Nursing Shortage: 12,000 Vacancies Across Gulf States
Rapid hospital expansion is colliding with a nursing supply crunch. Operators are turning to aggressive upskilling and international recruitment.
GCC health ministries collectively report more than 12,000 unfilled nursing vacancies. The gap is most acute in specialty inpatient and critical-care units, where retention has slipped below 78%.
Operators are responding with two simultaneous strategies: expanded recruiting from South and Southeast Asia, and accelerated bridge-to-nursing programs for allied health staff already on payroll.
