Riyadh will host the international ministerial meeting for the second edition of the International Labor Market Conference on Wednesday, 29 January 2025, under the generous patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with the participation of more than 45 labor ministers from different countries around the world, including G20 countries, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and the Americas, making it a high-level international event that brings together a group of leaders and decision-makers in labor markets.
This ministerial meeting is an incredibly important global strategic platform for exchanging experiences and visions among labor system representatives from around the world. Policies and future directions in labor markets, challenges facing youth employment, and innovative initiatives aimed at enhancing youth participation in the global economy will be discussed. This meeting will also be an exceptional opportunity to unify international efforts in addressing unemployment and youth employment issues and discussing ways to develop policies that meet the needs of labor markets in light of rapid economic and technological transformations.
The second edition of the ministerial meeting, chaired by His Excellency Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, will witness an unprecedented large attendance from more than 45 countries, in addition to the Director-General of the International Labor Organization, Mr. Gilbert Houngbo, with the participation of experts from various countries around the world, to support the workforce and job seekers, and to utilize modern technologies, government expertise, and the private sector to develop their talents and capabilities for innovation and production, and to address potential future labor market obstacles, contractions, and crises.
His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Labor, Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser Abuthnain, emphasized that the goal of the ministerial meeting for the second edition of the International Labor Market Conference, with its large attendance of labor ministers, heads of international organizations, experts, and specialists, is to invest in the capabilities, knowledge, and expertise of participants from different countries around the world, and to provide an opportunity for cooperation and integration to benefit from them, which will have a positive impact on developing policies and legislation to improve work environments and overcome the challenges they face, which will reflect positively on the Saudi labor market in particular and global markets in general.
The second edition of the International Labor Market Conference is held in scientific partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Misk Foundation.
It is a major platform that brings together a group of decision-makers, officials, prominent experts, and speakers from around the world. It aims to lead the global dialogue on the future of labor markets, establish its position as a leading platform and a think tank that supports labor market research, stimulates dialogue and knowledge, and contributes to establishing a comprehensive ecosystem for the global labor market.
The conference will be held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh from 29 to 30 January, with the participation of more than 200 speakers representing more than 100 countries. It includes strategic visions and in-depth discussions on six main pillars: skills development and retraining, mobile workforce, youth empowerment, technological innovation, support for small and medium enterprises, and promoting the green economy, and finding innovative solutions for them.