The exodus of Arab talent is costing Arab countries $1.57bn, according to a report by TalentRepublic.net.

The report shows that 54% of Arab students do not return home after studying abroad.

Statistics obtained from the Arab League, ILO, UNESCO and other Arab and international organisations show that about 100,000 scientists, doctors and engineers leave Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Tunis, Morocco and Algeria each year and 70% of the scientists do not return home, while about 50% of doctors, 23% of engineers and 15% of scientists move to Europe, the US and Canada.

The Arab region is labour force is predicted to grow by 3.5-4.0% over the next 10-15 years. The World Bank estimates that to keep up, the region will need to create 55-70m new jobs—55m to keep up and 70m to bring the employment rate up to the global norm.