Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman addressing the Human Capacity Initiative event in Riyadh on Wednesday / Saudi Gazette
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, announced a comprehensive program to Saudize 75 per cent of jobs in the energy industry. The announcement was made during the Human Capacity Initiative held in Riyadh, where the minister emphasized the sector's potential to drive local employment compared to other industries.
With the new initiative, Saudi aims at boosting domestic employment and enhancing human capital within the energy sector.
Prince Abdulaziz highlighted the global challenge of low female participation in the energy sector.
“The energy sector at the global level is struggling with difficulties. According to global statistics, women’s participation in the energy sector represents 15 per cent,” he said.
He acknowledged Saudi Arabia's even lower participation rates and underlined the necessity of addressing this disparity. Emphasizing the importance of empowering women, the minister expressed confidence in the leadership's commitment to promoting gender equality and women's participation in the workforce.
“We see somewhere around 150,000 jobs being created, including not only working in chemical plants and with heavy wind or renewable facilities but also we see a lot of jobs are coming through the localization programs. We also are committed to a localization program which is 75 per cent”, the minister added.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the minister unveiled plans for the establishment of the Saudi Technical Institute for Petroleum Services, now rebranded as the Energy Tech Institute. Additionally, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center announced the establishment of its School of Public Policy, aimed at setting new standards in policy studies and fostering future policy leaders and professionals.
The School of Public Policy intends to offer a comprehensive curriculum, including a two-year master's degree and executive education programs, to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to address critical public policy challenges. The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia's commitment to nurturing a generation of informed decision-makers capable of driving socio-economic progress both domestically and globally.
In his address, Prince Abdulaziz highlighted the transformative vision driving these initiatives, characterizing past decades as a period of stagnation contrasted with the current leadership's focus on self-discovery and economic advancement. With ambitious localization targets and investments in human capital development, the kingdom aims to position itself as a global leader in the energy sector while fostering inclusive growth and socio-economic prosperity.