GCC Youth Achieve
Advanced Levels in ICT Skills, Surpassing Global Averages

Muscat, 19 Aug 2026
(ONA) — The latest data issued by the Statistical Centre for the GCC
(GCC-STAT) show that young people in the GCC countries have achieved advanced
levels in a number of information and communication technology skills,
outperforming their peers globally.

This reflects the
impact of investments directed towards education and human capacity-building,
driven by the increasing attention GCC countries devote to investing in
education and developing youth skills, thereby enhancing their readiness for
technological transformations and the requirements of the future labour market.
Government expenditure on education in some GCC countries reached approximately
17 per cent in 2024, exceeding the global average of 12.6 per cent.

Information and
communication technology skills are becoming increasingly important for young
people amid the rapid transition towards the digital economy, given the
opportunities they provide for empowerment in the labour market, stimulating
innovation and entrepreneurship, and supporting lifelong learning, in addition
to their role in protecting privacy and promoting responsible digital citizenship.

Data contained in the
weekly bulletin issued on the occasion of International Youth Day indicate that
GCC youth recorded a high level of proficiency in file-copying skills, reaching
100 per cent, compared with 54 per cent globally. The proportion possessing
social networking skills stood at approximately 95.2 per cent, compared with 68
per cent globally. Meanwhile, the proportion of young people possessing privacy
settings skills reached 75.9 per cent, compared with 34 per cent globally.

In the area of
information verification, the proportion among GCC youth reached 61.6 per cent,
compared with 24 per cent globally, while programming skills stood at
approximately 31.8 per cent, compared with 6 per cent globally, highlighting
the gap in the levels of basic and advanced digital skills possessed by GCC
youth.

The emphasis on
investing in education and developing human skills forms part of the GCC
countries’ efforts to prepare a generation capable of keeping pace with
technological transformations and labour-market needs, and to equip young
people with the knowledge and skills that enable them to participate
effectively in economic and social development.

These indicators are
linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 1 on ending poverty,
through the target concerning the proportion of total government spending on
essential services, including education, as well as Goal 4 on quality
education, which seeks to substantially increase the number of youth and adults
who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for
employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship by 2030.

These indicators
confirm that investment in education is no longer limited to expanding access
to knowledge, but has become a pillar of human capital development, enhanced
competitiveness and preparedness for the requirements of the digital economy.
The levels of ICT skills among GCC youth also reflect a trend towards building
human capabilities that are better equipped for innovation, entrepreneurship and
adapting to the rapid transformations in the labour market.

These findings are
consistent with the 2026 Human Development Report’s emphasis on the importance
of recognising differing contexts, strengthening global solidarity, investing
in young people across different regions, and supporting those who face the
greatest obstacles, thereby helping to ensure that no young person is left
behind in the development process.

The data on ICT
skills among young people in the GCC countries therefore emerge as an important
indicator of growing investment in human capital, particularly as government
expenditure on education in some GCC countries has risen to levels exceeding
the global average. This has been accompanied by clear progress in digital
skills, including programming, privacy, information verification and social
networking—skills that have become essential for empowering young people to
compete in the labour market and create their future opportunities.

—Ends/AG