A recent report by the Gulf Statistical Center shows the total number of workers across the GCC countries increased from 28 million in 2020 to 34.9 million in 2024, marking an addition of 7 million workers and a 24.8 percent cumulative growth over the five-year period.
The report highlighted that the annual growth rate of employment in the Gulf labor market reached 5.7 percent in 2024, one of the highest rates recorded in recent years.
It also noted a significant rise in women’s participation, with the number of female workers climbing 11.6 percent, from 2.8 million to 3.1 million, the highest growth among all workforce categories — reflecting an evolving labor demand structure, reports Al-Rai daily.
According to the report, the Gulf labor market has undergone major structural changes in recent years, fueled by economic reform initiatives and diversification strategies adopted across the GCC.
These efforts include new laws and policies, the implementation of nationalization programs, the alignment of incentives with skills, and the expansion of wage support and unemployment insurance schemes.
Growth in National Workforce
The report further indicated that the number of female Gulf nationals in the workforce rose from 2.2 million to 2.3 million between 2023 and 2024 — a 3.4 percent increase. The overall number of national workers also grew modestly from 5.6 million to 5.7 million, representing a 2.5 percent rise.
Men continued to form the majority of the labor force, increasing from 26.1 million in 2023 to 27.6 million in 2024, a gain of 1.5 million workers.
Key Labor Market Reforms Across the GCC
- Kuwait: Boosting nationalization rates and facilitating the transition of citizens from public to private sector employment.
- Saudi Arabia: Updating Saudization requirements and linking them to wage levels.
- UAE: Expanding the Nafis program to include small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Qatar: Achieving 50 percent localization in the energy sector.
- Bahrain: Introducing a flexible work permit system and launching new wage support programs through Tamkeen.
- Oman: Implementing the Job Security Fund and integrating it with the national social protection framework.
These comprehensive reforms, the report concluded, continue to shape a more balanced, competitive, and inclusive Gulf labor market aligned with the region’s long-term economic visions.
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