Engaging Today’s Workforce in the Gulf Cooperation Council States: A 2009 Research Brief

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been dubbed the new “land of opportunity.” With oil prices continuing to rise, the region’s economic foundation remains independent and strong. Relatively low tax levels continue to attract development, fueling the growth of the construction and tourism industries. The pace of growth and change in the GCC might be unprecedented, and could be the impetus to a new way of working. Because necessity drives invention, organizations in the GCC are tasked to innovate, including continuously improving their work process and the workplace in general.

The GCC is not without its challenges, however. Major risk factors for the economy include diversification, inflation and geopolitics. Organizational vulnerabilities lie in the region’s heavy reliance on foreign and expatriate workers. Given the rapid change facing organizational leaders, attracting and retaining scarce talent is a top priority. As educational systems continue to evolve through country-level initiatives, organizational leaders and HR professionals must learn and apply innovative talent management strategies.