First of all, my heart goes out to our European, Canadian, and Singapore colleagues.
Great friends, fine professionals, and true believers in EM core values.
Across forums, industry conversations, and personal exchanges, one theme keeps repeating-
Offshoring and particularly to low cost labor markets like India.
Let’s be clear:
Our operations are built on national resources—oil, gas, and energy that are the wealth of nations. These resources, while vital, come with environmental costs we all understand. And yet, instead of converting this sacrifice into livelihoods for the people of the very nations whose resources we exploit, we see record levels of offshoring.
This is not the same as IT or banking outsourcing. Natural resources are not just corporate assets, they are national wealth.
To offshore the jobs tied to them is not just cost-cutting, it is economic plunder.
The scale of this shift is hidden. Official headcount reports disguise the reality. If we include not just GCC centers but also third-party service providers, the imbalance is shocking-only a fraction of roles remain in base countries, while the majority are quietly shipped overseas.
In reality, No MC, C-suite, or shareholder vote should decide who benefits from national resources. That right belongs to the people and their governments.
The problem is, most people, even in government, don’t know the scale of what’s happening. It is happening quietly, and rapidly.
That’s why every one of us has a role to play. Even small actions matter:
• Write to your representatives.
• Raise awareness within your networks.
• Push for transparency in how resource-linked jobs are allocated.
This is not about one company or one industry. This is about ensuring our resources create futures for our people, not just cheap profits offshore.
If we don’t act now, we risk handing away not only our jobs but our children’s right to benefit from their own nation’s wealth