Saudi ministry creates ‘skill development’ strategy to enhance Saudization

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Abdullah Abuthnain (left) speaking at the opening session of the First Scientific Conference for Labor Market Research, Studies, and Indicators in Riyadh. (Supplied/HRDF)
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Updated 17 May 2022
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Saudi ministry creates ‘skill development’ strategy to enhance Saudization

  • The ministry has established a “forecasting of supply and demand” unit within the human capacity development program, which will provide researchers with data, information and insights into labor market trends

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is focusing on a skills strategy to improve professional standards for workers and those entering the labor market, according to Abdullah Abuthnain, the vice minister.

Abuthnain said that the strategy will benefit more than 200 professions, with skills councils establishing employment standards, as well as on-the-job training programs, in important economic sectors.

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The strategy will benefit more than 200 professions, with skills councils establishing employment standards, as well as on-the-job training programs, in important economic sectors.

The vice minister made his comments during the inaugural Scientific Conference for Labor Market Research, Studies and Indicators, organized by the National Labor Observatory, an affiliate of the Human Resources Development Fund, in collaboration with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.




Academics and professionals gathered in Riyadh on Tuesday for the First Scientific Conference for Labor Market Research, Studies, and Indicators organized by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.  (Supplied/HRDF)

During the opening session of the two-day conference in Riyadh on Tuesday, Abuthnain said that Saudi Arabia’s labor market is presently in “a phase of big reforms,” including eight strategic labor market themes and 25 development initiatives.

The ministry has established a “forecasting of supply and demand” unit within the human capacity development program, which will provide researchers with data, information and insights into labor market trends.

The unit identifies opportunities and challenges facing the labor market by issuing specialized reports showing future trends, he said, adding that the unit will primarily assist educational institutions in designing educational and training programs.

Abuthnain expressed optimism about the Kingdom’s labor market, which has seen “positive developments in its indicators and gains,” noting that more than 2 million Saudis now work in the private sector, “the highest figure historically speaking.”




Mohammad Aalmughaiseb, Director of Research and Studies Department at the National Labor Observatory (NLO), Dr. Abdullah Abuthnain, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Labor, Dr. Ahmed Al-Ameri, President of Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University, Dr. Lilac Al-Safadi, President of Saudi Electronic University and Dr. Enas Al-Issa, Director of Noura University. (Supplied/ HRDF)

Economic participation has reached 51 percent, while economic participation of Saudi women has also reached 35 percent, “the highest figure historically.”

Turki Al-Jawini, director-general of HRDF, said that the fund had redesigned support programs with a focus on the impact assessment and analysis of big data; their relevance to the needs of beneficiaries; the possibility of measuring their reach, impact and efficiency; and the application of a governance model that enables the fund to adjust the design of the program to suit changing market needs.

“We at HRDF will work to develop and implement labor market policies by creating a sustainable national workforce, developing human cadres’ skills, providing them with knowledge and qualifications, and aligning them with labor market and job needs,” he said.

“We will use a strategy that prioritizes the beneficiary in the design and delivery of works and services and modernizes the human resources system by utilizing visions and sketching future labor market directions.”

Al-Jawini said that the HRDF strategy focused on three main objectives: Reducing the gap between education outcomes and labor market needs, increasing the efficiency of matching supply and demand, and enabling sustainable employment for groups facing labor market challenges.

Among the most significant problems for graduates is understanding labor market needs, linking labor market requirements with their skills, having the necessary experience, and possessing the most in-demand soft skills.

Direct coaching and mentoring for leaders comes within the framework of programs that support and empower women in the labor market, he said.

About 1,000 female leaders benefited from the programs, which helped find jobs for more than 65,000 women in private sector companies. Around 3,500 Saudi mothers benefited from Qurrah, a program that supports child care.

Al-Jawini said that about 51,000 Saudi women employees benefited from Wusool, a program that supports transport for female workers. About 7,000 job-seekers were employed in 2021, thanks to the Tamheer program, which offers female workers on-the-job training.

Mishaal Aledwani, professor of administration and educational planning at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, said that Saudi universities are undergoing substantial change as a result of external developments, as well as advances in technology and knowledge development.

The Saudi labor market needs skilled graduates who can work efficiently. Saudi universities face challenges maintaining their status and excellence, both locally and internationally, through the use of innovative learning methods and the provision of training programs for students, Aledwani said.

According to the former dean of the faculty of social sciences, Saudi universities’ performance in adapting graduates to the needs of the labor market is “average.”

Aledwani said that his research had revealed that one of the most significant challenges facing universities is inadequate training and qualification of students before they enter the labor market.

This includes poor coordination between universities and employers to determine the skills graduates need.

Zaid Al-Khumishi, educational supervisor at the Saudi Ministry of Education, discussed the application of artificial intelligence in human resource professional development to suit the needs of the Saudi labor market.

Al-Khumishi has worked in the education industry for almost two decades, recruiting specialists in electronic technology to build training programs employing artificial intelligence.

He suggested designing artificial intelligence-based training programs that meet the needs of the Saudi labor market and workers “by conducting a comprehensive survey of those needs and setting priorities for them to build training programs that meet those needs.”


