends, including artificial intelligence (AI), in addition to evolving practices within private markets such as private equity, venture capital, and investment banking.
The forum included four panel sessions that explored different dimensions of labour market development: investment in skills to accelerate workforce nationalisation, the creation of a sustainable regional skills framework, mapping talent requirements in key economic sectors, and leveraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance economic resilience and foster job creation.
Overall, the event underscored a collective commitment among GCC stakeholders to equip national workforces with the skills essential for adapting to ongoing technological advances and economic shifts in the region.