GCC labour market offers new opportunities

MM Rahmatullah: Bangladesh needs to fundamentally reshape its skills development and overseas employment systems to meet the changing demands of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) labour market, policymakers and stakeholders said at a high-level dialogue in Dhaka.

They stressed that Bangladesh should move beyond its traditional dependence on sending workers abroad and instead focus on developing skilled, certified and internationally employable human resources.

The call came at the dialogue titled “Bangladesh–GCC Workforce & Economic Outlook: Human Capital Opportunities, Trade and Investment Prospects,” organised by ARISE Bangladesh Foundation at Hotel Sheraton in Dhaka.

The event was attended as chief guest by Mahdi Amin, spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office and Adviser (State Minister) to the Ministries of Education, Primary and Mass Education, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and Labour and Employment.

In his speech, Mahdi Amin said the government is placing particular emphasis on diversifying Bangladesh’s overseas employment markets and increasing the participation of Bangladeshi women in the international labour market.

He also stressed the need for effective policy support to build a sustainable migration ecosystem, alongside stronger and more active participation by the private sector. He described women’s participation in the global labour market and their economic empowerment as important national priorities.

Professor Dr A. S. M. Amanullah, Vice-Chancellor of the National University, attended the programme as a special guest.

Speakers at the dialogue said the GCC region is undergoing major economic and structural changes. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the United Arab Emirates’ economic diversification drive, and the long-term development plans of Qatar, Kuwait and Oman are creating new employment opportunities in a wide range of sectors.

These include infrastructure and construction, healthcare, tourism, logistics, technology, renewable energy and manufacturing.

However, speakers cautioned that simply sending more workers to these countries will not be enough to take advantage of the emerging opportunities.

Bangladesh must first identify which skills are in demand in which GCC country and then align training programmes, curricula, certification systems and recruitment processes with those requirements.

The dialogue proposed an integrated “Skills-to-Employment Pipeline” that would connect labour-market demand directly with overseas employment.

Market demand → Skills forecasting → Curriculum → Training → Certification → Recruitment → Deployment → Employment

Participants also called for destination-specific training, internationally recognised certification and direct partnerships between GCC employers and Bangladeshi training institutions.

They stressed that labour-market information should play a much greater role in planning Bangladesh’s overseas employment strategy.

The dialogue also called for Bangladesh–GCC relations to be expanded beyond traditional labour migration.

Speakers highlighted opportunities in trade, investment, education, healthcare, logistics, renewable energy, digital services and diaspora-linked investment.

They argued that the GCC should be viewed not simply as a destination for Bangladeshi workers, but as a strategic market for Bangladesh’s human resources, skills, services, trade and investment.

Presenting the keynote paper, Kaniz Fatema, Executive Director of ARISE Bangladesh Foundation, said Bangladesh must understand the GCC’s changing market requirements, develop and certify workers accordingly, and directly connect qualified Bangladeshis with global employment opportunities.

She emphasised that the country should move towards a demand-driven system in which skills are developed according to actual international market needs.

Mosud Mannan, ndc, Chairman of ARISE Bangladesh Foundation, delivered the welcome address.

The dialogue placed strong emphasis on building a robust Bangladesh–GCC human capital partnership.

The broader objective, participants said, should be to establish Bangladesh not merely as a country that sends workers overseas, but as a reliable source of skilled, certified and globally employable human resources.

For Bangladesh, such a shift could transform overseas employment from a largely manpower-export model into a broader human-capital strategy—one that links skills development with employment, trade, investment and long-term economic cooperation with the GCC.