Human Capital, Skills Shortages, and Workforce Readiness in Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Analysis Across Healthcare, ICT, and Manufacturing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51325/m31pqd33Keywords:
workforce readiness, human capital, skills shortages, Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia, TVET, digital readiness, skills mismatch, Industry 4.0Abstract
Readiness of the workforce has become an important issue in Saudi Arabia in light of Vision 2030, which is fast-tracking economic diversification and digital transformation and job localization. This study examines how human capital and skills shortages differ across healthcare, information and communication technology (ICT), and manufacturing, while identifying structural challenges shared across these sectors. A PRISMA-guided systematic literature review and comparative thematic synthesis were conducted using 26 studies identified through the review process. The analysis combined inductive theme development with theoretically informed interpretation drawing on Human Capital Theory and, where relevant to technology adoption, the Technology Acceptance Model. The synthesis indicates that workforce-readiness challenges take different forms across the three sectors. The main constraints on healthcare are the capacity of the professional workforce, development of competence and long training and credentialing paths. ICT faces a different challenge, as rapidly changing technologies shorten the relevance of existing digital competencies and increase the need for continuous reskilling. In manufacturing, persistent gaps are associated particularly with the alignment of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with workplace competency requirements. Across the sectors, education–employment misalignment, employer–education coordination, and institutional capacity to respond to changing skill requirements emerge as recurring concerns. These findings suggest that workforce readiness in Saudi Arabia cannot be understood solely as a question of labour supply. Rather, common structural pressures operate through distinct sectoral mechanisms. The review provides a comparative basis for designing sector-sensitive workforce-development policies while identifying areas in which the existing evidence remains limited.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Amirah Alghamdi, Banan Alghamdi, Hadeel Abutaleb, Dalia Halwani, Tayeb Brahimi (Author)
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