JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal on Saturday opened the first forum for productive families in the Kingdom, organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Prince Khaled said the Makkah governorate has set out a working program for productive families. “We have presented this program to Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif and we have received a positive response from him,” he said.
Prince Khaled said the governorate has started implementing the program and that its result would be reviewed after a year. He also disclosed the government’s plan to implement the program at a national level. The governor said a woman in Makkah presented the idea of productive families last year. “We then discussed the idea with relevant government departments,” he said, adding that the governorate has set up an agency for productive families and human resource development in the Makkah province.
Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza, and Social Affairs Minister Yousuf Al-Othaimeen, who addressed the opening ceremony, emphasized the need for establishing a higher authority for productive families. “Such an authority is essential to set out plans and policies for the development of productive families,” said Prince Faisal. He stressed the need to create a culture of productive families through education. “There are 18 million productive families in the United States,” said Alireza. “They work from home and make good contribution to the US economy,” he added.
The two-day forum aims at reducing poverty and unemployment among Saudis, develop productive family cadre, merge their contributions to the national economy and make them competitive.
JCCI Chairman Muhammad Al-Fadl said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s patronage of the forum reflects the king’s continuous support to all activities aimed at creating more job opportunities for Saudis and boosting the Saudi economy. The king’s support of the forum also reflects his understanding of the growing role of the private sector in boosting national development. Al-Fadl said the forum would attract more than 300 economists and sociologists in order to participate in efforts to draw a national strategy to combat poverty in a practical way. Ulfat Qabbani, president of the forum and a member of the JCCI board, said the forum would serve as a new bridge for partnership between the private and public sectors. “The forum is an important step for reinforcing the concept of social participation,” she said. “We intend to enhance public awareness on the importance of work and highlight productive family projects in order to attract the attention of the public and private sectors.”
— With input from Sultan Al-Tamimi
