Doha, October 29 (QNA) - The Ministry of Labor organized on Thursday the First Gulf Forum for Labor Market Skills, in strategic partnership with Executive Bureau of GCC Council of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs and the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST).

The forum convened senior government officials, policy experts, private sector leaders, representatives from academic institutions, and international organizations to address labor market skill development, national workforce alignment, and the integration of educational frameworks with regional employment demands amid rapid technological and economic shifts.

HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman bin Nasser Al-Thani emphasized that human capital development and skill enhancement serve as foundational pillars for driving productivity, economic competitiveness, and sustainable growth. She underscored the necessity of tri-sector synergy, spanning government entities, academic institutions, and private industry, to construct an agile, future-ready workforce ecosystem.

For his part, HE Director General of the Executive Bureau of GCC Council of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs Mohammed Al Obaidli highlighted the critical mandate of regional cooperation in empowering GCC nationals. He outlined ongoing initiatives to establish a unified Gulf-wide skills framework, standardize professional qualifications, and harmonize vocational training standards to meet evolving labor requirements.

President of UDST Dr. Salem Al Naemi stressed the imperative of industry-academic partnerships in formulating adaptive curricula. He noted that higher education programs must align dynamically with digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and the green economy transition to prepare national talent for future labor dynamics.

The forum comprised four specialized panel sessions addressing skill investment to accelerate workforce nationalization, building a sustainable regional skills framework, mapping talent requirements across vital economic sectors, and leveraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance economic resilience and job creation. (QNA)