ALPHA DEVELOPMENT PROPRIETARY RESEARCH

The Evolving Landscape of Relationship Managers in Financial Services in the GCC Region

NEW YORK | LONDON | ABU DHABI | SINGAPORE

Talent Shortage for Banking RMs in GCC

Demand for skilled banking RMs and other professionals is outpacing supply in the region, and this is especially true for commercial client-facing staff. 

  • 58% of banking executives cite talent scarcity as a major challenge.
  • 75% of leaders struggle to fill roles requiring Digital and Tech expertise.
  • The region faces the global competition for talent, as well as local factors such as nationalization / emiratization in Saudi Arabia and UAE.  

Key indicators of this talent crunch for RMs include:

Talent management challenges in GCC banking - global and regional factors

This report analyses information from some of the region’s largest banks over a three year period, research from World Economic Forum and other leading organizations, and Alpha’s experience advising on Skills and Competencies for banking RMs. We bring you:

  • Updated skills taxonomy for banking RMs, and how GCC banks compare globally. Where are the critical skills gaps?
  • Talent strategies in region. How are leading banks innovating their upskilling strategy, so that Build creates more sustainable future growth than Buy?
  • Key market themes impacting on the competition for talent. Transformations, regulatory changes, client demands, and the economic growth of non-oil sectors.
  • Impact of technology – both on how RMs perform their roles, and what the role of an RM will be in the future.

Our conclusions? Every region has skills gaps, and the GCC has its own unique growth opportunities. Download our report to read more about how Talent Development professionals can support future growth of this important role in region.

Author: Hector Payne, Alpha Development’ Chief Learning Officer

Hector Payne, Alpha's CLO, leads our team designing Graduate Development Programs

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