Enhancing Dementia Awareness and Specialized Nurse Training in the Gulf: A Policy Roadmap for Oman, Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are projected to see more than a threefold increase in dementia by 2050, due to a rapidly aging population. However, health care systems across Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are still skewed towards acute rather than chronic care. Nurses are the primary dementia caregivers, but they often are not specialists. This situation is exacerbated by non-standardized curricula, heavy reliance on expatriate workforce, linguistic and cultural barriers, high workforce turnover, limited career incentives, and low public and institutional awareness, which delays diagnoses.This study synthesizes available regional and international evidence on dementia related nurse training and workforce preparedness in the GCC and develops evidence-informed policy recommendations for strengthening dementia education and workforce capacity. We propose several regional recommendations including accredited certification, compulsory continuing professional development, multidisciplinary care teams, and awareness-raising initiatives. Coordinated investment in specialized nurse training and workforce policy is important to prepare GCC healthcare systems for the region’s growing dementia burden.