A forum on the labor and employment market in Madinah, sponsored by Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman and organized by the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be held on Feb 4 and 5 at the Meridien Hotel in Madinah.

The announcement was made by chamber President Mohammed Faraj Al-Khatrawi at a press conference in the presence of the director of the labor office in Madinah, Awad Ayed Al-Hazmi, Vice Chairman Abdul Salam Al-Zarrouq and a number of experts.

The forum is being held with the aim of overcoming the obstacles to localizing the labor and employment market in Madinah in addition to opening a window to explain the difficulties and challenges facing institutions and businesses in hiring Saudis.

Al-Khatrawi said that the forum will have five sessions with the first holding a discussion on the importance of the labor and employment market in Madinah. “It will address four strategic sectors: economic, social, financial and security,” he said.

The second session will discuss ways to take advantage of the regional and international experiences in localizing the labor and employment market. “We will review the urban experience of countries like Japan, Malaysia, Oman and Bahrain in terms of localizing the labor and employment market, the lessons learned and experiences gained,” he said.

The third session will be held on the second day, entitled “An in-depth look at the reality of the major economic sectors of the labor and employment market in Madinah,” and will discuss the four sectors including Haj and Umrah, agricultural, health, and business and trade.”

The fourth session will review the strategic future vision for the Madinah region. The session will also discuss the administrative disconnect between the private sector and the government bodies concerned preventing a smooth functioning of the local labor market.

Viewpoints of the concerned government authorities will also be presented at the forum to form strategies for the labor and employment market in the region.

Al-Khatrawi noted that the forum will present the business perspectives and observations with respect to governmental decisions in order to draft a practical strategy to help provide jobs for young men and women on an annual basis.