GCC One Step Closer To EU-Style Common Market With New Jobs Portal

Applying for work within the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) is about to get easier, with a custom-built version of LinkedIn – specific to the region – on its way.

It will mean that citizens based in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will all be able to apply for work through one centralised recruitment platform.

The idea is it should make interconnectivity between the countries easier, allowing workers from across the region to work anywhere within the GCC. It also takes the idea of a GCC Common Market one step closer, with the aim of establishing “the free movement of goods, services and people” – as implemented in the European Union (EU) – by 2024, with economic integration also a stated goal.

The portal will allow users to apply and monitor the progress of all applications, with qualified candidates chosen based on the nature of the advertised vacancies. It is not clear at this stage when the portal will be launched – but you can stay tuned to Time Out for all the latest updates.

The news came in a meeting at the headquarters of the Secretariat General in Riyadh, where the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassim Mohammed al Budaiwi, shared that the portal’s aim is “to attract Gulf competencies”.

He added: “The new portal has been developed in line with the new regulations that facilitate applicants’ registration, and guarantee the principle of transparency, justice and equality in registration, so that they can fully register and follow up on their applications, adding that those who meet the conditions and pass the interviews scheduled for each job will be selected by specialised committees according to the announced jobs.”