Businesses across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA Businesses) continue to face challenges in maintaining operational resilience, with nearly half reporting a gap in their preparedness for major disruptions, according to a new survey by insurance brokerage Lockton.
The company’s Workforce Resilience report found that 47 per cent of businesses in the region have a ‘resilience gap’. Only 39 per cent of respondents described their organisations as ‘very’ prepared to manage significant business disruptions. The research surveyed 140 HR and business leaders across MENA Businesses .
Despite these concerns, 86 per cent of businesses said workforce-related risks were well understood, highlighting the growing importance organisations place on employee management and workforce stability.
Adeeb Al Naser, UAE CEO at Lockton, said businesses across the region continued to operate amid economic, geopolitical and organisational changes. He pointed to the experience of Dubai-based cable supplier Ducab, which benefited as developers turned to domestic suppliers following shipping and logistics constraints in the Strait of Hormuz.
Al Naser added that global talent competition, rapid technological advancements and changing employee expectations were further contributing to the growing resilience gap.
Talent Retention Remains a Major Challenge MENA Businesses
The loss of key employees and critical skillsets emerged as the biggest workforce-related concern, cited by 66 per cent of respondents. Meanwhile, 43 per cent identified the challenge of adapting workforce skills to digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI), while 38 per cent highlighted increasing competition for talent.
According to Al Naser, workforce risks are interconnected and can intensify one another. The adoption of emerging technologies, for instance, can increase pressure on already limited talent pools, making it harder for businesses to secure employees with the necessary expertise.
At the same time, technological developments are encouraging organisations and employees to prioritise upskilling and adapt to changing workplace requirements.
Building Workforce Resilience
Al Naser said businesses were increasingly renewing their focus on workforce resilience and strategies to manage people-related risks.
He emphasised that developing resilient, engaged and high-performing teams would be essential to strengthening business confidence, supporting sustainable growth and helping organisations navigate an increasingly unpredictable business environment.
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