6 days ago
Duqm Summer Series focuses on keeping talent switched on
BUSINESS REPORTER
DUQM, AUG 12
The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) continued its inaugural Duqm Summer Series on Tuesday with a one-hour session on workforce development – a subject increasingly at the heart of business strategy. In a world of rapid change, finding, keeping and growing the right people has become as important as securing investment or winning new markets.
Organised by Hanan al Siyabi, Section Head - Marketing & Business Development at SEZAD, the lunchtime session was led by Auf al Aufi, Talent Management Section Head at Development Bank. His focus, how to build teams that are not only resilient, but able to adapt quickly, work with purpose and see opportunity in change.
'The most successful organizations are those that understand talent is not a fixed asset, it's a living, evolving capability,' said Al Aufi. 'We spoke Tuesday about developing leaders who are comfortable with ambiguity and teams that can adapt quickly without losing focus. That means investing in skills, culture and the systems that allow people to work at their best.'
The case for such investment is clear. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2024 report found that only 21% of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, with disengagement costing the global economy US$8.8 trillion a year - around 9% of GDP. The Society for Human Resource Management estimates that replacing an employee can cost up to twice their annual salary when recruitment, training, lost productivity and cultural impact are factored in. And with Gallup reporting that more than half of the global workforce is actively seeking new opportunities, retention is no longer an HR side issue, it is a decisive factor in business performance.
Tuesday's discussion moved beyond traditional HR fixes. It explored the full employee journey, from thoughtful onboarding that embeds organisational purpose, to career paths built on fairness, inclusion and wellbeing. Participants examined how development opportunities can be made transparent and how to create workplaces people actively choose to stay in, contribute to and innovate from.
The conversation also drew a line back to last week's session on AI and automation. As technology reshapes skills needs, the consensus was clear - successful AI strategies go hand in hand with equally ambitious people strategies – reskilling, continuous learning and leaders ready to guide teams through transformation.
For Al Siyabi, the link between talent and competitiveness is obvious. 'Duqm has always been about building for the long-term,' she said. 'These sessions give our tenants the tools and perspective to develop their people with the same care they put into developing their infrastructure. Workforce resilience is not just an HR concern it's a competitiveness concern.'
The Duqm Summer Series began on August 5 with Saeed Abul Ghafoor, CEO of Star Drones, leading a session on AI and automation. It continues through August with discussions on global supply chains and workplace culture, each a focused, one-hour exchange designed to give participants practical insights they can put to work immediately.
In an era where talent is as valuable as capital, Duqm is positioning itself not just as a logistics and industrial hub, but as a place where organisations invest in the people who will shape their future and the region's contribution to the global economy.
