Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi took part in the 12th edition of the Riyadh Economic Forum, where he chaired a panel titled "The Strategy for Localizing Knowledge and Expertise Among Local Talent and Its Impact on the Performance of Saudi Organizations".

The minister praised the patronage of the forum by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the support of His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for the private sector, helping it diversify the economy, grow its share of GDP and become more competitive.

Al-Rajhi said his ministry relies on an integrated set of legislation, initiatives and pathways to build national skills and prepare Saudi talent for labor market needs, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

He pointed to the creation of the Skills and Training Agency in 2023 and the formation of 16 sectoral skills councils bringing together public and private sector representatives, which have produced 13 sectoral skills frameworks. The ministry has also launched the Saudi Skills Classification Guide, covering more than ten thousand skills across over 2000 occupations.

Among the knowledge-transfer initiatives he highlighted, the career guidance and mentoring program has reached more than 1.3 million school students and 350,000 university students, alongside cooperative training policies and work-experience programs. The national training campaign "Waad", launched with the private sector, aims to provide more than 4 million training opportunities in its first and second phases.

The Riyadh Economic Forum brings together experts, decision-makers and the private sector to discuss economic and development issues and to put forward studies and recommendations supporting the Saudi economy's growth and competitiveness.