Latest news with #YousefAlBenyan
Arab News
12-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
The battle for talent: Saudi Arabia's high-stakes bet on human capital
RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates its transformation under Vision 2030, a critical question has emerged: Can the Kingdom build a homegrown tech workforce strong enough to power its digital ambitions? From artificial intelligence and smart mobility to fintech and clean energy, the Kingdom's rapidly expanding sectors are creating an unprecedented demand for highly skilled professionals. Yet despite billions in investments and major infrastructure rollouts, supply still lags behind demand. This challenge, however, is far from ignored. 'We are proud to take human capital development to the next level,' said Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi, during the launch of the National Skills Platform in April 2025. 'Technical expertise alone is not enough. Leadership, strategic thinking, and adaptability are equally important, and skilling and reskilling for the workforce is a national priority that all stakeholders should engage in.' The AI-powered platform connects Saudi job seekers to customized learning pathways, marking a shift toward demand-driven education and training. A national priority Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan, who also chairs the executive committee of the Human Capability Development Program, emphasized the broader purpose behind the Kingdom's reforms. 'Vision 2030 is not just a roadmap for national transformation — it is a model for how investment in people can drive sustainable progress,' Al-Benyan wrote in an April op-ed for Arab News titled 'Vision 2030: Elevating human capability in a changing world.' Citing the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, he noted that while 170 million new jobs will emerge globally by 2030, another 92 million will be displaced. He warned that 44 percent of core skills are set to change within five years, with digital and AI literacy becoming as fundamental as reading and math. 'Without these,' he wrote, 'individuals are unable to participate meaningfully in today's digital economy.' Scaling up training and inclusion This outlook is shaping some of Saudi Arabia's most ambitious workforce initiatives. Among them is the Waad National Training Campaign, launched in 2023 and supported by more than 70 organizations. The program surpassed 1 million training opportunities in its first phase and now targets 3 million by the end of 2025. Waad's Women's Employment Track has been particularly successful, with a 92 percent retention rate in tech roles—contributing to a record rise in female participation across the digital economy. Waad, Al-Rajhi noted, is an investment in 'the promise of human potential.' Meanwhile, the Future Skills Training Initiative, led by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology since 2020, has provided training to hundreds of thousands of Saudis in areas like cybersecurity, data science, and cloud computing. Supported by the Digital Skills Framework and private-sector partnerships, it has grown steadily. One such partnership — a 2023 collaboration with IBM — aimed to train 100,000 Saudis in AI and machine learning. Talent gaps persist Despite this progress, a 2025 report by Nucamp and the ministry highlighted a 20 percent shortfall between tech job vacancies and qualified local talent. Critical roles such as AI engineers, cloud architects, and data analysts remain in short supply. 'Demand for AI and cloud experts far exceeds supply,' said Ahmed Helmy, managing director for SAP in the Middle East, in an April interview with Asharq Al-Awsat. The result: fierce competition among employers. To meet short-term needs, Saudi Arabia is tapping into international expertise. The Premium Residency Program, launched in 2021, allows skilled foreign professionals to live and work in the Kingdom without a local sponsor. By late 2023, more than 2,600 had taken advantage of the scheme. In 2024, five new visa categories were introduced to attract investors, entrepreneurs, and tech specialists. These include provisions that exempt founders from Saudization quotas for their first three years—providing flexibility to scale teams while supporting local hiring in the long term. 'Such incentives allow skilled professionals to have a more stable life and make long-term investments in their careers in Saudi Arabia,' said Raymond Khoury, partner at Arthur D. Little, in May. Still, officials stress that international hiring is a stopgap — not a substitute. 