Unemployment in Arab countries is the highest in the world and threatens to spread poverty in the Arab world, the Khaleej Times daily reported in Abu Dhabi Saturday.

Taleb Rifai, regional director of the International Labour Organization (ILO), was quoted as saying that Arab countries suffer from a very high rate of unemployment that is twice as much as the international rate and among the highest in the world. Currently on a visit to the Unite Arab Emirates (UAE), Rifai noted the population structure in the Arab countries with the young accounting for 50 percent of the total worsens the situation.

The high percentage of the young people is anticipated to put more pressure on future job demands, said Rifai, predicting millions of jobs will be required in the coming 10 years.

Meanwhile, this situation would also result in a state of underemployment in the Arab countries as most people will be forced to take up jobs for low compensation packages that do not suit their qualifications, which would further result in increased poverty, Rifai said.

The most-affected segment of the society would be the marginalized groups, including women, children, people with special needs and the minorities, warned the labor expert.

He suggested that if there were no justifications for a particular volume of business, there is no need for issuing new employment visas in Arab countries, said the daily.