JEDDAH, 23 October 2007 — In order to examine job opportunities and Saudi employment issues which is the subject of the seventh national dialogue, the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center is holding a preparatory meeting in Abha today.

More than 100 experts in such fields as labor, economics, as well as social and cultural affairs are expected to participate.

The two-day meeting is the second preparatory one held so far in order to gather citizens’ ideas on the subject which will be addressed in the coming national dialogue; the first preparatory meeting was held in May in Dhahran.

The coming forum, which is the seventh in a series of national dialogues, is entitled “Job Opportunities and Employment: A Dialogue Between the Community and Labor Institutions.”

This particular dialogue is one in the series of national dialogues in which citizens and public figures from both the private sector and the government address a range of issues, from social concerns to the future of public policies, facing the Kingdom.

During the two-day meeting in Abha, the participants will discuss labor legislation, issues relating to the employment of women, the role of the private sector in providing job opportunities and the economic, social and security impact of joblessness on society.

In a press release Sheikh Saleh ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Husayen, president of the National Dialogue Center, said the Abha meeting came at a time when the center was working hard to evolve a new principle with the aim of linking theory and practice. Last February when the center announced the subject of the seventh forum it was said that the topic of labor and employment could not be discussed without the participation of both the government and private sector, and the dialogue is aimed at bringing together these two.

This will be the second national dialogue in which the organizers are actively pursuing greater participation by high-ranking government officials.

In the sixth forum held in November educational reforms were addressed and for the first time the center invited officials to attend the sessions.

Representatives not only of the Ministry of Education but also of all ministries were present and fielded complaints and suggestions from participating citizens.

Unemployment among Saudi nationals is high. The latest statistics released by the official General Statistics Department and published in local newspapers last July, show the unemployment rate among Saudis fell this year to 11 percent.

Women are admittedly disproportionately affected. At the same time, the Kingdom’s population is young — nearly two-thirds of all Saudis are under the age of 30 — and the country relies heavily on imported labor for many types of work, not only low-skilled and low-wage work, but also highly skilled jobs, such as engineering, medical services and infrastructure projects.

In July 48 Saudis calling themselves “Rights Without Borders for All Unemployed Saudis,” established a society for unemployed Saudis in order to lobby for their rights in securing jobs. The group, in its first move since its inception, recently wrote a letter to the labor minister asking for support. The increase in unemployment in a country with a young population has been written about extensively in the local media over the last few years.

Last July the Shoura Council rejected a proposal to provide allowances to unemployed Saudis. Sixty-four Shoura members voted in favor of the proposal while 38 rejected it.

According to the Shoura Council law, at least 76 members must favor a decision in order for it to pass.