The Arab Region May Be Missing the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Arab Skills Are Still Stuck in the Past

Policy brief

The present report relies on the  newly developed ESCWA Skills Monitor, using almost 1.2 million online job openings for the period June 2020–September 2021. Using Skills Monitor results, we analyse whether the type of skills and jobs demanded in the Arab region address the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the new era of economic development. We also investigate the type of skills and jobs demanded in the Arab region, their interconnectedness, and the chance of reskilling and upskilling, including those skills that are trending.

The present report shows how easily employees can accumulate skills and move from one job to another, using the ESCWA Skills Forest. To better relate to the future of work, the analysis attempts to uncover whether the labour market in the Arab region is demanding tomorrow’s skills, is gender and youth inclusive, and if demanded jobs relate to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by linking available jobs to their related SDGs.