Abstract
Localization of the workforce has emerged as an urgent national priority in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as the region’s reliance on foreign workforce has become unsustainable with rising local unemployment. This study uncovers the key challenges that the GCC region, at large, has faced in implementing the workforce localization public policies from sociocultural, economic, and educational perspectives. Through this exploratory two-stage review and thematic analysis, we identified six challenges pertaining to the GCC and concluded with a comprehensive plan that takes into account educational, economic, and cultural factors.Localization of the workforce has emerged as an urgent national priority in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as the region’s reliance on foreign workforce has become unsustainable with rising local unemployment. This study uncovers the key challenges that the GCC region, at large, has faced in implementing the workforce localization public policies from sociocultural, economic, and educational perspectives. Through this exploratory two-stage review and thematic analysis, we identified six challenges pertaining to the GCC and concluded with a comprehensive plan that takes into account educational, economic, and cultural factors.