Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, the 6th edition of GCC HR & Labor Market Conference will kick off at Expo Centre Sharjah on October 14- 15.

This was stated during a press conference held today at the headquarters of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), which is organizing this event for the sixth consecutive year.

The conference will be held under the theme “Gulf Labor Market in Light of the Growth of the Digital Economy”, in collaboration with the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Federation of GCC Chambers and Arab Labor Organization.

The two-day conference, which is regarded as the largest forum for the private sector in the region, will discuss 6 working papers in two main sessions, with the participation of an elite of decision-makers and entrepreneurs from the UAE and GCC and a number of private sector representatives of the Gulf labor market.

The Leadership Support and Follow-Up

In his remarks at the press conference, HE Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, SCCI’s Director-General, said: “The SCCI is keen on organizing this conference for the sixth year in a row thanks to the constant support and follow-up of the wise leadership of the Emirate of Sharjah. This has contributed to reinforcing the conference reputation and its success throughout the previous five editions.”

Al Awadi pointed out that the SCCI has carefully chosen the titles of the conference sessions in accordance with the reality of labor market in the GCC countries with a view to achieving the sought-after goals and exploring the future challenges, as well as to serving the best interest of the Gulf societies and the state economy.

“Investment in human capital is one of the most important factors in the economic growth of various countries worldwide regardless of their systems and economics characteristics. This explains the selection of this year’s theme in a bid to closely identify the needs of gulf youth, which stems from the belief of the participating bodies that investment in human capital is the key to achieving sustainable development,” added Al Awadi.

Panel Discussions

Speaking about the conference agenda, Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant General Director, Support Services Sector of the SCCI, said: “The conference is witnessing the participation of a group elite of decision-makers and entrepreneurs from the UAE and GCC and a number of private sector representatives of the Gulf labor market. The discussions will focus on keeping abreast of world transformation in the digital economy by mobilizing capabilities, experiences and fostering joint gulf cooperation through a more thorough scope of work.”

“21 speakers from various ministries, government and private institutions and Gulf academic institutions are taking part in the conference. where 6 working papers will be reviewed in the two main sessions. The papers are discussing the future of pilot projects in light of the digital economy. The conference first day includes a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of gulf employment localization in the digital economy environment. While the second day will feature another session on how to make use of graduation projects of the academic institutions’ students,” Al Shamsi elaborated.

The keynote speakers of the opening session of the conference are HE Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, SCCI’s Chairman, HE Mohammad Thani Murshid Al Rumaithi, President of Federation of GCC Chambers and HE Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

HE Nasser bin Thani AL Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation will be the guest of honor of the opening session of the conference.

The closing statement will be released by the Federation of GCC Chambers, under the title “Recommendations and Documentation of Experiences.

Also, an accompanying exhibition will be organized as well as the “Youth District” which includes holding lectures, workshops, and youth rings on gulf human resources.