Health Gulf healthcare battling staff shortages as demand rises Recruitment is the single biggest challenge facing the Gulf’s healthcare sector, according to industry experts. By 2029, the region will need around 12,300 additional hospital beds to serve a population that is not only growing in number but also aging and living longer, according to private equity group Alpen Capital. That is equivalent to growth […] February 27, 2025
Economy Egypt unveils sizeable social package with wage hike Egypt will increase minimum wages for public sector employees to EGP7,000 ($139) per month starting in July, aligning with a similar hike for the private sector this month, according to local media. The wage increase is part of the EGP200 billion ($4 billion) social support package unveiled by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, the local media reported. […] February 27, 2025
Employment Iraq sets ambitious unemployment target The Iraqi government, which faces re-election later this year, has set ambitious targets to slash double-digit unemployment despite previous attempts foundering due to persistent instability. Mudhar Saleh, an adviser to prime minister Mohammed Al-Sudani, told the official Iraqi news agency last week that the government wants to gradually cut the jobless figure “from a double-digit […] February 24, 2025
Opinion Employment New UAE gratuity scheme could leave staff worse off Replacing end-of-service benefit with a defined contribution fund could cost expat workers thousands February 20, 2025
Economy Egypt raises minimum wage in private sector by 17% Egypt’s private sector minimum wage will increase by 17 percent to EGP7,000 ($139) a month from EGP6,000, effective March 1, following directives from president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. A minimum wage for part-time workers will also be introduced for the first time, providing a net hourly wage of at least EGP28 ($0.56), the state-run National Wages […] February 10, 2025
Employment Turkey’s new strategy targets skilled jobs for youth Turkish president Tayyip Erdoğan has launched a new youth skills development programme to increase employment. The “Iskur Youth Programme” will support one million students over the next four years, equipping them with new skills and financial assistance, Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing the president’s speech. Nearly 200,000 students will benefit from the programme this year […] February 5, 2025
Analysis Real Estate Dubai WFH push unlikely to curb strong office space demand Dubai’s policy of encouraging people to work from home to help curb the city’s growing traffic congestion is unlikely to dent the high demand for office space and rising commercial rental rates, real estate experts say. “Remote work is here to stay, let us it embrace together,” Omar Al Olama, UAE minister of state for […] February 2, 2025
Employment Saudi fund helps 17% more citizens join private sector The Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) contributed to the employment of 437,000 Saudi citizens in the private sector in 2024, 17 percent more than the year before, the fund has announced. The fund said it also provided training and guidance services to 2 million people last year in support of the kingdom’s “Saudisation” efforts to […] January 27, 2025
Analysis Employment Companies seek new CEOs for maximum profits The number of UAE and Saudi companies looking to replace their CEOs reached record levels in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a leading recruitment company. Trefor Murphy, founder and CEO of Dubai-based Cooper Fitch, says the number of companies launching searches for the top job during the end of last year saw “heavy […] January 23, 2025
Opinion Tourism Oman hopes tourism can foster entrepreneurship and create jobs The sultanate has only recently begun to use its history as an economic attraction January 16, 2025
Economy Turkey faces $3bn payout for pensioners and wage support Turkey will have to pay out an estimated TL110.8 billion ($3.12 billion) after increasing minimum pension payments and wage support to companies. Vedat Isıkhan, the labour minister, announced on January 7 that the minimum monthly state pension would be increased by 15.75 percent, taking the base rate payment to TL14,469 ($409). Nearly 3.87 million pensioners will benefit […] January 16, 2025
Economy Oman issues $460m in grants to support citizens Oman has provided funding of OR178 million ($460 million) to support more than 100,000 citizens in housing and businesses. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, in a royal decree marking the fifth anniversary of his accession to the throne, increased the allocation for this year’s housing assistance programme, which provides housing to lower income families. The grants […] January 13, 2025
Employment Saudi Arabia plans cash pay-offs to cut public sector jobs Saudi Arabia is to offer cash incentives to encourage unproductive employees in the public sector to resign in a bid to tackle inefficiency. Saudi newspapers have reported that the government has earmarked nearly 12.7 billion riyals ($3.38 billion) for the three-year plan, which it dubs the ‘Golden Handshake’. While Riyadh has not clarified why it […] January 13, 2025
Agriculture Middle East’s biggest ‘livestock city’ set for Saudi province A SAR9 billion ($2.4 billion) plan to develop the largest “livestock city” in the Middle East has been announced by the Saudi Eastern Province city of Hafr Al Batin. The project, which is expected to provide 30 percent of Saudi Arabia’s demand for red meat, was announced at the Hafr Al Batin Investment Forum 2025 […] January 10, 2025
Economy Turkish pensions increase falls short of expectations Turkey has increased payments on pensions, but observers say the latest rise does not keep up with the cost of living. On January 7 Vedat Isıkhan, the labour minister, announced that the minimum monthly state pension would be increased by 15.75 percent, taking the base rate payment to TL14,469 ($409). A second increase, forecast to […] January 8, 2025
Opinion Employment UAE and Saudi Arabia are magnets for global talent Recruiters say the region is attracting applications from global workers on an unprecedented scale January 8, 2025
Analysis Employment UAE and Kuwait companies struggling to hire staff Companies in the UAE and Kuwait are struggling to afford new staff as a result of squeezed margins, according to the latest business sentiment survey. For the third successive month, non-oil companies operating in the UAE highlighted a reduction in prices charged, with discounting used to support sales amid a highly competitive market. This was […] January 8, 2025
Employment Syrian public sector workers set for 400% pay rise The Syrian caretaker government plans to hike public sector salaries by 400 percent next month after completing an administrative restructuring, the country’s finance minister said Sunday. Public sector workers currently earn around $25 per month, putting them below the poverty line. The increase, estimated to cost 1.65 trillion Syrian pounds, or about $127 million at […] January 7, 2025
Infrastructure Iraq expects road and rail project to provide 20,000 jobs Iraq’s planned $17 billion project to build a rail line and motorway up to the border with Turkey aims to create at least 20,000 jobs for citizens, officials said. Transport minister Razzak Al-Saadawi said the Road Of Development project, which is backed by the UAE and Qatar, will include the construction of several industry cities […] January 7, 2025
Employment Number of unemployed Saudis down in Q3 2024 Unemployment among Saudi nationals fell to 7.8 percent in the third quarter of 2024 from 8.8 percent in the same period a year ago, according to state-run General Authority for Statistics data. But unemployment increased quarter on quarter from 7.1 percent. The overall unemployment rate, including expatriate workers, climbed to 3.7 percent from 3.3 percent […] January 2, 2025
Manufacturing Adnoc aims to add $54bn and thousands of jobs to UAE economy Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is looking to make investments worth AED200 billion ($54 billion) in the UAE economy over the next five years via what it calls its “in-country value programme”. The initiative is meant to ensure that Adnoc’s spending is kept inside the UAE, stimulating the economy and providing local suppliers and workers […] December 31, 2024
Analysis Economy The pros and cons for Turkey of a Syrian exodus The end of the civil war in Syria will, at least in time, offer strong economic opportunities for neighbouring Turkey, though there could also be a few unwanted costs coming as part of any peace dividend. On December 10 Turkish officials said they were developing plans to support up to 2 million of the 3.2 […] December 12, 2024
