“Freelancing is creating more opportunities for Saudi jobseekers, with the number of freelancers expected to reach up to 2.2 million in 2025,” said Ahmed Al-Rajhi, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development in a recent roundtable with Ministers of Labour at the Global Labour Market Conference. 

He also emphasised Saudi Arabia’s achievements in enhancing the job market saying, “Vision 2030 is playing a key role in ensuring sustainable opportunities for young talent entering the workforce.” Discussing the National Youth Development Strategy 2025, he added, “The strategy includes initiatives aimed at cultivating leadership and innovation skills among young people, with a particular focus on both young men and women, who will be central to our labour market efforts.” He further highlighted that young talent deserves more than just jobs; they deserve the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives, and innovation is the key to addressing the challenges we encounter in the labour market.

Al-Rajhi also outlined eight measures to enhance the labour market’s flexibility and inclusivity, and these are:

1. Increasing programs and initiatives that allow smooth transition from education to the workforce.
2. Empowering workers to adapt to the future of work in the age of AI.
3. Increasing investments in human capital development, including training and reskilling.
4. Improving labour market flexibility by supporting diverse work models, including remote and part-time work.
5. Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to drive job creation.
6. Leveraging technology platforms and skill-based job classifications to connect education, job seekers, and employers.
7. Launching initiatives to boost employment among underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities and persons unemployed for a long-term.
8. In addition to this, establishing a comprehensive labour market data system to track employment trends, skills, wages, and workforce composition to support market transitions.

He also noted that the country is taking significant steps to improve its job market and boost workforce participation, stating "The workforce in the Saudi private sector has exceeded 12 million, and the number of Saudis in the private sector rose to 2.4 million in 2024, as more than 7,00,000 jobs have been added for Saudis in the private sector. This development, supported by training programs and others, reduced unemployment rates to 3.7 percent by the end of the last quarter of 2024, a remarkable development compared to 2020, when the rates were 5.7 percent, while female participation in the labour market increased to 36 percent, exceeding the targets of Vision 2030," 

However, challenges remain, with approximately 67 million young workers currently unemployed. Additionally, nearly 20 percent of the population aged 15 to 24 are neither working nor involved in education or training. Around 40 percent of employers also struggle to fill job vacancies because of a skills mismatch between the workforce and market needs, and youth unemployment rates exceed 30 percent in certain parts of the world.

To tackle these challenges, Al-Rajhi unveiled two important initiatives: the Labour Market Academy and the Future Outlook Report. These initiatives provide actionable solutions grounded in thorough research, offering innovative strategies to close the skills gap and foster lifelong learning.