Doha: Qatar has reinforced its position as one of the world’s most competitive destinations for global talent, ranking second in the MENA region and 35th globally in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) 2025 published by INSEAD in partnership with the Portulans Institute.
The report, titled, “Talent and Resilience: Navigating an Era of Disruption”, assessed 135 economies on their ability to enable, attract, grow and retain talent. It placed Qatar firmly within the top tier of high-income countries navigating an increasingly disrupted global labour market.
With an overall score of 53.87, Qatar performs above many peers in the Northern Africa and Western Asia region and continues to benefit from strong institutional foundations, openness to international talent and world-class digital infrastructure. The 2025 edition of the GTCI, themed, “Talent and Resilience: Navigating an Era of Disruption,” places renewed emphasis on adaptability, soft skills and workforce resilience in the face of technological change and geopolitical uncertainty.
Qatar’s strongest performance comes in the Attract pillar, where it ranks an impressive 7th globally.
This reflects the country’s exceptional openness to international talent, underpinned by its 3rd-place ranking in External Openness. Qatar ranks first worldwide for migrant stock and international student inflows, highlighting its role as a major global hub for skilled professionals and learners.
High levels of brain gain, where the country ranks 8th, further underscores its appeal to internationally mobile talent seeking opportunity in a stable, high-income economy.
The Enable pillar, which measures the quality of the regulatory, market and business environment, also remains a key strength.
Qatar ranks 29th globally in this category, well above the regional average. The index credits the country’s high political stability (8th), strong government effectiveness (21st) and solid regulatory quality (30th) as central enablers of talent competitiveness.
These institutional strengths are complemented by a dynamic market landscape, ranked 13th, supported by effective cluster development, access to domestic credit and near-universal digital connectivity. Qatar achieves full coverage for mobile networks and internet access in schools, both ranked first globally, reinforcing the foundations for a future-ready workforce.
High engagement with virtual social networks (5th) and professional collaboration platforms further supports an agile and connected talent ecosystem aligned with the demands of a digital economy.
Regionally, Qatar stands out in the MENA region, where the average GTCI score is 45.7. The report highlights Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia as upper-tier performers, combining institutional strength with digital readiness.
