Employment, participation and nationalisation programmes.
| Countries | Unemployment rate (total) | Unemployment rate (nationals) | Labour force participation (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 3% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators | 7.2% Q4 2025 · Saudi Press Agency | 65.1% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators |
| United Arab Emirates | 2.2% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators | — | 78.6% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators |
| Qatar | 0.1% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators | — | 87% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators |
| Kuwait | 2.2% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators | — | 73.4% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators |
| Bahrain | 1.1% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators | — | 70.4% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators |
| Oman | 3.3% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators | — | 68.4% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators |
| Iraq | 15.5% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators | — | 41.5% 2025 · World Bank, World Development Indicators |
Definitions of unemployment and participation differ between national statistics offices; see each indicator page.
Saudization is applied through Nitaqat, which sets minimum shares of Saudi employees by sector and firm size, alongside sector-specific localisation decisions for professions such as engineering, accounting and retail.
Official source ↗Emiratisation sets annual targets for the share of Emirati employees in skilled roles at private companies with 50 or more employees, with smaller firms in selected activities also covered; the Nafis programme provides salary support and training.
Official source ↗Qatarization prioritises Qatari nationals in public-sector and energy-sector employment, with targets set by the Ministry of Labour and the state energy companies.
Official source ↗Kuwaitization sets minimum shares of Kuwaiti employees by private-sector activity and supports national employment in the private sector through wage allowances.
Official source ↗Bahrainisation is implemented through the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, which links work-permit fees and quotas to the share of Bahraini employees.
Official source ↗Omanisation sets sector-by-sector targets for the share of Omani employees and restricts certain occupations to nationals.
Official source ↗Iraq has no nationalisation quota programme comparable to the Gulf states; employment policy centres on public-sector hiring and periodic appointment drives, with the expatriate workforce small by regional standards.
Official source ↗