Introduction

Over the past decade policymakers across the GCC have widely acknowledged the importance of developing strong science, technology and innovation (STI) sectors. The development of STI sectors is viewed not only as an important feature of regionwide economic diversification initiatives, to shift the GCC away from concentration on national hydrocarbon sectors, but also as a critical aspect of achieving long term economic sustainability and contributing to global intellectual and technological advancement in a post oil stage (Bahar 2013). In order to achieve these aspirations and raise the significance of STI sectors in their national economies, policymakers in the region have designed various developmental plans and strategies. The states plans are notably varied; key recurring feature amongst each plan is the notable emphasis placed on increasing human capital, particularly in science and technology. This has led to region wide development of educational institutions, training facilities and academic cities.

Regional initiatives coincide with an ongoing global trend of strengthening education in STI fields. Advanced and emerging economies, such as the UK, US, India and China, have been focusing specifically on the significance of their STI workforces having recognized that economic competitiveness in the future will be founded chiefly on knowledge industries. These trends indicate that economies will increasingly compete with each other for top talent in STI fields thus paving the way for a ‘global skills race’ (Brown and Ashton 2008, 4). This poses a serious challenge for the GCC due to certain characteristics of traditional labor markets in the region.

Historically, GCC economies have relied heavily on a somewhat transient external labor force that has been bound by temporary contracts and typified by constant churn and low skill levels. It is found that workers with tertiary education account for less than 25 per cent of the GCC's labor market, comprising of both a majority of lower skilled workers amongst foreign and national workers. Consequently, developing a highly skilled STI workforce in the region will require drawing and retaining highly skilled professionals to educate, train and develop local talent and build the GCCs nascent knowledge industries in the near term and strengthen labor force competitiveness in the long term.