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Online-Seminar

Highly Skilled Migration to the Gulf

Labour Reforms and the Global Competition for Talents

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States are reshaping labour markets to become global talent hubs. Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s strongest economy and home to nearly half of the GCC’s foreign workforce, is spearheading reforms to attract highly skilled migrants. Vision 2030 aims to diversify and decarbonise the economy, promote technical innovation, develop new sectors, and boost employment, particularly for women. The UAE has emerged as a competitor, introducing Golden Visas in 2019, followed by Green Visas and other permits, revolutionising its immigration landscape. The webinar will reflect on Saudi Arabia’s labour and migration reforms over the last decade and their outcomes, with a comparative insight into the UAE.

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Details

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States are reshaping labour markets to become global talent hubs. Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s strongest economy and home to nearly half of the GCC’s foreign workforce, is spearheading reforms to attract highly skilled migrants. Vision 2030 aims to diversify and decarbonise the economy, promote technical innovation (e.g., “green” economy, AI research), develop new sectors (tourism, health, sport), and boost employment, particularly for women.

Key policies include the Nitaqat policy for “Saudisation,” investments in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and aligning education with market needs. Recent measures, such as the Labour Market Initiative to reform the sponsorship system and the Premium Residency Card (PRC) scheme, aim to attract and retain skilled foreign workers.

The UAE has emerged as a competitor, introducing Golden Visas in 2019, followed by Green Visas and other permits, revolutionising its immigration landscape.

The webinar will reflect on Saudi Arabia’s labour and migration reforms over the last decade and their outcomes, with a comparative insight into the UAE.

Questions tackled in the webinar include:

- Economic and labor reforms, technological change: what are the new skills on demand?

- Expected impacts of the reforms on Saudi and foreign workers’ profiles.

- Education and training programs for young Saudi professionals: a success?

- Recent migration policy changes: are they enhancing the attractiveness of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to foreign talents?

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Zum Kalender hinzufügen

Referentinnen und Referenten

  • Moderator: Imco Brouwer
    • Managing Director of Gulf Labour Markets
    • Migration
    • and Population Programme (GLMM), Gulf Research Center (GRC)
  • Justin Alexander
    • Economist at Khalij Economics
  • Badr Al Sharif
    • Managing Director of Smart Policy Lab
  • Mehmet Ali Soytas
    • Senior Advisor at the National Labour Observatory
  • Sylvian Côté
    • Economist and Public Policy Analyst
  • Froilan Malit, Jr.
    • Visiting Fellow at the American University in Dubai (UAE).
Kontakt

Philipp Dienstbier

Philipp Dienstbier

Leiter des Regionalprogramms Golf-Staaten

philipp.dienstbier@kas.de +962 6 59 24 150
Kontakt

Marah Jamous

Marah Jamous Portrait

Projektmanagerin

Marah.jamous@kas.de +962 6 59 24 150
GLMM WEBINAR JAN 2025

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