Digital skills are in short supply in GCC

Developing GCC countries’ digital skills and capabilities could lead to 1.3 million extra digital jobs being created by 2025, according to new research by LinkedIn and Strategy&.

The Empowering the GCC digital workforce: Building adaptable skills in the digital era report found “fundamental supply and demand issues” in the region’s current digital job market, which need to be addressed before the benefits of digitisation – a key component of the success of national plans – can be realised.

The proportion of digital jobs as a percentage of the total workforce is 1.7 per cent in the GCC, compared to 5.4 per cent in the EU. In the UAE, the figure is slightly higher at 2.9 per cent, compared to 1.5 per cent in Saudi Arabia, 1.4 per cent in Oman and Bahrain and 0.6 per cent in Kuwait.

The region needs to generate more of these jobs as well as encouraging nationals to consider digital industries for employment opportunities, as currently expatriates hold the majority of these positions in the GCC, said the report. “Digital jobs tend to be sustainable, provide opportunities for self-employment and give organisations the homegrown skills they need for ICT transformation”, it said.

However the availability of people with the digital skills organisations require, such as statistical analysis and data mining, algorithm design and SEO/SEM marketing, is currently limited. “GCC digital professionals’ skills tend to be mainly soft and managerial,” said Ali Matar, director of the Middle East & North Africa region at LinkedIn. “Digital professionals often lack the advanced technical skills necessary for the digital age.”

The report puts the skills shortage down to three key factors: limited academic preparation for digital skills; inadequate professional development environment; and limited interest in pursuing digital careers.

As part of the solution, it recommends that GCC governments partner with tech businesses, as well as educational institutions, in order to launch initiatives “that stimulate demand for digital professionals and secure a reliable local supply”.

“GCC governments can lead by example through championing the digitisation of public institutions,” said the report. This can be achieved through promoting digital jobs within the public sector and setting out an accelerated digital career path in government with competitive compensation schemes.

“Governments must take an adaptive approach in boosting their digital job market, continuously accounting for the latest technological developments,” added Samer Bohsali, partner, Strategy& Middle East. “They should also promote a culture of lifelong learning among their citizens.”