Ibrahim Alfaki

Technological readiness in the United Arab Emirates towards global competitiveness

Purpose – This paper aims to assess and evaluate the United Arab Emirates’ performance in terms of global competitiveness and technological readiness. This paper aims to critically examine the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and education on improving the technological readiness in UAE. Design/methodology/approach – A situational analysis and a comparative approach were exploited to describe the UAEs position in terms of global competitiveness, highlighting weaknesses, strengths and opportunities. Related discussions were supported by data from several international sources. The countrys worldwide performance was particularly matched against that of the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) together with few more Asian transformation economies. Findings – Apparently, the UAE has made important progress in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) in the last six years particularly at the macro-economic environment and quality of infrastructure levels, notably the ICT sector. Empowering the nation with education and ICTs could increase productivity and competitiveness of UAE worldwide. However, the county is still lagging behind most transformation economies and facing considerable challenges with regards to technological readiness. This hurdle impeded the countrys ability to absorb, adapt and create new technology and knowledge. As a result, the countrys economy is experiencing a negative trade balance in foreign technology transfer. The comparative and situational analysis methodology adopted in the context concluded several lessons and policy remarks. Originality/value – Using the most updated data, this exercise stems from the countrys need to examine the current status, a necessary step for realization of new prospects and adoption and application of future policies and programs. Keywords - Education, GCC countries, GCI, ICTs, Information technology, Technological readiness, Technology products, Technology transfer, Trade, United Arab Emirates

Gender-based differences in employment conditions of local and expatriate workers in the GCC context: Empirical evidence from the United Arab Emirates

Purpose - – The labor force participation rates of females have been increasing steadily over the past few decades in the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and are expected to continue to increase due to increasing levels of education and social change. While, there is a substantive amount of literature on the issues of gender gap in wages and employment conditions in Western developed economies, the evidence from developing economies – especially in the Middle East – remains very scant. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to bridging this gap by examining gender-based differences in employment conditions for local and expatriate workers in the context of the GCC region. Design/methodology/approach - – The authors utilize a data set from the 2007 cross-section Dubai Labor Market Survey which covers a stratified random sample of employees in the UAE labor market. In addition to descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations of the data by workers’ gender, nationality, and various characteristics of their employment conditions, two empirical models intended to investigate factors that influence access to employment and wage determination of male and female workers in the UAE labor market were estimated. Findings - – The findings of the study reveal that there are gender-based differences and inequity in employment in the UAE labor market. The authors highlight specific impacts of contextual factors on the employment conditions of women compared to men. The gender gap in the UAE context is compounded by nationality effects; whereby gender-based differences become less apparent in the case of foreign workers compared to UAE nationals. Originality/value - – This paper is one of very few studies that addressed the gender gap in employment conditions in the Arab Middle Eastern or GCC context. The paper uses quantitative data from a large random sample of workers in the UAE.

Transforming the United Arab Emirates into a knowledge‐based economy: The role of science, technology and innovation

Purpose – This paper aims at exploring the role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in transforming the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into a knowledge economy (KE) by initially assessing the countrys achievements implementing the KE pillars. It further evaluates the countrys STI capacity and competence in exercising adoption and diffusion of knowledge. Design/methodology/approach – A situational analysis and a comparative approach were exploited to describe the UAEs position in terms of transition to a KE, highlighting weaknesses, strengths and opportunities. Related discussions were supported by data made available from several international sources. The countrys worldwide performance was particularly matched against that of the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) together with two more Asian transformation economies and also a few examples from other Arab and Muslim countries. Findings – Apparently, the UAE has made important progress in the implementation of the KE pillars and transitioning to the innovation-driven stage, particularly at the macro-economic environment and quality of infrastructure levels, notably the ICT sector. However, the county is facing several challenges that require concerted efforts and rigorous follow-up. For instance, the UAE is lagging behind most transformation economies and some GCC countries when it comes to investment in education and R&D activities. This hurdle impeded the countrys ability to absorb, adapt and create new technology and knowledge. As a result, the countrys economy is experiencing a negative trade balance in foreign technology transfer. The comparative and situational analysis methodology adopted in the context concluded several lessons and policy remarks. Originality/value – Using the most updated data, this exercise stems from the countrys need to examine the current status, a necessary step for realization of new prospects and adoption and application of future policies and programs. Keywords - Assessment, GCC countries, Knowledge economy, R&D, STI, United Arab Emirates