Riyadh hosts third Global Labor Market Conference
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The third Global Labor Market Conference will open in Riyadh on Monday, bringing together senior officials, policymakers and experts to discuss changes affecting employment systems worldwide.
The two-day event, held under the patronage of King Salman, carries the theme “Future in Progress” and is set to attract more than 10,000 participants from 100 countries. Attendees include more than 40 labour ministers, along with representatives from international organisations, the private sector and academia.
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi said the conference under royal patronage signals Saudi Arabia’s focus on advancing international dialogue on the future of work and addressing shared labour market challenges.
He said the conference offers a platform for exchanging expertise and developing shared approaches that support more flexible and inclusive labour policies, improve workforce readiness and balance economic growth with quality of life, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
The program features more than 200 speakers across over 50 sessions. Discussions will centre on six areas: trade shifts and employment, informal economies, the global skills landscape, the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and productivity, labour markets during crises and job quality, with youth placed at the centre of future economic planning.
Key sessions include a ministerial meeting involving officials from more than 40 countries to discuss practical employment pathways amid global economic and technological change.
The conference is organised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in partnership with international bodies including the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, the UN Development Program, the OECD, 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.
Side events include the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding, bilateral meetings, the launch of new initiatives and the graduation of the first Labor Market Academy cohort, focused on skills development and international knowledge exchange.