Riyadh Office of Labour disclosed Thai employment tendency in GCC

                         On September 2009, Proleads, UAE research firm disclosed, the research study on the impact of global economic downturn to the investment in Gulf Cooperation Council: GCC) totally 6 countries. According to the report, was based on survey of more than 3,000 projects totally worth 1.5 trillion USD. in average, it found that construction industry in UAE has  most severely impacted comparing with other GCC regions. The details of research study are as follows;
                          UAE has the project that developers have put on hold or cancelled a total of 566 projects comprising 29 per cent of all those planned projects. At present, There are1,372 projects either being built or in the bidding process namely UAE’s office, hotel, residential and retail sectors. In comparison with investment capital, UAE still has the highest investment with total project worth 900 USD billion in all member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. 
                           Deutsche Bank anticipated that UAE growth at 0.3% for the year of 2009, compared to 7.4 percent in 2008, based on an average oil price of $63.6 for the year. Meanwhile, Arabtec, the UAE real estate development company, with highest economic investment rate worth and more than half of its income earned from real estate development protects in Dubai, revealed that even though with an anticipation that Dubai economy would be recovered next mid-year, but it was not higher as last year. The company was also looking at expanding its operations in Saudi Arabia which had more oil money to use for development.
                            Bahrain’s total projects are valued at more than $36 billion with 148 in construction or bidding and 54 canceled or on hold.
                            Kuwait, with total projects worth more than $114 billion, 90 are in construction or bidding and 18 canceled or on hold.
                            Qatar has seven projects shelved or on hold and 124 are in construction or in bidding out of total projects worth more than $42 billion. With total projects worth more than $38 billion in Oman, 95 are in construction or bidding with eight on hold. There are no cancellations.
                            Regarding to sending Thai workers to work in GCC regions, it appears that Thai worker delivery was also affected from economic downturn. The number of Thai workers working in UAE decreased and increased in Qatar. Therefore, it can be seen from the data of 8 months of this year (January-August 2009), There were Thai workers work in UAE account for 6,486 people of which decreased by 20.26% compared to last year of which there were 8,134 Thai workers went to work in UAE. In Qatar, there were 7,092 Thai workers went for working in Qatar in total of which increased by 17.63% compared with the same time of last year of which there were 6,029 people.
                            However, Riyadh Office of Labour views that despite of the construction business in GCC country were confronting with economic problems, there were a huge number of unaffected projects and could process construction and bidding as the plans which most of them are maga-construction project with worth of trillions USD and demand a great number of foreign workers. Hence, Thai labour market in GCC countries therefore has capacity to support a great number of Thai workers both in short term and long term.