The Gulf job market is undergoing one of its biggest transformations in decades, with employment surging and women's participation steadily climbing - trends that analysts say mirror the UAE's success in creating a more dynamic, diversified, and inclusive workforce.

According to the latest data from the Gulf Statistical Center, the total number of workers across the GCC rose from 28 million in 2020 to 34.9 million in 2024 - a gain of nearly 7 million employees and a cumulative growth of 24.8 per cent over five years.

Employment across the region expanded at an annual rate of 5.7 per cent last year, one of the highest recorded in recent memory, as member states accelerated labour market reforms and private-sector development initiatives.

The UAE stands out as a regional frontrunner, having aggressively implemented measures under its Emiratisation programme, Nafis, to equip citizens with skills and incentives for private-sector employment. The expansion of Nafis to include small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has opened new pathways for Emiratis while simultaneously diversifying the country's talent pool.

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Across the GCC, women's participation has been particularly notable. The number of female workers grew 11.6 per cent between 2020 and 2024 - from 2.8 million to 3.1 million - the fastest growth among all workforce categories. The report attributed this surge to the region's evolving labour policies, increased flexibility in work permits, and the rollout of wage support and unemployment insurance schemes that have encouraged women to join or re-enter the workforce.

Within the Gulf national workforce, the number of female nationals climbed from 2.2 million to 2.3 million between 2023 and 2024 - a 3.4 per cent rise - while the total number of national workers grew modestly from 5.6 million to 5.7 million. Male employment, meanwhile, rose from 26.1 million to 27.6 million over the same period.

Several GCC nations have introduced targeted labour market reforms: Saudi Arabia has linked Saudidation targets to wage levels, Kuwait has incentivised the transition of nationals to private-sector jobs, Bahrain has rolled out flexible work permits and new wage support through Tamkeen, Qatar has achieved 50 per cent localisation in its energy sector, and Oman has integrated its Job Security Fund into a national social protection framework. Together, these efforts are shaping a more balanced, competitive, and sustainable Gulf labour market aligned with each country's long-term economic vision.

Complementing these structural reforms, the UAE and wider GCC are also seeing an evolution in workplace culture - especially in gender diversity.

A new report by the Avtar Group, Best Companies for Women in the Gulf 2025, revealed that women now account for 42 per cent of new hires and 33 per cent of the workforce at top-performing companies in the region. However, fewer than 28 per cent of women were promoted to higher positions, highlighting a persistent leadership gap.

Encouragingly, the study found that 95 per cent of leading companies across the UAE and GCC now offer leadership training programmes for women, while 79 per cent provide formal mentoring or executive coaching. These initiatives have been particularly successful in the UAE, where gender balance has become a key pillar of corporate and government strategy.

Dr Saundarya Rajesh, founder-president of Avtar Group, told Khaleej Times in a recent interview that while women's participation in entry-level roles has improved, it remains below parity.“Why a company should have more women is still not fully understood by many organisations. Because of that, the positions filled by women are often what we call 'easy positions' - not necessarily high-ranking roles,” she said.“If 100 people join a corporation with only 42 per cent women, that number will shrink dramatically in senior roles over time. We need to start with 50 or even 60 per cent women at the entry level to sustain leadership diversity.”

According to Global Insights data, women make up 36.2 per cent of the UAE's population of 11.35 million, while men account for 63.8 per cent - a demographic pattern reflected across the wider GCC, where males constitute around 62.8 per cent of the population. A large portion of this imbalance stems from the region's reliance on male-dominated migrant labour, especially in construction and logistics sectors.

Experts say the tide is turning with governments and corporations across the Gulf intensifying efforts to integrate women into growth sectors such as technology, finance, and renewable energy. The coming years could mark a historic inflection point for gender parity. The UAE's leadership in embedding inclusivity, entrepreneurship, and skill development into its economic agenda is increasingly viewed as a model for the wider region - signalling a new era in which Gulf prosperity is built on both balance and opportunity, they said.

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