Photo Credit: WAM
UAE — April 2026 — The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf confirmed that women in the Gulf are strengthening their presence in the region’s development journey, supported by a youthful population base and rising labour market participation.
According to a centre report, key indicators highlight the pivotal role of Gulf women, especially in the health, education, and tourism sectors, reflecting continued progress in empowerment and sustainable development across GCC countries.
The female population in the GCC grew by 15.8 percent between 2019 and 2024, reaching approximately 22.9 million last year, with an average annual increase of around 625,600 females, the Emirates News Agency reported.
The number of females aged 15 to 39 reached roughly 13.8 million, representing 60.3 percent of the total, while women of working age, defined as 15 to 64 years, totalled about 15.9 million, or 69.5 percent.
On labour market participation, the centre stated that the number of employed women in GCC countries rose from 5.7 million in 2020 to 7.3 million in 2025, while employed national women increased from 1.7 million to 2.2 million over the same period.
Female labour force participation stood at 39.3 percent in 2025, with a female unemployment rate of 10.5 percent, and national women accounted for 40.5 percent of all employed nationals.
Between 2020 and 2025, women’s participation indicators improved markedly, with labour force participation rising by 8 percent, unemployment declining by 26.1 percent, and the share of employed national women increasing by 11 percent.
The share of employed women in the government sector grew from 33.3 percent to 34.8 percent, and in the private sector from 4.3 percent to 5.3 percent during the same period. In health and education, Gulf women continue to play an active role in supporting human development, making up 73.8 percent of nursing staff, 63.8 percent of general education teachers, and 41.2 percent of higher education staff.
In the tourism sector, women accounted for approximately 13.2 percent of the workforce in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 9.5 percent in female employment between 2019 and 2024, underscoring their growing contribution to one of the region’s most promising economic sectors.
