BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 25. The third Global Labor Market Conference will begin in Riyadh on Monday under the theme “Future in Progress,” featuring high-level participation from decision-makers, thought leaders, and experts worldwide, TurkicWorld reports via Arab News.
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi said convening the conference under the patronage of King Salman reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing global dialogue on the future of work and addressing shared challenges reshaping labor markets.
Al-Rajhi added that the conference provides a global platform for key stakeholders to exchange expertise and build shared visions that support more flexible and inclusive policies, enhance workforce readiness, and balance economic growth with quality of life, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
This year’s event will host over 10,000 participants from 100 countries, including more than 40 labor ministers and representatives from international organizations, the private sector, and academia. It will feature more than 200 speakers across over 50 sessions.
The two-day conference is organized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in partnership with international organizations, including the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, the UN Development Programme, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Organization for Migration, the UN Tourism Organization, the Labour Centre of the Organization of Islamic Conference, King’s Trust International, and the Misk Foundation.
The event will focus on six key pillars reflecting major transformations in labor markets: trade changes and employment, informal economies, the new global skills landscape, the real impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and productivity, building resilient labor markets in crises, and improving job quality, with particular attention to youth as the foundation of the future economy.
Conference highlights include a ministerial meeting with ministers from over 40 countries to discuss practical employment pathways amid global changes.
Additional activities include signing agreements and memoranda of understanding, bilateral meetings, launching new initiatives, and the graduation of the first Labor Market Academy cohort, all of which support capacity building, specialized labor market skills, and international knowledge exchange.
