The Ghost of Unemployment in the Gulf

Unemployment is one of the most prominent global challenges facing countries around the world. Their seriousness is not limited to the high numbers of unemployed, but extends to the deep negative effects they have on individuals, families and entire communities. The multidimensionality of this problem includes economic, social, political and psychological aspects, which makes it a complex issue that requires comprehensive solutions.Although the Arab Gulf countries enjoy enormous wealth and great economic prosperity, thanks to their huge oil and gas reserves, they suffer from increasing unemployment rates in recent years, and they are expected to continue to rise due to rapid population growth, increasing numbers of expatriate labor, in addition to limited job opportunities for school and university graduates.This book tries to draw a comprehensive picture of unemployment in the Gulf Arab countries, highlighting the pivotal role played by oil in shaping local economies. Before the first boom in oil prices in the 1970s, the economies of these countries were characterized by calm development, and unemployment rates were modest or almost non-existent, thanks to high employment rates resulting from increased government spending and employment growth in the public sector. This book seeks to understand the dimensions of the unemployment problem in these countries, and to exploreIts causes and consequences. Can this problem be addressed, or is it unsolvable? What are the factors that hinder achieving balance in the Gulf labor market? How can the structural imbalance in these markets, represented by the increasing number of unemployed citizens in light of the high number of foreign workers, be addressed?