Professionals working abroad make up almost two-thirds of the workforce in the Gulf Co operation Council (GCC), according to a new report.

Figures from TalentRepublic.net revealed that 58 per cent of all workers in the GCC were expats. The GCC consists of six nations on the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman) and was formed to promote co ordination between countries.

The study also found that expats dominated virtually every industry sector. It suggests the reason for this is the number of local workers who are employed in the public sector, leaving the private sector almost virtually the domain of those looking for jobs overseas.

Bahrain was noted as having the lowest number of workers from abroad, with locals marginally outnumbering their foreign counterparts at 51 per cent.

TalentRepublic.net also included figures from a report by Madar research which said 87 per cent of the UAE were expats, the highest in the region.

The high proliferation of petroleum and petrochemicals production, coupled with free tax zones, has attracted multinational corporations to the area bringing with them foreign workers. Gross domestic product per capita stood at just over $44,000 in 2008, the 12th highest in the world.

Written by Tom Britten.

Tags: jobs overseas, working abroad