Labour market and migration analysis for a national tourism strategy.
As tourism becomes a central pillar of economic diversification across the Gulf, governments face the dual challenge of job creation and workforce sustainability in sectors heavily reliant on migrant labour. The client engaged TCC to support the development of a national employment strategy grounded in labour market realities and aligned with long-term development goals.
Starting point
The tourism sector was identified as a major source of future employment, with the potential to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs. However, the sector remained highly dependent on migrant labour, particularly in construction, hospitality, and support services, raising questions about workforce resilience and skills development.
At the same time, there was limited clarity on how nationals and migrant workers were distributed across subsectors, where skills shortages were most acute, and how policy choices might shape future employment outcome
How we engaged
We conducted a detailed labour market and migration analysis covering hospitality, retail, events, cultural heritage, and supporting infrastructure. The work mapped the balance between national and expatriate workers, identified current and future skills gaps, and examined how migration was filling short- to medium-term labour needs.
We also developed scenario models to test how different policy approaches, including nationalisation, reskilling, and continued reliance on migrant labour, would affect workforce supply and sector growth.
What Changed
The client gained a clear evidence base to inform the design of an employment strategy, including targeted recommendations for skills development programmes in tourism-related fields. The analysis supported more informed policy choices by clarifying how both nationals and migrant workers could contribute to sustainable sector growth.