Bahrain and other Gulf countries are facing a brain drain in the energy industry, with fewer young people seeking jobs in the field.

Energy Minister Dr Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza said more needed to be done to attract young people to careers in oil and gas, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN).

He warned a shortage of potential recruits was a serious concern, both locally and at the global level.

'Globally there is a shortage of skilled workers in the oil and gas sector and we need to create more jobs for future years,' he said.

'Young people are joining the financial sector, which is profitable, and not the energy sector.

'Companies and educational institutions should focus on the oil and gas sector to meet the growing demand (for staff).'

He was speaking on the sidelines of the third GCC Leadership Conference, called 'Developing Energy Leaders', which opened at the Movenpick Hotel.

'We need to train the existing staff in the sector to become future leaders and provide more incentives to deal with the shortage of manpower in the Gulf region,' he said.

'Bahrain’s leadership have recognised the need to diversify the economy away from oil and gas revenues and formulated the multi-faceted 2030 economic vision.'