Technological Change and Skill Development in Arab Gulf Countries

This book discusses skill formation, upskilling of workers, and their interaction with technological change in Gulf countries. Heavy dependence on oil, the 'Dutch Disease', and the high incidence of unskilled foreign workers have caused serious structural imbalances in the labour market in the Gulf. The author shows that success of economic development strategies to address such imbalances are all contingent upon the development of adequate and appropriate skills in the region. This book confirms the role and impact of the deficiencies in the educational system alongside the well established effects of the excessive use of uneducated foreign workers and lack of incentives in the labour market. A comprehensive investigation of the skill problem and an elaborate in-depth analysis to assess the causes, consequences and relationships between poor skills and technological performance are highlights of this book. This is an ideal resource for policy makers in the Gulf region and researchers of the topic.

Dr Samia Mohamed Nour is an Affiliated Researcher of United Nations University- Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) and Associate Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Economic and Social Studies, Khartoum University (Sudan). She is also the author of 'Technological Change and Skill Development in Sudan' (Springer, 2013).