The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi launched the "Family Counseling Strategy" during his patronage of the opening ceremony of the 7th edition of the Family Forum 2024, organized by the Family Affairs Council over two days in Riyadh under the theme: “Family and Family Counseling: Building Strength from Within in a Changing World.” The event was attended by royals, high-ranking officials, experts, and those interested in the fields of family and social affairs.

Through the Family Counseling Strategy, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of social services and achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Ministry's social development plan.

The strategy includes more than 12 initiatives that cover all family and societal needs, focusing on empowering and enhancing the performance of family counseling professionals, training and developing their capabilities and skills and raising societal awareness of the role of family counseling and its positive impact on improving family relationships, resolving conflicts, and supporting stability. This will be achieved through organizing and implementing several specialized programs and initiatives for society and families. Additionally, the strategy aims to expand the scope of family services provided, increase geographic coverage, and offer services to as many beneficiaries as possible across all regions of the Kingdom. The Ministry plans to issue licenses to 500 practitioners in 2024, with the number of family counseling practitioners reaching 4,000 by the end of 2030. Following the ceremony, Minister Al-Rajhi awarded professional licenses to several family counseling practitioners.

It is worth noting that the Family Counseling Strategy has gone through several phases, including conducting international and regional benchmarking studies and organizing more than 12 workshops with the participation of 13 public and private sector entities. This effort reflects the Ministry's commitment to enhancing family stability, recognizing the vital role of the family in achieving comprehensive and sustainable development goals through improving the specialized practices of professionals in the field of family counseling.