As industries evolve, young talent preparing to join the workforce is equipping itself with both traditional skillsets and emerging tech capabilities (in response to the skills that the job market values). 

But, do current roles align with the skills the future workforce brings to the labour market? It’s a question that calls for a re-evaluation of today’s job market and role structures.

The question was underlined by the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef at the Human Capability Initiative Conference 2025. He shared, “Saudi Arabia has a distinguished young generation and the government is keen on ensuring that education empowers these young people to meet the challenges.”

The Minister added that the Kingdom is working on ways to create suitable jobs for future generations. And that the ministry is considering the country's demographics while formulating strategies and visions, supporting the idea to create best-fit jobs for future workforce.

How are they doing it?

He shared, “Saudi Arabia and its Ministry of Industry are investing in modern technologies and collaborating with researchers and innovative programs to ensure that education, skills training, and youth empowerment lead to meeting challenges. We are confident that good efforts are being made to achieve the right skills to achieve the goals. The changes taking place in the field of technology must be viewed holistically, and we are working to appoint innovators and human resources professionals to bring in the next waves of technology," 

In addition to this, the Ministry’s focus is also on innovative and sustainable approaches to support industries as they undergo transformation through AI. He noted, "We are fortunate in terms of launching our vision and ambitions in industrial development and mining strategies, as we focus on how to use Artificial Intelligence to spur growth in this sector.

The Kingdom has a strong advantage in energy efficiency, and artificial intelligence requires high energy consumption. We are also spending a lot of money on infrastructure, data centers, and attracting investors, and there are major efforts in cybersecurity, which will ensure that artificial intelligence operates safely."

The Kingdom is one of the fastest-transforming region, well-positioned to help industries quickly assess their level of automation, and setting up a strong foundation for future growth.

During a different panel discussion around human capacity and education for unlocking human potential, the Minister of Commerce Majed Al-Qasabi underlined key sectors in Saudi Arabia that will create around one million employment opportunities by 2030. 

The key sectors underlined are: tourism, culture, sports, and creative industries. 

The Minister added that “the creative economy would support creating more than 80,000 jobs, with strong growth expected in the sectors of film, design, fashion, and digital arts. Saudi Arabia has moved from ambition to action, and with Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup approaching, we need future skills that will enable our youth to move forward," 

He also emphasised that the “digital economy will record robust growth, with its contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) will jump from 4.4 percent to 19 percent by 2030 while the value of the healthcare sector is expected to reach SR250 billion by that time.”

He highlighted that “65 percent of Saudis are under the age of 35, which means that investing in lifelong education is no longer an option, but has become essential. Saudi Arabia is working to develop skills and assess gaps in workforce capabilities and future needs. Future skills have been integrated into training and educational institutions, in addition to utilising artificial intelligence and technology, bringing expertise to the Kingdom, and sending students abroad to achieve future goals,"

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In addition to this, H.E. Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman AlRajhi, the Minister of Human Resources & Social Development - KSA launched a new National Skills Platform that will strengthen the region’s current workforce and empower them with essential skills needed for the future.

The Managing Director of World Economic Forum Saadia Zahidi also underlined the need to reskill the current workforce so they remain agile in the evolving industries in the future.

She said, “If we know that these shifts are going to be happening and we know that there will be millions and millions of people who will be impacted, let’s ensure that they have the tools to help themselves. But let’s also ensure that there’s a system that supports them.”

The discussions underlined how the region is reshaping not only regional talent but also preparing industries to harness the skills and potential of this future workforce.