How does the GCC acquire talent?

Ian Jenkins asked his followers on Twitter recently to submit questions around recruitment in the financial technology sector. Justin Hudgekiss asks, „How does the GCC acquire talent?“ Watch Ian’s response here.https://www.youtube.com/embed/oLmD2Y2L0fc?rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cartermurray.aeFull Video Content:

Hi, I’m Ian Jenkins and I am the Head of Carter Murray here in the Middle East. I work a lot in the Fintech space and I recently got a question from a gentleman called Justin Hudgekiss and his question was; how the GCC acquires talent in that area when its not as large in that space as say Singapore or the US. Does it have to be from taking that talent from large established financial institutions or perhaps from relocating talent from other parts of the world. 

I think that is a key component of the way that good talent is going to find its way in to the Fintech sector here in the Middle East. But I think there is something that goes beyond that and really speaks to how the GCC, and in particular here I am thinking Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, see themselves in that Fintech space in 10-15 years. 

Of course, it’s possible to relocate talent and the global workforce today is increasingly mobile. But given that 70%, by some estimates, of the population of the GCC is under the age of 30, there is a real opportunity for them to develop those key skillsets within their local populations and I’d love to see the government, or the governments continue to drive programmes that will develop those skillsets within the local population and promote that talent both within the region and actually internationally. 

I genuinely believe that moving that talent to other parts of the world to work for a number of years and having it come back enriched from that experience is a core component of how this market place goes on to be successful in the decades to come.