Saudi Arabia Launches Skills Week for Youth

Saudi Arabia has launched a national "Skills Week" campaign to upskill and reskill young Saudis and better align their careers with the human capability goals of رؤية السعودية 2030. The campaign is led by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development through its Skills and Training Deputyship, and was launched around World Youth Skills Day on 15 July, running as a themed week.

The campaign aims to close the gap between education outcomes and labor market needs, helping young Saudis compete both locally and internationally. It brings together several initiatives, including the Waad training initiative, which prepares youth for in-demand jobs, and the Waad Club, a volunteer platform for mentoring and knowledge exchange between professionals and young people.

At its core is a set of national tools to map skills to careers. The Sector Skills Framework identifies more than 8,500 technical skills across 12 key sectors, while the Saudi Skills Classification Taxonomy defines the skills required for each profession to support job matching and workforce planning. A Skills Survey of more than 3,000 firms was carried out to pinpoint gaps in the workforce, and the Skill Accelerator Program targets the upskilling of more than 300,000 Saudis by 2027.

In the industrial and mining sector, an Industry & Mining Occupations & Skills Framework has been introduced, covering over 500 industrial occupations, more than 300 professional specialties, 600 skills, and 900 professional certifications to standardize job titles and training pathways.

Why it matters

For residents and job seekers, these programs offer clearer routes into growing sectors and structured ways to build in-demand skills. The National Skills Platform serves as the main digital entry point, using AI-driven learning pathways and assessments to help individuals develop future skills. Details, registration links, and program information are available through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development website and its Skills and Training section.

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