JEDDAH, 22 November 2007 — Setting a minimum wage and the role of the education system in producing capable candidates for employment in the private sector topped the issues raised at a two-day preparatory meeting for the coming 7th National Dialogue Forum.
The meeting, which took place on Monday and Tuesday in Jeddah, is the third of its kind and was held to collate feedback from Saudis across the Kingdom on topics that they feel should be discussed in the next National Dialogue, which will discuss the issue of job opportunities and employment.
The seventh National Forum for Dialogue, entitled “Labor and Employment Sectors: A Dialogue Between Society and Labor Institutions,” is scheduled to take place in December. The venue has not been announced yet.
The first preparatory meeting was held in May in Dhahran, and the second was held in Abha.
More than a hundred participants from all walks of life took part in the two-day discussions in Jeddah, which were organized by King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue.
The 7th National Dialogue is one in a series of forums in which citizens, public figures and representatives from the private and government sectors address issues ranging from social concerns to public policies.
Among topics discussed in the Jeddah preparatory meeting was the need to discuss the issue of having a set minimum wage to counter price increases; the migration of thousands of Saudi youths from small towns to major cities in search of jobs; the Saudi education system’s failure to provide sufficient number of qualified individuals for employment in the private sector; and the need for companies to inform employees of their rights and provide job training and development programs.
“People work for more than five years in an institution without a promotion or any form of incentives. How productive do you think such employees would be?” said a young participant.
During the meeting, a government official said that the government is focusing its efforts on reducing the current nine percent unemployment rate to eight percent.
Unemployment is an important issue facing many Saudis. According to recent research in the Kingdom, around 75 percent of the Saudi population is less than 35 years old and 50 percent of Saudis are below the age of 19.
The National Dialogue is a semi-annual forum that brings together government officials, nongovernmental organizations and citizens to address Saudi policies and future strategies for social development. Past dialogues have addressed topics such as Saudis’ relations with outsiders, women’s empowerment and religious extremism.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah set up King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue in August 2003, when he was crown prince, as part of political and social reforms that he spearheaded. The center aims at promoting a culture of dialogue among Saudi intellectuals and youth.
