Dubai, UAE — The Gulf Cooperation Council countries have a high reliance on foreign labor. In 2020, foreign workers accounted for 60 percent of the total labor force in the GCC countries, mostly in the construction and manufacturing sectors. They face high unemployment among nationals, shortage of skilled labor and a mismatch between the skills of nationals and the requirements of the labor market. The governments are addressing labor market challenges by promoting vocational training and education for nationals, introducing quotas on foreign workers, facilitating the recruitment of skilled labor and encouraging female participation in the labor market. Here is the distribution of the labor force across five major sectors in the GCC countries:
