Job Opportunities Exploding in UAE and Other Gulf States

Sanjay Modi, Managing Director of Monster.com

Over the course of the past year available jobs as listed on the internet has soared in the UAE by 33 percent. The figure, which was announced by the monthly Monster Employment Index, is based on online job posting activity which the index tracks in 12 leading industry sectors in the six GGC countries and in Egypt.

June’s Monster Index shows that the UAE leads the rest in the increase in online job postings over the past twelve months, while Kuwait followed closely with a 30 percent increase in job opportunities from June 2011 until June 2012. Qatar was tracked with a 23 percent gain.

Overall the increase was even more impressive, growing by an incredible 39 percent annually. Only Saudi Arabia did not grow in the double digits, expanding by only 2 percent for the year in its online job opportunities.

In Egypt job openings posted online surged by 15 percent, while in Bahrain and Oman online job listings increased by 18 and 20 percent respectively.

GCC States Growing Despite Oil Price Drops

GIC

The Gulf Investment Corporation published a report saying that the six Gulf Cooperation Council States will collectively post a 5.8 percent expansion by the end of the year, reaching a GDP of $1.6 trillion in current prices.

The GIC is a Kuwaiti-based firm owned jointly by the governments of the GCC.

The report stated that it is not expected that the recent falling oil prices will have any effect on the predicted growth because the GCC countries are moving towards a consumer society in which public spending is fueling the economy while at the same time governments are instituting reforms to strengthen and stabilize their economies.

"Despite speculation about a further oil price decline, the GCC economies are still expanding as they are based on real growth pillars," the report stated.

"The first and most important pillar is the high public spending in most member states as it accounts for nearly 35 percent of GDP… this is coupled with the implementation of massive projects worth nearly $1.1 trillion, almost a quarter of the world's investment in infrastructure and energy."

Kuwait and Oman Sign Memoranda of Understanding

Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al Salim Al Sabah

After a two-day visit to the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al Salim Al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Kuwait, along with his accompanying delegation, left Oman to return home after completing the fifth session of the Omani-Kuwaiti Joint Committee meetings.

Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al Salim Al Sabah chaired his country’s delegation at the deliberations of the fifth session, and was given a fond farewell on Wednesday at the Salalah airport by Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Salim Ghassab Al Zamanan, the ambassador of Kuwait in Oman.

Presiding over the fifth session of the Omani-Kuwaiti Joint Committee were the Deputy Prime Minister Al Sabah and the Foreign Affairs Minister Alawi bin Abdullah. During the session two memoranda of understanding were signed: One connected to technical cooperation, especially in the areas of environment and climate protection; and the other concerned with cooperation in sports and youth programs.

Fistfight Erupts in Kuwaiti Parliament

Kuwaiti Parliament

A remark by a Shiite parliamentarian referring to Kuwaiti citizens who are being held in the US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as terrorists elicited a violent response from fellow Sunni lawmakers.

Shiite Calls Kuwaiti Prisoners “Al Qaeda Militants”

Kuwaiti lawmakers were meeting to discuss what should be done about the two Kuwaitis which the United States has so far refused to release. When Shiite MP Hussein Hussein Al Qallaf dismissed the two prisoners as “Al Qaeda” militants, Sunni lawmakers took extreme umbrage.

Sunni Muslim Brotherhood member Jamaan Al Harbash lashed out at Qallaf, saying that the lawmakers were not called to meet in order to discuss Al Qaeda, but rather to discuss the prisoners.

Angry Words Turn Quickly to Fisticuffs

As a result of this exchange others joined into the fray, which then led to blows between two Shiite and four Sunni MPs, prompting the acting speaker of the house, MP Abdullah Al Rumi to dismiss the session.

Later on, the speaker of the parliament Jassim Al Kharafi said that the incident was “shameful.” Kharafi decided to adjourn all further sessions of parliament until May 31st and also called for an investigation of the incident by the parliamentary bureau for investigations.

MP Rudhan Al Rudhan called for the parliament to be suspended of an entire month, asking the country’s leader to use his constitutional powers to close down the house.

Another Type of Terrorism

MP Adnan Al Mutawa, a Shiite who was cut under his eye during the brawl, accused the hardline MPs of not understanding the meaning of democracy, or at least not believing in it. He said that the attack by them on their opposing MPs is just another “form of terrorism.”

“A Kuwaiti from any sect can make mistakes, but the government and the country should provide him with a fair trial,” lawmaker Waleed Al Tabtabae said.

“This is a national issue, but unfortunately Qallaf wanted to break national unity and started calling them (Guantanamo detainees) terrorists and members of Al Qaeda,” he added.

Democracy Not Respected or Understood

Adnan Al Mutawa, fellow Shiite lawmaker stood up to defend Qallaf.

“Parliament members are free to express their views in parliament, and they should be respected,” Al Mutawa said.

“Whoever violates others for their points of views is far away from freedom and democracy.”

GCC Planning Aid Package for Oman and Bahrain to Quell Discontent

The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas reports today that the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council are holding discussions about sending financial aid to two of its members who have been hit by demonstrations and protests, Bahrain and Oman, as the Middle East continues to show signs of instability and violence.

The other four members of the GCC, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are considering sending an aid package to help improve the economic and social conditions of their less prosperous neighbors. Together the wealthiest of the six GCC states are said to have about $1.35 trillion in surplus assets, gathered just in the past several years of high oil prices. The aid would be designed to help pay for housing for the needy, create jobs and improve public services in Oman and Kuwait.

Protests in Bahrain have been focused largely on demands for political and economic reforms, while the demonstrators in Oman are more concerned with political corruption and lack of jobs.

Some analysts are comparing this proposed aid package plan of the GCC with the famous Marshall Plan of the United States, which helped rebuild and support Europe in the aftermath of the devastation of World War II. The plan was named after the creator of the plan, the United States Secretary of State at the time, George Marshall.