The ambitious
development plans of some GCC countries, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and
Qatar, will undoubtedly have a transformative impact on the region. One needs
to consider that Saudi Arabia alone expects to spend over $3 trillion to
realize Saudi Vision 2030 to appreciate the significance of this.
اضافة اعلان
However, how Jordan
and the region will be affected remains to be seen. These plans have already
triggered an unprecedented race for talent as countries compete to secure the
best and brightest in the region. GCC governments and businesses are targeting
Jordanian entrepreneurs and professionals, encouraging them to relocate their
startups or take up executive positions.
Jordan's ability to
create talent has always been a remarkable feat, given the Kingdom's modest
resources. In contrast, its ability to retain talent has been dismal and seems
to be worsening, raising the prospect of further outflows of talent from the
country. Over 10 percent of the population already resides abroad, mostly in
the GCC, and opinion polls such as the Arab Barometer Report claim that an
alarming 48 percent of Jordanians desire to leave the country.
The loss of talent from both the public and private sectors is widely believed to be one reason for the degradation of institutions and corresponding setbacks to governance and quality of life.
While some argue that
previous generations of Jordanian professionals who relocated to the Gulf, such
as those who sought to reap the rewards of the oil-era boom in the 1970s and
80s, did so with minimal damage to the country. Those outflows benefited the
country because their remittances buoyed the economy, and earnings were
repatriated once Jordanians resettled. While remittances have increased and can
stand to increase further, this time is markedly different. Arguably, the sole
driver for previous generations of Jordanian talent that headed to the Gulf was
financial, with quality of life considered much better in Jordan then.
Today, Gulf
destinations have become more cosmopolitan due to large-scale investment and
relaxed social laws and norms. The ease of living has considerably improved
thanks to improved governance and government services. The easing of archaic
labor market restrictions (the scratching of the kafala system) and improved
working conditions, such as longer weekends pioneered last year in the UAE, for
example are also making these destinations more attractive workplaces. Public
and private leaders in the Gulf are also paying greater attention to their
employees' well-being and professional fulfillment.
One would accordingly be remiss not to worry about the implications of the further loss of talent to the Kingdom’s prospects.
Gulf countries
recognize the strong competition in attracting talent and seek to outperform
each other to make their countries more appealing and win the regional talent
race. They are increasingly developing plans to tie talent to their countries
more permanently, including long-term residency visa schemes, such as the UAE’s
10-year Golden Visa and the growing trend of extending citizenship to top
performers. One GCC country is reportedly considering issuing selected
employees 50 percent of their retirement benefits halfway through their careers
to entice them to purchase property in the country as opposed to issuing the
funds at retirement when employees are more likely to return to their home
countries.
As a result of these
trends, Jordanian authorities may have to contend with the growing possibility
that future labor market flows to the Gulf will become more permanent than they
once were in the past, not all too dissimilar to the permanent outflow of
Lebanese professionals from Lebanon over the past decades. The question that
begs itself is where this new wave of potentially permanent brain drain leaves
the country, and what can be done about it? The loss of talent from both the
public and private sectors is widely believed to be one reason for the
degradation of institutions and corresponding setbacks to governance and
quality of life. One would accordingly be remiss not to worry about the
implications of the further loss of talent to the Kingdom’s prospects. On the
latter, and while a whole host of reforms and policies can undoubtedly be taken
to help retain talent, authorities should consider lessons from history.
Jordan succeeded
against insurmountable odds and established pioneering public and private
institutions because of the country's collective sense of purpose. Time and
time again, data has proven that the greatest incentive for the performance of
individuals and organizations has not been financial but the possibility of
their contribution to success. Visit any of the Gulf countries mentioned above,
and one will realize that their newfound momentum is not purely a result of the
availability of funding, which has always been readily available, but their
collective drive and common purpose. This is no easy task. It is not something
that can be outsourced to HR Departments and foreign consultants to
implement.
Data has proven that the greatest incentive for the performance of individuals and organizations has not been financial but the possibility of their contribution to success.
Unfortunately,
authorities seem pleased at the prospect of growing regional employment
opportunities without considering the longer-term consequences for the country.
Some even believe their ability to export Jordanian talent abroad is a major
achievement. For instance, over the past few years, authorities have been
boasting that they have secured thousands of nursing jobs in the Gulf without
considering the impact this has had on the nursing sector. Others refuse criticism
altogether. It is quite unsettling to think that Jordanians rank highest among
Arabs seeking to emigrate, preceding Sudan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Iraq.
Ignoring this will serve no one.
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