The International Energy Agency (IEA) has highlighted Kuwait as one of 11 Arab countries in the Middle East witnessing notable growth in energy-sector employment, according to its Global Energy Employment 2025 report.

The agency said emerging markets and developing economies are set to drive the next wave of job creation in the global energy landscape, reflecting their expanding role as hubs of fast-growing energy demand, reports Al-Rai daily.

The IEA noted that employment remains most concentrated in regions with established energy industries and supply chains. In the Middle East, South Korea and Canada, more than 4% of the workforce is employed in the energy sector — almost double the global average of 2%.

Global Employment Trends

The agency reported that 2024 saw continued expansion in global energy-sector jobs, supported by strong investment in energy infrastructure. Employment in the sector grew by 2.2%, nearly twice the 1.3% growth in the global economy, bringing total energy jobs to 76 million worldwide.

The electricity sector has now become the largest source of employment in global energy for the first time, surpassing fuel supply. Over the past five years, electricity-related jobs — including generation, transmission, distribution and storage — have grown by 3.9 million, accounting for three-quarters of new energy-sector positions.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy remained the main driver of new electricity jobs, contributing half of the total additions since 2019. Nuclear power, grid expansion and energy-storage technologies made up another quarter of new roles, despite challenges such as rising material costs and shortages of skilled workers.

Sector Challenges

The report pointed to persistent difficulties in the offshore wind market, which slowed job creation and led to layoffs in the turbine-manufacturing sector, where employment fell by 6% last year.

It added that the accelerating shift toward electrification is transforming job opportunities in related industries. Employment in vehicle manufacturing rose significantly, driven by nearly 800,000 new jobs in the electric-vehicle (EV) sector.

Other energy end-use segments recorded a 2% rise in jobs, with electrification in buildings and industry playing a major role. This growth reflects both the retraining of existing workers — such as heating technicians transitioning to heat-pump installation — and entirely new roles in areas like battery production and industrial electrical systems.

Fossil Fuel Outlook

Oil-fired power generation currently employs around 210,000 workers, the lowest share among fossil-fuel-based electricity sources. The Middle East continues to play a central role, accounting for nearly 30% of global oil-fired power generation jobs.

The IEA projects that employment in oil-fired generation will fall to 126,000 workers by 2035, driven by expanded natural gas and solar PV capacity in the Middle East and the spread of pay-as-you-go solar systems and microgrids across Africa.

Overall, the agency expects total employment in the electricity-generation workforce to range between 522,000 and 1.4 million workers by 2035, with the Middle East and Africa leading the expansion.