Insead survey shows UAE to be region’s top talent retainer

The UAE’s sustainability ranking for retaining talent rose to the top of the global rankings in 2015. Karim Sahib / AFP

The UAE has once again topped Insead’s Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) within the Middle East, making strides on measures including retention of talent and social mobility through improved economic circumstances, despite slipping a position in the global rankings.

The business school survey ranked the UAE 23rd out of 103 countries for global talent competitiveness – compared with 22nd in 2014 – the highest score in the Middle East region, coming in ahead of Qatar, 24, Saudi Arabia, 42, and Kuwait, 51.

The UAE’s sustainability ranking for retaining talent rose to the top of the global rankings in 2015, up from number 59 in 2014, according to the survey, while the ranking for social mob­ility through improved economic circumstances also rose to No 8 from 11 in 2014.

The use of social and virtual networks for career advancement contributed to the rise in ranking, from 10 in 2014 to ­seven this year.

“With a very welcoming business climate and liberal tax policies that are conducive to investment, the UAE has shown tremendous leadership in achieving its vision of a knowledge-based economy,” said Bruno Lanvin, the executive director of global indexes at Insead, and co-editor of the report.

“With its high standard of living and cosmopolitanism, the nation continues to attract and retain talent from the world over. The UAE’s commitment to embedding innovation in its technology infrastructure and all aspects of knowledge creation and its transfer is exemplary.”

Switzerland topped the survey’s global rankings for the second year in a row, followed by Singapore and Luxembourg.

The GTCI, now in its third year, is carried out by Insead in conjunction with Singapore’s Human Capital Leadership Institute and developed in partnership with human resources consultants Adecco.

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