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3,400 GCC projects worth US$ 2.4 trillion in jeopardy.
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| 30 Oct 2007 |
Strategic and tactical tips on how companies can recruit and retain technical and engineering professionals in the increasingly competitive international and Middle East markets to be outlined by leading experts ESI International.
Raed S. Haddad, Senior Vice President of Corporate Programmes for ESI International, the leading provider of project management training and business analysis, will be speaking on the attraction and retention of key personnel at the Middle East HR Summit that takes place from 4 to 8 November 2007 at the National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“The booming Arabian Gulf is witnessing an unprecedented scale of construction projects across the whole civil and industrial spectrum,” commented Haddad.
Raed S. Haddad, Senior VP of Corporate Programmes.
"The region is not exempt from a shortage of project managers and engineers hampering industries worldwide. Pressure is growing as companies compete with each other in an increasingly limited skills pool and costs rise as they poach personnel from each other," he said.
Haddad has more than 20 years experience in engineering, management and the training and development industry. He has extensive first hand engineering and project management experience on numerous international programmes and is currently responsible for implementation of all project management, business analysis, business skills training and consulting solutions for ESI’s clients, including Fortune 500 and large public agencies.
According to database company Proleads, the total number of active projects taking place in the Gulf Co-operation Council countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is close to 3,400 with a total combined value exceeding $2.4 trillion. Civil engineering and infrastructure projects of all kinds lead the way with a staggering 2,081 projects with a combined value of $1.3 trillion alone.
“The sheer scale of all this activity is putting severe strain on recruiters scouring the world for engineers and managers to run the projects. For some companies it seems that competing simply means offering longer contracts and higher pay,” added Haddad.
But Haddad believes that the time is right for far sighted Middle East companies to adopt alternative strategies. “Most regional CEOs recognise that their human resources are their most valuable asset. It is now time to put that mantra into practice,“he said.
However, Haddad believes this is no longer a regional phenomenon it is a global issue, due to the worldwide shortage of talent. Organisations are being forced to identify and adopt strategies to develop their existing and future employees.
“Programmes to develop individuals that will improve their quality of life, raise the bar beyond that of the dollars they are paid,” he remarked.
Certain commentators believe that the Middle East market is not mature enough to embrace these policies, but Haddad disagrees: “Industry perceptions were exactly the same within the United States 10 years ago. If businesses in the region are to compete globally beyond the next decade, they had better start examining these issues now,” he concluded.
ESI International provides professional business education and consulting services over a wide range of subjects, including project management and business analysis. ESI training courses have helped some of the most successful companies in Europe and the Middle East to achieve and surpass their organisational goals.
Accredited by the Project Management Institute, ESI’s portfolio of more than 60 courses offers unique foundations in project management and business analysis methodology and best practices. ESI is also a Charter Endorsed Education Provider of the International Institute of
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