emirates7 - Young people in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries outperform their global peers in several key information and communication technology skills, according to data from the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-STAT).
This reflects the GCC countries' growing investment in education and youth skills development to prepare young people for technological change and future labour market needs. Government spending on education in some GCC countries reached about 17 percent in 2024, above the global average of 12.6 percent.
Information and communication technology skills are becoming increasingly important for young people amid the rapid transition towards the digital economy, given the opportunities they provide for empowerment in the labour market, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, and supporting lifelong learning, in addition to their role in protecting privacy and promoting responsible digital citizenship.
Data contained in the weekly bulletin issued on the occasion of International Youth Day showed that 100 percent of GCC youth had file-copying skills, compared with 54 percent globally, while 95.2 percent had social networking skills, against a global rate of 68 percent.
Meanwhile, the proportion of young people possessing privacy settings skills reached 75.9 percent, compared with 34 percent globally.
In information verification, the proportion among GCC youth reached 61.6 percent, compared with 24 percent globally, while programming skills stood at approximately 31.8 percent, compared with 6 percent globally, highlighting the gap in the levels of basic and advanced digital skills possessed by GCC youth.
The emphasis on investing in education and developing human skills forms part of the GCC countries’ efforts to prepare a generation capable of keeping pace with technological transformations and labour-market needs.
The indicators are also linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including goals on poverty reduction and quality education, particularly the target of increasing the number of young people and adults with skills relevant to employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship by 2030.
These indicators confirm that investment in education is no longer limited to expanding access to knowledge, but has become a pillar of human capital development, enhanced competitiveness and preparedness for the requirements of the digital economy.
The levels of ICT skills among GCC youth also reflect a trend towards building human capabilities that are better equipped for innovation, entrepreneurship and adapting to the rapid transformations in the labour market.
These findings are consistent with the 2026 Human Development Report’s emphasis on the importance of recognising differing contexts, strengthening global solidarity, investing in young people across different regions, and supporting those who face the greatest obstacles, thereby helping to ensure that no young person is left behind in the development process.
The data on ICT skills among young people in the GCC countries therefore emerge as an important indicator of growing investment in human capital, particularly as government expenditure on education in some GCC countries has risen to levels exceeding the global average. This has been accompanied by clear progress in digital skills, including programming, privacy, information verification and social networking—skills that have become essential for empowering young people.
This reflects the GCC countries' growing investment in education and youth skills development to prepare young people for technological change and future labour market needs. Government spending on education in some GCC countries reached about 17 percent in 2024, above the global average of 12.6 percent.
Information and communication technology skills are becoming increasingly important for young people amid the rapid transition towards the digital economy, given the opportunities they provide for empowerment in the labour market, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, and supporting lifelong learning, in addition to their role in protecting privacy and promoting responsible digital citizenship.
Data contained in the weekly bulletin issued on the occasion of International Youth Day showed that 100 percent of GCC youth had file-copying skills, compared with 54 percent globally, while 95.2 percent had social networking skills, against a global rate of 68 percent.
Meanwhile, the proportion of young people possessing privacy settings skills reached 75.9 percent, compared with 34 percent globally.
In information verification, the proportion among GCC youth reached 61.6 percent, compared with 24 percent globally, while programming skills stood at approximately 31.8 percent, compared with 6 percent globally, highlighting the gap in the levels of basic and advanced digital skills possessed by GCC youth.
The emphasis on investing in education and developing human skills forms part of the GCC countries’ efforts to prepare a generation capable of keeping pace with technological transformations and labour-market needs.
The indicators are also linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including goals on poverty reduction and quality education, particularly the target of increasing the number of young people and adults with skills relevant to employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship by 2030.
These indicators confirm that investment in education is no longer limited to expanding access to knowledge, but has become a pillar of human capital development, enhanced competitiveness and preparedness for the requirements of the digital economy.
The levels of ICT skills among GCC youth also reflect a trend towards building human capabilities that are better equipped for innovation, entrepreneurship and adapting to the rapid transformations in the labour market.
These findings are consistent with the 2026 Human Development Report’s emphasis on the importance of recognising differing contexts, strengthening global solidarity, investing in young people across different regions, and supporting those who face the greatest obstacles, thereby helping to ensure that no young person is left behind in the development process.
The data on ICT skills among young people in the GCC countries therefore emerge as an important indicator of growing investment in human capital, particularly as government expenditure on education in some GCC countries has risen to levels exceeding the global average. This has been accompanied by clear progress in digital skills, including programming, privacy, information verification and social networking—skills that have become essential for empowering young people.
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