KSrelief distributes thousands of food baskets worldwide

KSrelief has delivered thousands of food parcels to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. (SPA)
Updated 16 March 2025
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KSrelief distributes thousands of food baskets worldwide

  • Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food parcels to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

In Nigeria, KSrelief distributed 334 food baskets to families in need in the Adamawa state as part of the Etaam Ramadan food basket distribution project.

In Mauritania, 220 food parcels benefited 1,320 people in the Tiaret district. Somalia received 1,390 baskets for families in the Sool and Sanaag regions, benefiting 8,340 people.

Bangladesh saw 300 parcels distributed in the Barguna district, benefiting 1,500 individuals.

In Romania, 150 baskets were provided to families in Bucharest and Constanţa, while in Montenegro, 250 parcels were given to families in Rozaje and Bijelo Polje.

In Niger, 700 baskets were distributed in the Tillaberi Region, benefiting 4,900 people. South Africa received 450 parcels for families in Johannesburg.

Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of over SR67 million ($17.8 million).


Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes

Updated 16 March 2025
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Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes

  • The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care

RIYADH: Paramedics resuscitated a pilgrim within two minutes of a reported cardiac arrest at Makkah’s Grand Mosque on Saturday.

Authorities received a report at 4:06 p.m. of an Algerian pilgrim in his 60s who had fallen unconscious in the outer courtyards of the mosque.

Ambulance teams immediately attended the patient and used an electrical defibrillator and chest compression device to resuscitate him, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care.

The quick response time was thanks to a plan that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Makkah had put in place in preparation for Ramadan, according to the SPA.

The holy month tends to be an especially busy period with visitors performing the Umrah pilgrimage.

There have been 242 instances in which emergency cases were transported from the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque to medical centers during Ramadan.

The Madinah Cardiac Center has performed open-heart surgery and seven cardiac catheterizations on Umrah pilgrims from five countries during the first half of Ramadan.

The Madinah Health Cluster, which includes hospitals and clinics in the region, also provided medical and emergency services to 23,014 people from more than 70 countries during Ramadan.


Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen 

Updated 16 March 2025
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Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen 

RIYADH: A Saudi-led humanitarian initiative in Yemen has seen a milestone 484,949 land mines and unexploded ordnance cleared since the start of the project in 2018, according to a recent report.

These include 323,793 items of unexploded ordnance, 146,207 anti-tank mines, 8,200 improvised explosive devices, and 6,749 anti-personnel mines, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.

Project Masam, overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, continues to remove deadly devices laid in the war-torn country by the Houthis.

Last week, the project’s special teams destroyed 515 items of unexploded ordnance, 25 anti-tank mines, five anti-personnel mines, and three improvised explosive devices.

Explosives planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen pose a threat to civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.

Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.

Demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, and Saada.

The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.

Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads, and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.


New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter

Updated 16 March 2025
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New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter

  • New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily

RIYADH: The public bus network in Riyadh has been extended to serve the city’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses many of the foreign embassies in the capital.

New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily starting from 6:30 a.m. and ending at midnight.

The full schedule can be found on the Darb application for public transport.

The new routes come as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City continues its efforts to expand the public transport network in the city.

As well as the high-profile launch of the Riyadh Metro in December 2024, which now has six lines covering an area of more than 176 km, the commission is also working to expand the bus network.

There are now more than 2,860 bus stops and stations in the city, covering a total length of 1,905 km with a daily capacity of 500,000.


Saudi Arabia now 66 percent self-sufficient in grape production: MEWA 

Updated 16 March 2025
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Saudi Arabia now 66 percent self-sufficient in grape production: MEWA 

  • National production in 2023 exceeded 122,000 tonnes
  • 7.13 million grapes planted in over 4,720 hectares of land 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's grape production surpassed 122,000 tonnes in 2023, reflecting the growth of the local agricultural sector and its ability to meet a big portion of market demands, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Saturday.

The figure accounts for 66 percent of current market demand in the Kingdom, said the report, citing a statement by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, or MEWA.

MEWA said more than 7.13 million grape plants, with more than 6.1 million bearing fruit. 

Grape farming is considered profitable because of the ease of cultivation in various soils with minimal water requirements and the plant’s adaptabilty to various climates in the Kingdom. (SPA)

In a separate report last year, the ministry reported a grape production area of 4,720 hectares across the Kingdom.

The same report highlighted Tabuk as the top grape-producing region, yielding 46,939 tonnes annually, adding that Qassim, Hail, and Asir also contributed significantly to the national production.

Grape farming is considered profitable because of the ease of cultivation in various soils with minimal water requirements. The plant could easily adapt to various climates in Saudi Arabia. 

To encourage farmers to plant grapes, the ministry has assured its continuing efforts to support and empower them by providing modern technologies, such as smart irrigation systems and organic farming.

The ministry also aims to encourage increased local fruit consumption, saying that grapes are packed with nutrients, and have health benefits.

The harvest season for grapes is from June to September, the ministry said.