Qatar’s Ministry of Labour (MoL) has convened the first Gulf Forum for Labour Market Skills, with participants calling for a unified GCC strategy on skills development, stronger regional cooperation and closer alignment between education and training programmes and labour market requirements.
Held in Doha under the theme “From Empowerment to Leadership”, the forum was organised in strategic partnership 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 forum brought together senior government officials, policy experts, private sector leaders, academic institutions and international organisations to discuss workforce development, national talent readiness and emerging skills requirements amid rapid technological and economic changes.
Among its key recommendations was the consideration of establishing a joint GCC committee for skills development to formulate a unified regional strategy that responds to technological advancements and changing workplace requirements.
Participants also called for greater integration of skills development policies across Gulf countries, stronger investment in national talent and improved mechanisms to anticipate future workforce requirements.
The recommendations emphasised closer partnerships between educational and training institutions and the private sector, with training programmes tailored to the current and anticipated needs of different economic sectors. They also highlighted the importance of investing in professional, digital and leadership skills, promoting sustainable workforce nationalisation and expanding career development opportunities for GCC nationals in the private sector.
Participants called for a greater role for private companies in identifying skills requirements, designing training programmes and providing learning and professional development opportunities to ensure that training outcomes translate into workplace capabilities.
The forum also stressed the need to strengthen labour market forecasting through data and indicators that can help identify emerging skills requirements. Participants recommended continuously evaluating skills development initiatives and measuring their impact to improve programme effectiveness.
Another recommendation was to hold the forum annually, rotating its host location among GCC member states, to sustain regional dialogue, facilitate the exchange of expertise and strengthen coordination on shared workforce challenges.
Speaking at the forum, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman bin Nasser Al Thani said human capital development and skills enhancement are fundamental to productivity, economic competitiveness and sustainable growth.
She underscored the importance of collaboration among government entities, academic institutions and private industry in building an agile, future-ready workforce.
Mohammed Al Obaidli, Director General of the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs, highlighted regional cooperation in empowering GCC nationals. He outlined ongoing initiatives to establish a unified Gulf-wide skills framework, standardise professional qualifications and harmonise vocational training standards.
UDST President Dr Salem Al Naemi stressed the importance of industry-academia partnerships in developing adaptive curricula. He noted that higher education programmes must evolve alongside digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and the transition to a green economy to prepare national talent for changing labour market demands.
Meanwhile, Khames Mohammed Al Naimi, Assistant Undersecretary for National Manpower Affairs in the Private Sector at Qatar's Ministry of Labour, emphasised the need for continued GCC cooperation to develop skills systems and exchange expertise and successful practices among member states.
He called for stronger coordination between government entities, educational and training institutions and the private sector, with proposals translated into practical and measurable initiatives that deliver lasting improvements in skills development and workforce readiness.
Al Naimi also stressed the importance of investing in people's ability to learn, adapt and innovate in response to technological advances and digital transformation, while creating broader opportunities for GCC nationals to contribute to economic development.
The forum featured four specialised panel discussions covering investment in skills to accelerate workforce nationalisation, building a sustainable regional skills framework, mapping talent requirements across key economic sectors and leveraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to strengthen economic resilience and job creation.