'While attracting global talent is crucial, sustainable growth depends on balancing international expertise with local knowledge development,' said Mamdouh Al-Doubayan, MENA managing director at Globant. To that end, foreign hires are increasingly being integrated not just as employees, but as mentors and trainers. Startups adapt with remote models In the private sector, startups are turning to remote hiring to bypass local talent shortages. A 2024 study by Wamda found that many Saudi companies are building distributed teams, sourcing tech talent from Egypt, Jordan, and other regional markets. This strategy shortens hiring cycles and enables around-the-clock operations. The trend aligns with the Kingdom's Telework Initiative, which certifies employers to offer remote roles to Saudis—especially women and those living outside major urban centers. Competitive pressures from giga-projects The hiring challenge became especially acute in 2023. That year, PwC's Middle East Workforce Survey reported that 58 percent of Saudi firms struggled to fill key tech roles. A MAGNiTT report found that 65 percent of startup founders saw the shortage of senior tech talent as their top obstacle. A concurrent survey by Flat6Labs noted that many startups were delaying product launches due to staffing shortages, losing talent to mega-projects offering 30 to 50 percent higher salaries. 'Engineers and product managers often defect to deep-pocketed giga-projects that offer salaries 30–50 percent above startup pay,' wrote venture adviser Aditya Ghosh in a November 2023 LinkedIn Pulse column. Bridging the divide Education leaders are working to close this gap. Khalid Al-Sabti, chairman of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, said in a 2024 Arab News interview that Saudi Arabia is aligning its curriculum with global benchmarks. 'We must ensure our graduates meet international standards to compete globally,' he said. This includes revising curricula, emphasizing hands-on projects, and embedding industry into the classroom through partnership programs. The Talent Enrichment Program, for example, spans 160 countries and offers global certifications to Saudi learners. Encouragingly, Saudi Arabia's position in the IMD World Talent Ranking improved in 2023. Companies such as STC, Aramco Digital, and Elm are now hiring directly from local boot camps and training centers — evidence that education and industry are beginning to align. The road ahead Ultimately, the success of Saudi Arabia's tech talent strategy will be measured not just by enrollments or credentials, but by how effectively new graduates are absorbed into the workforce. If current reforms continue at scale, the Kingdom may not only satisfy its domestic tech demand — but emerge as a regional hub for digital talent. As Al-Benyan wrote: 'By investing in people, fostering global collaboration, and redefining the future of work, Saudi Arabia is demonstrating that human capability is the ultimate driver of progress.'
Arab News
03-07-2025
- General
- Arab News
Nonprofits central to developing education, realizing Vision 2030 goals — Al-Benyan
RIYADH: Serious steps have been taken towards 'humanizing' schools and improving the educational environment, helping raise the quality of learning, Saudi Arabia Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan has said. The minister was speaking during 'Promising Opportunities and Future Foresight for the Nonprofit Sector,' the main session of the second Nonprofit Sector Forum in Education and Training taking place in Riyadh. The two-day event, hosted by the Ministry of Education, ended on Wednesday. Taking the theme 'Qualitative Partnerships and Sustainable Solutions,' it was attended by government officials and stakeholders in education and training, as well as non-profit sector representatives. The minister said that the school environment accounted for roughly one-third of the factors influencing educational outcomes, alongside curricula and teachers. 'We have begun improving the humanization of schools and are working to leverage the ministry's programs to support the educational environment within an integrated vision that seeks to provide a healthy and stimulating environment within schools,' he said. He added that the non-profit sector was a key partner, alongside the public and private sectors, in developing education and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The ministry was working to develop teachers through capacity-building programs and ensure the quality of outcomes, said Al-Benyan, highlighting the establishment of a national center for curriculum development for the first time, in partnership with experts and specialized institutions. He also talked about the launch of initiatives to improve the educational environment and create attractive and stimulating school facilities, in addition to strengthening governance and accountability to ensure the sustainability of impact and measure returns. The ministry established the Tatweer foundation to support the needs of teachers and last year signed 18 agreements encompassing more than 2,400 programs. It also implemented initiatives worth more than SR400 million through the Ehsan platform and contributed to providing more than 2,700 scholarships in cooperation with the Martyrs, Missing Persons and Prisoners Fund. Cabinet decisions have enabled the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, to allocate buildings and sites to non-profit schools using new methods that help expand the scope of support and providing sustainable resources. The minister emphasized the importance of programs such as vocational training for teachers through the National Institute for Teacher Development and the National Curriculum Center to enhance the quality of education and promote community partnerships. The forum also featured a 'Volunteer Hour' in which several education, training and non-profit sector officials took part. Other sessions included 'Building Human Capacity in the Non-Profit Sector: Programs and Initiatives,' which discussed linking training programs to the labor market and the role of employers in identifying them. 