RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of labor and social development, Ahmad Al-Rajhi, will head the Kingdom’s delegation at a major international gathering in Geneva later this month.
Government, business and worker representatives will be among the Saudi party attending the 108th session of the International Labor Conference (ILC) taking place in the Swiss city from June 10 to 21.
The session will celebrate the centenary of the International Labor Organization (ILO), with the participation of leaders of the UN agency’s 187 member states.
Items for discussion will include the reports of the ILO’s president of the governing council, and its director-general, which will take in a global outlook on the future of labor.
The conference will review the ILO’s programs and budget for approval. It will also study a report on governments’ implementation of labor conventions, and surveys on global social protection, social justice and sustainable development.
The drafting and adoption of the ILO’s declaration for the centenary will be discussed along with other topics and events related to the jobs market, including efforts to end workplace violence and harassment.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Kingdom’s delegation will meet with representatives of other member states and participate in meetings of Gulf Cooperation Council, Asia Pacific and G20 countries.
Saudi labor minister heads delegation at ILC in Geneva
Saudi labor minister heads delegation at ILC in Geneva
- Saudi delegation will meet with representatives of other member states and participate in meetings of Gulf Cooperation Council, Asia Pacific and G20 countries
Riyadh to host final of Global Minerals Innovation Competition
- 350 people in 70 teams to attend ‘boot camp’ next month
- Competition attracted more than 1,800 people from 57 countries
JEDDAH: More than 350 people will take part in the final stage of the inaugural Global Minerals Innovation Competition, to be held next month in Riyadh.
The closing event, titled Future Minerals Pioneers, marks the end of a nationwide tour that began in October to find the best talent in the industry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The tour was sponsored by Saudi Mining Services Co. and attracted more than 1,800 people from 57 countries. Just over two-thirds of the members of the 70 teams that made it through to the final stage are from Saudi Arabia.
The so-called final boot camp will take place from Jan. 8-10, with the winners announced during the fifth edition of the Future Minerals Forum on Jan. 14.
The camp will comprise workshops and mentoring sessions, after which the teams will make their final presentations to the judges.
Held under the patronage of Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef and led by Vice Minister for Mining Affairs Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer, the contest was organized by the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and Saudi Arabian Mining Co.
It features three main tracks: smart technologies, security and safety, and resource sustainability, with the focus on creating practical solutions to challenges across the mining value chain and fostering an integrated innovation ecosystem, the report said.
According to a report by the Canada-based Fraser Institute, the Kingdom rose to 23rd place on the Mining Investment Attractiveness Index in 2024, up from 104th a year earlier. It also rose to 20th (from 82nd) on the Policy Perceptions Index and to 24th (from 58th) on the Geological Potential Index, indicating growing global confidence in the sector.
The indicators also align with national efforts to unlock the country’s vast mineral wealth, estimated at SR9.4 trillion ($2.5 trillion).
That work is being driven by the General Program for Geological Surveying, which aims to stimulate investment and enhance competitiveness through the creation of a national geological database. About two-thirds of the first phase of the program, covering 630,000 sq. km. of the Arabian Shield, has been completed.
