Mobility in the oil and gas workforce

Ali Haider, regional director, Nomadic and Nadeem Ahmed, senior manager, Nomadic discuss the need for oil and gas operators to adopt measures to proactively manage their workforce needs

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that nearly six million people are directly employed by the petroleum industry and over 60 million jobs are indirectly created by the industry. As governments around the world look to implement key directives from COP 28, including those emerging from the completion of the first ever ‘global stocktake’ to review global efforts for addressing climate change, skilled individuals who can help businesses navigate the complexities of emerging technologies, ensure operational efficiency, and foster continuous innovation will play an increasingly important role.

Meeting workforce demands amid regulatory changes

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts a robust 4.0% GDP growth in the UAE, pointing to a rising demand for skilled workers in the oil and gas industry. In order to successfully facilitate the influx of skilled professionals who will sustain and support the expansion of the industry, there is a need for a holistic approach towards managing their mobility and deployment. The diverse talent pool in the UAE, encompassing over 200 nationalities, further highlights the necessity of such strategic management.

As the oil and gas industry evolves, so do the laws and regulations governing the UAE's talent pool, such as further enhancements to the country’s various Emiratization initiatives and its very successful Golden Visa and Virtual Working Programs, as well as the evolving self-sponsorship framework that underpins them. The implications of compliantly navigating the UAE’s immigration landscape are paramount and add an additional layer of complexity to workforce management.

For the energy sector, there are several strategies that can be adopted to ensure that there are effective measures in place for strategic workforce planning, talent pool structuring, rotation management, and contingency planning for placements or projects that may extended. Implementing these measures will require businesses to remain abreast of key developments in the immigration landscape and to be able to count upon actionable intelligence related to their workforce – both areas that require a holistic approach towards immigration and mobility.

Automation and compliance for workforce mobility

Oversight of business visits and cross-border moves is now more than ever, a technically challenging, pressing need for companies and their travelling workforces. Unexpected travel restrictions, border digitalisation, and other regulatory changes have seen travel become an area of compliance risk. In addition to staying informed and anticipating changes, businesses should look to professional guidance to ensure smooth operations amidst an evolving immigration landscape. Today, advancements in technology allow forward-thinking companies to streamline these processes, saving time and operational costs. Solutions like those offered by Nomadic play a crucial role in ensuring compliance across the entire workforce through automation and offer a streamlined approach to short-term immigration in the dynamic oil and gas industry.

Non-compliance with these evolving regulations can have severe consequences, with a wide spectrum of sanctions outlined in the UAE immigration and labour laws. These sanctions range from monetary penalties to various types (and levels) of operational sanctions. Penalties may be multiplied for each instance of non-compliance or if there is a history of non-compliance.

A resilient framework for oil and gas sustainability

The evolution of the oil and gas industry demands compliance with sector-specific regulations for operational success. Those operating in the sector need to adopt measures for proactively managing their workforce needs, including seeking professional counsel and leveraging technological solutions to assess and anticipate regulatory changes. The impact these changes can have on operations, costs, and compliance is too significant to ignore.

Energy companies must make informed decisions about operational strategies, resource allocation, and workforce management. Businesses that seamlessly integrate regulatory compliance and workforce planning into their operational framework ensure long-term sustainability and growth while avoiding potential financial setbacks due to compliance issues or failures in procuring the correct visas or permits for their employees.