'Empowerment Across Sectors: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Non-Profit Training' addressed mechanisms for improving the quality of non-profit training and the potential of the national skills system, while 'Early Childhood in the Nonprofit Sector: Empowerment Opportunities and Impact Models' reviewed opportunities for expansion and excellence in nonprofit kindergartens. 'The Nonprofit Sector and Programs for People with Disabilities' focused on the reality and expectations of nonprofit organizations in programs for people with disabilities. The first day of the forum featured three specialized workshops addressing services provided by the National Center for Strategic Partnerships to empower nonprofit entities, while around 50 exhibitors the "Generation Alpha: Research Insights for Understanding the Next Generation and Formulating Inspiring Educational Programs" workshop by Ithra Center, and the "Empowering Nonprofit Kindergartens: Practical Steps" workshop. About 50 exhibitors presented the opportunities they offer for collaboration in the education sector.
Zawya
03-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Airbus collaborates in launching training program for Saudis in helicopter maintenance
RIYADH — Airbus joined hands with the Colleges of Excellence Company in launching a unique training program aimed at qualifying young Saudis in the field of helicopter maintenance. The ceremony of launching the Helicopters Maintenance Joint Training Program with Airbus was held on Tuesday under the patronage of Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan and in the presence of Minister of Transport and Logistics Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser. The training program was launched in the presence of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, Assistant Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Dr. Abdullah Al-Ahmari, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Colleges of Excellence Eng. Iyad Al-Qarawi, at the International Aviation Technical College in Riyadh. Eng. Ayman Al-Abdullah, CEO of Colleges of Excellence, Arnaud Montalvo, vice president of Airbus Helicopters for the Middle East and Africa, and Eng. Eid Al-Qahtani, head of Airbus's Regional Headquarters in the Kingdom, were also among the attendees. The program leverages the technical expertise of both Airbus and Colleges of Excellence in providing high-quality training content that enables trainees to acquire advanced skills in helicopter maintenance, in line with the sector's local and regional requirements. Eng. Naif Al-Matrafi, head of Marketing and Business Development at Colleges of Excellence, said that training in this program is scheduled to begin at the start of the next training year, and that participants will receive a higher diploma in helicopter maintenance. "The program aims to achieve a 100 percent employment rate for those enrolled in the program to work in military and civilian agencies," he said while noting that the launch of this program falls within the framework of Colleges of Excellence's approach to building strategic partnerships with major international companies in the aviation sector. With the aim of transferring knowledge and empowering national cadres with advanced technical skills, the program's launch was an extension of an effective strategic partnership between the two parties. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Argaam
13-05-2025
- Science
- Argaam
14,500 Saudis studying in US: Education Minister
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan said that around 14,470 Saudi students are currently studying in the US, with most of them enrolled through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program. The US has been a key education destination for Saudis for over 70 years, he told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Since the scholarship program began, hundreds of thousands of students have been sent to American universities. Al-Benyan noted that this academic presence helped build a strong base of Saudi professionals in medicine, engineering, science, management, and other fields. Universities like King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), King Saud University, King Abdulaziz University, and King Faisal University have over 120 research agreements with US institutions, he added. These cover areas such as renewable energy, biotech, and artificial intelligence (AI). The minister noted that more than 15 joint training and cooperation programs are ongoing with American universities and research centers. They focus on AI, cybersecurity, and clean energy, alongside partnerships aimed at researcher exchange and developing technical and academic capabilities.
