A human resources forum opened here Sunday bringing together a number of experts who will discuss the progress of Saudization and other labor issues. The four-day forum was opened, on behalf of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the Emir of Makkah, by Prince Abdullah Bin Fahad Bin Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman, Makkah Emir's Undersecretary for Security Affairs. The forum has been organized by Ihab Hassan and the Institute for International Research (IIR) Middle East, the Ministry of Labor and Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “To provide Saudi graduates with decent jobs, it is important to develop their skills so they meet the needs of the job market,” said Prince Abdullah. He said training and education is important to develop the skills of young people in the country. Dr. Ihab Abo Rokbah, general secretary of the forum said that the aim of event is to evaluate the current status of human resources in both the public and private sectors, especially after the global financial crisis. He said that more than 25 academics and experts from all over the world are participating in the event. They will consider 20 research papers on various issues. Dr. Hussein Al-Alawi, Dean of the College of Business Administration (CBA), said human resources was not considered important 50 years ago in Saudi Arabia. He said people often got jobs simply because they had a good handwriting and could spell well. Since then there has been a revolution in technology and communication and the need for better qualified people. Dr. Abdullah Dahlan, chairman of board of trustees of the CBA said: “The current unemployment in Saudi Arabia is not because there are not enough jobs, but because of the lack of proper structural planning of human resources and the increasing [recruitment] of foreign manpower every year.” He said there would not be a problem if jobs are given to Saudis; and also for universities to continue to graduate science students, which they started doing five years ago.
