We surveyed 200 HR and L&D leaders across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait. Here's what they told us about their biggest challenges.
In late 2024, we surveyed 200 HR and L&D leaders across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait to understand the current state of workforce development in the Gulf. The results paint a picture of an industry at an inflection point.
78% of respondents said their current LMS does not meet their needs. The most common complaints: poor Arabic language support (cited by 64%), inability to track competency frameworks like CAMS (57%), and lack of AI-powered analytics (51%).
Budget allocation is shifting. 62% of organisations plan to increase their L&D technology spend in 2025, with AI-powered platforms being the top investment priority. This represents a significant departure from the "good enough" approach that has characterised the market for years.
Nationalisation programmes (Saudization, Emiratisation) are driving urgency. 73% of respondents said competency tracking for national employees is a board-level priority, yet only 31% feel their current tools adequately support this.
The skills gap is widening. Respondents identified digital transformation skills (68%), leadership development (54%), and technical compliance certifications (49%) as the areas with the largest gaps. Traditional classroom training is seen as insufficient for addressing these at scale.
Mobile-first is non-negotiable. 81% of learners in the Gulf access training content on mobile devices, yet only 35% of deployed LMS platforms offer a native mobile experience. This mismatch directly impacts completion rates.
The report concludes that the Gulf's workforce development ecosystem is ready for disruption. The combination of Vision 2030 initiatives, nationalisation requirements, and rapid digital transformation creates unprecedented demand for modern, AI-powered, Arabic-first training platforms.
Organisations that move early will gain a significant competitive advantage in talent development and retention. Those that wait risk falling further behind in a region where workforce capability is increasingly the differentiator.