Employment, labor and women's working conditions were the main theme of the first day of this year's National Dialogue meeting held in Qassim. The 7th National Dialogue meeting was inaugurated Tuesday morning in Buraidah, capital of Qassim, titled Work and Employment; Dialogue between Society and Work Related Establishments” “Unemployment is a common problem all nations face around the world,” said Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdulrahman Al-Hussayen Member of the Presidency Committee of King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue. “The question is how to balance between supply and demand of the workforces,” said Hussayen in his opening speech. “The issue of employment cannot be viewed in isolation from current economic conditions of the country. These economic conditions, with their positive and negative aspects, continue to lend a special sense of urgency to the employment issue,” Al-Hussayen said. Unqualified Saudi workforce, foreign labor monopolizing the workforce, and the problems in implementing Saudization were the main theme discussed during the first session. Disagreement on Islamic rules for women to work was the main theme of the second session titled “Women's Employment.” Around 75 participants from across the Kingdom from private and public business sector, employers, media professionals, academics, specialists, economics, students and a number of unemployed Saudis took part in the first day's meeting. “The goal is to study the reality of the labor and the employment sector and the problems that it faces, identifying society's outlook on the current situation of the workforce and employment sector and ways to develop them,” said Wafaa Tuwaijiri, Assistant Secretary General at King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, which is organizing the event. On Wednesday, participants will have the chance to address their needs, concerns and solutions to the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Civil Services, Ministry of Planning and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry directly. __
