BrazilWTW’s HR Summit: Key takeaways for CHROs and HR Leaders in the GCC
Global professional services firm WTW recently held the 2025 edition of its flagship HR Summit in Dubai, hosting over 100 executives and HR leaders from across the GCC. Dr. Ahmad Waarie, Managing Director MENA and CEEMEA Work & Rewards Advisory Leader at WTW, reflects on what he sees as the main takeaways of the event.
One of the questions asked to the leaders at the event was: ‘What are your greatest challenges in building a future ready GCC workforce? Respondents gravitated to three interlocking issues, with 35% pointing to talent shortages, 25% citing nationalization policies, and 15% highlighting governmental regulations.
Talent shortages
A large share of attendees identified talent gaps, particularly in AI, analytics, and other tech fields, as the biggest hurdle. The surging demand for digital fluency has simply outpaced the existing pipeline of specialized talent, leading to a workforce unable to keep up with evolving technological needs.
Nationalization policies
It is not that GCC organizations are reluctant to hire locally. In many cases, quota-based mandates can inadvertently place local hires in roles where they may lack the depth of experience or specialized skills. Forward-thinking leaders, however, see this as a strategic opportunity. By leveraging AI-driven skill matching, targeted upskilling, and structured mentorship programs, they can ensure talent is placed effectively and supported in developing future-ready capabilities.
In turn, organizations not only fulfill nationalization requirements but also cultivate a high-impact workforce that aligns with evolving market demands.
Governmental regulations
Another group singled out static labor laws, legacy cultural norms, weekend schedules, visa constraints, and limited remote work options as barriers to global competitiveness. Although these issues may appear secondary, they quietly undermine efforts to attract and retain top performers in a fast-changing market.
The interdependencies
What’s telling is that 25% of participants believed no single challenge could be isolated. They noted that modernizing regulations directly affects how effectively organizations can tackle talent shortages and implement nationalization mandates, showing that these three areas are deeply interconnected.
Reframing skills
A key theme of the event was the changing workforce, driven by the need to embrace upcoming technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). When asked: “Which skill is most lacking now but will be essential in five years?”, the event’s attendees pointed at three areas:
- AI and data literacy: A striking 60% flagged competence in AI, machine learning, or data analytics as mission critical.
- Adaptability and agility: Roughly 25% stressed the need for “learning agility” – the ability to constantly reskill in a tech‐driven world.
- Emotional intelligence and soft skills: The remaining 15% highlighted communication, empathy, and leadership as the vital glue holding teams together – particularly once automation handles routine tasks.
This trifecta of digital fluency, agility, and emotional intelligence defines the future‐ready employee. GCC leaders realize that tomorrow’s workforce must combine deep technical knowledge with human creativity and resilience.
At WTW, we see the synergy of high-tech, anchored in AI, data, and digital tools, and high-touch, rooted in communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence, as the ultimate advantage. By blending innovation with genuine human connection, organizations can unlock a truly competitive edge in the marketplace.
Urgent transformations
When leaders were asked about the most urgent transformation between restructuring jobs for AI, reducing expat dependence, or redefining the employee value proposition (EVP), the greatest emphasis was on AI (45%), followed by the EVP (30%). Only 15% of attendees said that local skill building would be a challenge.
AI‐driven job restructuring
It’s not just about new software. It’s about rewriting job architectures so AI handles the tactical, freeing human workers for critical thinking and innovation.
Refining the employee value proposition
In a hyper‐competitive market, compensation alone won’t suffice. Leaders pointed to flexible work models, purposeful roles, and holistic wellbeing as cornerstones of the modern EVP.
Balancing local versus expat talent
Even the most enthusiastic nationalization proponents concede that the GCC still needs specialized expatriate expertise in certain frontier technologies. Blended workforces guided by AI for skill matching offer a pragmatic solution.
A leap into the future
Looking back at the discussions held at the HR Summit, it is clear that the GCC has the ambition to pioneer workforce transformation on a global scale.
Picture a near future in the GCC where AI‐augmented employees and upskilled talent, both local and expatriate, collaborate seamlessly across borders, powered by technology-friendly regulations and visionary policies that will help to catapult the region into a workforce renaissance. This isn’t just a dream – it is the future.
Yet, making this leap demands proactive leadership at every level. Policy makers must for instance align regulations, from nationalization quotas to visa frameworks and remote‐work policies, with the realities of a digital era. Business leaders need to prioritize upskilling and reskilling their workforce while rethinking compensation, culture, and the broader employee value proposition.
And finally, CHROs and HR teams should harness AI for predictive workforce planning and embed cultural agility into daily operations, ensuring people can adapt to new challenges.
