Picture a near future in the GCC where AI‐augmented employees and upskilled talent, both local and expatriate, collaborate seamlessly across borders, powered by technology-friendly regulations and visionary policies that will help to catapult the region into a workforce renaissance.
This isn’t just a dream. At the recent WTW 2025 GCC HR Summit, where we engaged 100+ senior HR leaders and executives across the GCC, we found that employers are grappling with these very issues. They shared frank assessments of the challenges facing workforce readiness and innovative ideas that could shape the region’s destiny.
Below, we distill the key takeaways from this event and outline how employers in the region can build a future‐ready workforce.
When asked to identify the greatest challenge in building a future ready GCC workforce, respondents gravitated to three interlocking issues, with 35% pointing to talent shortages, 25% citing nationalization policies, and 15% highlighting governmental regulations. Interestingly, an additional 25% declined to select just one, noting how these factors reinforce each other.
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A large share of attendees identified talent gaps, particularly in AI, analytics, and other tech fields, as the biggest hurdle. The surging demand for digital fluency has simply outpaced the existing pipeline of specialized talent, leading to a workforce unable to keep up with evolving technological needs.
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It is not that GCC organizations are reluctant to hire locally. In many cases, quota-based mandates can inadvertently place local hires in roles where they may lack the depth of experience or specialized skills. Forward-thinking leaders, however, see this as a strategic opportunity. By leveraging AI-driven skill matching, targeted upskilling, and structured mentorship programs, they can ensure talent is placed effectively and supported in developing future-ready capabilities. In turn, organizations not only fulfill nationalization requirements but also cultivate a high-impact workforce that aligns with evolving market demands.
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Another group singled out static labor laws, legacy cultural norms, weekend schedules, visa constraints, and limited remote work options as barriers to global competitiveness. Although these issues may appear secondary, they quietly undermine efforts to attract and retain top performers in a fast-changing market.
What’s telling is that 25% of participants believed no single challenge could be isolated. They noted that modernizing regulations directly affects how effectively organizations can tackle talent shortages and implement nationalization mandates, showing that these three areas are deeply interconnected.
When asked: “Which skill is most lacking now but will be essential in five years?”, event attendees answered decisively:
This trifecta of digital fluency, agility, and emotional intelligence defines the future‐ready employee. GCC leaders realize that tomorrow’s workforce must combine deep technical knowledge with human creativity and resilience. At WTW, we see the synergy of high-tech, anchored in AI, data, and digital tools, and high-touch, rooted in communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence, as the ultimate advantage. By blending innovation with genuine human connection, organizations can unlock a truly competitive edge in the marketplace.
When we asked leaders about the most urgent transformation between restructuring for AI, reducing expat dependence, or redefining the employee value proposition (EVP), the greatest emphasis was on AI (45%), followed by the EVP (30%). Only 15% of attendees said that local skill building would be a challenge.
A clear theme emerges: a “tech + talent” convergence is essential.
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It’s not just about new software. It’s about rewriting job architectures so AI handles the tactical, freeing human workers for critical thinking and innovation.
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In a hyper‐competitive market, compensation alone won’t suffice. Leaders pointed to flexible work models, purposeful roles, and holistic wellbeing as cornerstones of the modern EVP.
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Even the most enthusiastic nationalization proponents concede that the GCC still needs specialized expatriate expertise in certain frontier technologies. Blended workforces guided by AI for skill matching offer a pragmatic solution.
The data from our summit underscores a pivotal moment: the GCC has the ambition, and now increasingly the tools, to pioneer workforce transformation on a global scale. Yet, making this leap demands proactive leadership at every level:
At WTW, we believe that future‐ready is more than deploying the latest technology. It involves reimagining the new employee deal between employers and employees, championing continuous learning, and elevating human creativity alongside digital capabilities. By blending policy innovation, technological adoption, and people‐centric design, GCC organizations can transcend current hurdles and set a global benchmark for what the future of work truly looks like.
Coming soon: Our next article will unveil practical solutions that build on these insights — offering a clear roadmap to tackle each barrier head‐on. Whether you are a policymaker, a CEO, or an HR leader, now is the time to lay the groundwork. The GCC has always been a land of bold visions, and together we can transform those visions into a sustainable reality, and redefine what it means to have a future‐ready workforce in the digital age.
