Tamkeen has launched a new Human Resources Skills Report under its Skills Bahrain initiative, giving HR teams in the Kingdom a clearer view of how people functions need to evolve as technology and employee expectations change.

The report highlights how technological progress and changing employee expectations are transforming HR practices, calling for greater integration of tools such as artificial intelligence in CV screening, data driven recruitment metrics, and Software as a Service platforms for performance management and employee benefits, all within a Bahrain specific context. This direction matches wider national efforts to promote ethical AI and skills development through the National AI Policy and recent work on AI readiness.

Developed in collaboration with private sector partners and key stakeholders, the report pinpoints three of the most in demand HR roles in the local market: Compensation and Benefits Manager, Learning and Development Professional, and Organizational Design and Development Professional. It also outlines technical skills such as data analysis, policy writing and development, and organisational development, alongside core attributes including adaptability, communication, empathy, initiative, and digital literacy, helping employers and professionals prioritise where to grow.

Amer Marhoon, Managing Director of Skills Bahrain, said the insights from the report will guide Tamkeen’s programmes to strengthen national competencies and prepare Bahrain’s workforce for the future. He noted that the HR field is evolving rapidly, requiring innovative, technology driven practices and data based decision making to ensure business competitiveness, underscoring the strategic role HR now plays in business growth.

For founders and investors, the message is clear. HR is no longer only an operational function. It is becoming a strategic engine that blends people expertise with data and digital tools. Recent studies on AI enabled recruitment show that automating screening and matching can shorten hiring cycles and improve candidate matching quality when combined with strong human oversight and fairness safeguards, giving Bahraini firms room to move faster while keeping trust at the centre of hiring practices.

The Skills Bahrain initiative itself sits within Tamkeen’s broader skills work, which already spans sector specific skills reports and labour market intelligence through its skills reports hub. In parallel, the Bahrain Economic Development Board highlights that Bahrain ranks second among Arab countries in the World Bank Human Capital Index and first in the GCC for computer programming talent, signalling that advanced HR capabilities will be essential for companies looking to attract and retain this talent.

For startups, the immediate move is to treat the Human Resources Skills Report as a practical planning tool: map current HR responsibilities against the three highlighted roles, identify gaps in data and policy skills, then plug those gaps through local training, HR technology, and support programmes from Tamkeen and its partners so that people strategies keep pace with product and market growth.