RIYADH, 4 December 2007 — “In order to ensure efficiency and professionalism, the government will shortly introduce new procedures to streamline the functions of the recruitment offices,” Dr. Abdul Wahid Al-Humeid, deputy minister of Labor, said at the scientific session of the Riyadh Economic Forum (REF) yesterday.”
“The idea is to do away with mushroom recruitment offices and to establish responsible organizations that would be answerable to both foreign and local sponsors,” he said, adding that the government believes in quality that the quantity by weeding out mushroom offices. The deputy minister said that the cabinet of ministers has already given the green light for the implementation of this program that is expected to come into effect shortly. Dr. Abdullah Al-Othman, rector of King Saud University (KSU), chaired the session.
The conference was inaugurated Sunday by Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. The minister said a Public Investment Fund (PIF) would be established with a capital of SR20 billion.
Mohammed Al-Katheer, REF secretary-general, said discussions on the development of local human resources generated a lot of interest among the participants. He said that delegates strongly felt that Saudization program could be effectively implemented provided the nationals are given necessary education, skills and training to take up positions in private and public sectors.
The delegates insisted that unemployed youth should be given proper vocational guidance and necessary orientation to choose their jobs according to their aptitudes.
Each session was attended by at least four international guest speakers, Al-Katheer said, pointing out that such dissemination of knowledge will enlighten the participants to make useful recommendations to the decision makers in the government.
At the session on Human Resources Development, chaired by Shoura Council Member Abdul Mohsen Al-Obeikan, the participants suggested that English Language and computer education should be taught at primary schools so that the students will be conversant with these subjects when they graduate.
During the discussions, it was revealed that 66.7 percent of women seek better facilities to work in their own cultural environment. Around 96 percent of the working women like to be free from harassments of any sort.
Prince Mansour Ibn Miteb, deputy minister of Municipal Affairs, Abdulaziz Al-Rashid, chief executive officer of Al-Rasheed Law Firm and Mohammed Al-Qunaibet, head of Saudi Economic Association, also chaired various scientific sessions of the conference.
Today, a set of recommendations will be made by the delegates which will be forwarded to the Supreme Economic Council through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
