Riyadh Economic Forum: Job generation schemes in focus

RIYADH: The seventh session of the Riyadh Economic Forum starts on Tuesday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman with 200 participants.
The forum will present a study titled “Evaluation of the Saudi economy’s ability to generate appropriate and sustainable employment opportunities for the citizens.”
The study was prepared by a team under the supervision of Dr. Fahad Al-Omran who said: “It will be the subject of in-depth discussion before a group of economists, businessmen, and those interested in the labor market."
He added: “The discussion during the three-day event will serve as a basis for the formulation of a new viable and strategic vision and initiatives as far as realistic application is concerned."
He also said that the study discusses the increasing exploitation of the economy, looks for the potential in various productive and service sectors to generate appropriate and sustainable employment opportunities for the citizens.
He said the study also seeks to adopt development projects and leadership ideas with direct greater investment to build large production facilities with the use of advanced techniques.
“With the study, we hope that technical progress will be achieved, creating demand for high level of skill, education, job training and, eventually, high wage,” he said.
He explained that the study, which is one of four to be presented during the forum, focuses on measuring the ability of the Saudi economy to generate jobs for citizens in general until 2020.
He said that the study also tries to find an explanation why the Kingdom’s economy was among the strongest 20 economies in the world but could not provide adequate jobs to the citizens.
“The study has embarked as well in finding out the reality and the imbalances afflicting the labor market which poses a challenge to the national manpower,” he said.