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The evidence base behind everything we build.

GBOX research sits at the intersection of futures intelligence, workforce capability, and sustainability practice. Our publications span youth climate action, emerging skills, and the policy-to-practice gap across GCC, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

              
              2026 Publication
            

Building Futures Intelligence and Emerging Skills Capability in the GCC

A white paper on what university students across Saudi Arabia and the UAE need to navigate the sustainability transitions reshaping their economies.

              YEAR 2026   
              REGION Saudi Arabia and UAE   
              SAMPLE n=200   
              TYPE White Paper
            

Download Free → Read the Summary

83%

of students surveyed believe their country is transforming rapidly. The sense of change is nearly universal.

76%

want to work in emerging sectors including clean energy, climate tech, and circular economy — but lack structured pathways to enter them.

41%

understand the specific skills that emerging sectors require. A 42-point gap between recognising transformation and being equipped to act on it.

32%

have been exposed to futures or scenario-thinking tools — the foundational capability for navigating sector transitions.

Context

The white paper draws on a primary survey of 200 university students across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, conducted in early 2026. It maps the gap between students' aspirations for emerging sector careers and their actual readiness to navigate the transitions those sectors are undergoing. The paper introduces the Navigation Gap framework and makes the case for three missing capability layers: Futures Intelligence, Systems Literacy, and Emerging Skills Translation. It is the evidence base for GBOX's 2026 programme architecture.

          
          Publications Archive
        

Earlier research and partner publications.

Research produced by the GBOX team and in collaboration with partner organisations including the British Council, ResearchGate, and institutions across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Africa.