“We should develop strategies to provide for jobs for our own unemployed youth and follow the examples of countries, such as South Korea and Malaysia, that have moved on from a developing status," said Prince Abdullah Bin Fahd, Makkah region's undersecretary for security affairs, who opened the event.  The three-day forum will be followed by a Saudization Summit focusing on case studies for nationalizing jobs on Wednesday and Thursday.

Prince Abdullah outlined the various steps initiated by the Kingdom in providing education and training and jobs for qualified Saudis.

"The challenges are many, but we are meeting them by gradually increasing the number of employed Saudis,"  he said, and urged the private sector to undertake the responsibility of increased contributions to the Saudization process.

The Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry General Secretary Fahd Al-Sultan wants the private sector to offer employment conditions for Saudi youth similar to those in the public sector.

"The general tendency seen among Saudi youth is to get a foothold in the private sector and jump into the public sector as soon as there is an opening. This is because employment conditions in the public sector suit them, both in terms of salary and work," he added. He wanted employers to provide on-the-job training such as what is done in advanced countries such as Japan.

He also called for increasing funds for the Kingdom's HR program as they quickly become inadequate due to the growing numbers of job seekers. He wants  employers to match the global changes that are taking place in the world of employment so that Saudis working with them can compete both locally and internationally.

"We are aware of the fact that the demand for technical manpower is 95 percent and that for unskilled jobs five percent. This calls for sustained emphasis on education and technical training from the secondary school level. This way, the mounting expatriate remittances from the Kingdom could be checked or minimized by providing jobs for Saudis and the money could remain within the Kingdom," he added.

"Also, tackling unemployment can help in creating jobs and a sustained atmosphere of peace and security."

Professor Dave Ulrich of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business spoke and identified a business strategy to face new challenges. The Kingdom has allocated SR137.6 billion in its budget for boosting Saudization. With 42,000 jobs created for Saudis in 2009, Saudization remains a key focus area this year, according to the senior conference manager and organizer of the forum, "Companies are increasingly focusing on Saudization as a means of empowering young entrepreneurs in the region. The role of the HR department is fast changing with companies looking to improve efficiency and effectiveness while enhancing business operations."