Digital transformation is reshaping labour markets across the Middle East and North Africa. Broadly defined, digital labour refers to employment that is mediated or enabled by digital technologies. Examples include digital platform-based gig work, remote freelancing, and other online or ICT-facilitated jobs. In a region where inequality and labour informality continue to shape both access to, and outcomes of, digital employment, shifts in digital labour demand urgent and inclusive policy responses.
Qatar and Lebanon – two states with structural and political differences – illustrate contrasting reform pathways. Qatar’s state-led model has enabled rapid infrastructure development, but its long-term success depends on creating participatory feedback loops that engage citizens and civil society. Lebanon’s decentralized approach – largely driven by NGOs and international donors in the absence of state capacity– demonstrates the value of grassroots inclusion, as local actors and civil society organizations are often more attuned to community needs. However, Lebanon’s long-term success will also require institutional backing that has not been present to date.
Together, these cases show how trust, institutional capacity and citizen engagement shape the outcomes of digital labour strategies. For regional policymakers, lessons from Qatar and Lebanon offer actionable lessons for designing equitable and adaptive digital transitions, particularly in contexts marked by inequality, youth disillusionment and institutional fragility.
Qatar’s centralized strategy: Efficiency through state-led platforms
Qatar’s digital labour market reforms are rooted in its Vision 2030 national development framework, which emphasizes economic diversification, human capital development and technological innovation. The government has adopted a highly centralized model, led by the Ministries of Labour and Communications and Information Technology.
Key platforms include the Qatar National Employment Platform (QNEP), Hukoomi, Kawader and Ouqoul. Together, they use AI and big data to match jobseekers with labour market needs, emphasising private-sector employment for Qatari nationals. QNEP integrates job matching, skills assessments and employment forecasting; Hukoomi serves as the main e-government portal; Kawader acts as a unified e-recruitment portal; and Ouqoul supports recruitment of non-Qatari graduates into private sector roles outside the scope of nationalisation schemes. Available data suggests that these platforms have enjoyed some success in improving job placement rates for Qatari nationals, particularly in ICT and finance, though uptake among non-Qatari jobseekers has been limited.
Qatar’s centralized approach has clear strengths. It allows for policy coherence, stronger data collection and better integration of education and employment pipelines – all in line with national development priorities. Yet it also has limitations. A strong state role can suppress bottom-up innovation, and digital labour platforms may reinforce nationalization goals at the expense of inclusiveness, reproducing gendered and nationality-based labour market segmentation.
Lebanon’s decentralized model: Inclusion amid crisis
Digital labour reforms in Lebanon have unfolded under very different conditions. Since 2019, the country has faced overlapping crises: political paralysis, economic collapse and infrastructure degradation. Public institutions are weakened by underfunding and lack of legitimacy. Yet, despite these constraints, or perhaps because of them, non-governmental entities have stepped in to lead digital inclusion initiatives that often target vulnerable groups and bridge the urban–rural divide.
One of Lebanon’s success stories is Toters, an app-based delivery and logistics platform. Toters links couriers with local merchants for food, grocery, and courier services. In 2022, it raised USD 18 million in a Series B round led by the International Finance Corporation, to scale across Lebanon and Iraq, illustrating how digital labour platforms can thrive even in crisis settings. Its expansion demonstrates both opportunities for gig work and the tensions inherent in platform-mediated labour in precarious economies.
While Lebanon’s decentralized model fosters responsiveness and grassroots ownership, it also creates fragmentation. The country lacks a unified job-matching platform or national data on digital labour force participation. Funding is inconsistent and coordination among stakeholders is limited. As Lebanon’s AI Strategy 2020–2050 notes, the potential of its digital economy is further constrained by high connectivity costs, underdeveloped infrastructure and the absence of comprehensive legal frameworks for data protection and cyber governance. Still, the model’s adaptability and emphasis on community engagement offer a crucial counterpoint to state-led approaches.
Governance, trust and state–society interaction
Digital labour platforms are reshaping how governments and citizens interact in the labour market, particularly in areas such as job matching, service delivery, and feedback mechanisms. In Qatar, state-led platforms have increased service efficiency but offer limited opportunities for participatory governance. Accountability mechanisms remain largely top-down, with citizen input limited to service feedback and formal complaints channels that rarely include transparent follow-up or lead to policy adjustments.
Lebanon offers a bottom-up alternative. Community-based programmes foster greater interactions between youth, NGOs and service providers, encouraging local ownership. Yet, its model lacks institutional legitimacy and long-term sustainability. Feedback processes are informal, relying on community meetings or donor-led monitoring, which may not translate into policy change or institutional reform. Donor dependence raises concerns about agenda-setting and accountability, while the absence of national regulation increases risks of exploitative gig work, especially among refugees.
In both cases, success hinges not only on technology but also on governance. The experiences of Qatar and Lebanon underscore the need for integrated and inclusive accountability frameworks.
Regional lessons and next steps
The experiences of Qatar and Lebanon offer valuable – yet incomplete – models for other MENA states. Moving beyond piecemeal initiatives will require more coordinated and equity-driven digital strategies. Regional frameworks such as the Arab Digital Economy Strategy and ESCWA’s Arab Horizon 2030 provide useful blueprints.
Horizon 2030 urges governments to craft national strategies that are both technologically ambitious and socially inclusive, rooted in investment in digital infrastructure, upskilling of marginalized groups and the integration of gender- and youth-oriented policies at the heart of governance. Crucially, it calls for shifting from donor-led pilot programmes to scalable, state-supported systems that enhance platform accountability, employment equity and regional integration.
In resource-rich states such as Qatar, digital upskilling should be state-led, publicly funded, and delivered with civil society and private-sector partners. Training must focus on high-growth sectors like ICT and fintech to reduce unemployment and retain skilled talent. These states should also adopt transparent, disaggregated data systems to track access by gender, age and region, strengthening trust and enabling services to adjust in real time.
In resource-constrained states such as Lebanon, governments should work with donors, private-sector partners, and community-based providers to reach marginalized groups and ensure training generates not only access to existing jobs, but also new digital work opportunities through partnerships with emerging technology firms and regional labour platforms. Cooperation with regional bodies and donors can help strengthen data systems for effective monitoring.
Fragile states also require sustained investment in institutional capacity. Reform bodies like Lebanon’s OMSAR should be protected from political turnover and adequately resourced, while stronger states can share expertise and support cross-border capacity-building. Regional platforms such as ESCWA or the Arab League can facilitate knowledge exchange, helping wealthier states avoid over-centralization and enabling fragile states to adopt inclusive, proven models.
Ultimately, MENA’s digital transition must align strategy with capacity. Blending the scale of centralized systems with the inclusion of grassroots approaches offers the best path to equitable, trusted and resilient digital labour ecosystems. Looking ahead, cross-country learning could allow each country to offset weaknesses by drawing on others’ strengths through joint funding mechanisms or capacity-building programs under ESCWA or the Arab League.
