The Specter of Unemployment in the Gulf: Challenges and Solutions

The Center for Arab Unity Studies has published the book The Specter of Unemployment in the Gulf: Challenges and Solution by Mirza Hassan Al-Qassab.

Unemployment is one of the most significant global challenges facing countries around the world. Its seriousness extends beyond the high number of unemployed people; it also has profound negative effects on individuals, families, and entire societies. The dimensions of this problem are multifaceted, encompassing economic, social, political, and psychological aspects, making it a complex issue requiring comprehensive solutions.

Despite the Arab Gulf states’ immense wealth and economic prosperity, thanks to their vast oil and gas reserves, they have suffered from increasingly high unemployment rates in recent years. These rates are expected to continue rising due to rapid population growth, the increasing number of expatriate workers, and the limited job opportunities available to school and university graduates.

This book attempts to draw a comprehensive picture of unemployment in the Arab Gulf states, highlighting the pivotal role that oil played in shaping local economies. Before the first oil price boom in the 1970s, the economies of these countries were experiencing quiet growth, with modest or near-zero unemployment rates, thanks to high employment rates resulting from increased government spending and growing public sector employment. This book seeks to understand the dimensions of the unemployment problem in these countries, exploring its causes and consequences. Can this problem be addressed, or is it intractable? What are the factors hindering balance in the Gulf labor market? How can the structural imbalance in these markets, represented by the increasing number of unemployed citizens amidst the increasing numbers of foreign workers, be addressed?