ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo and the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, discussed the ongoing ILO-Saudi Arabia Programme of Cooperation at a meeting in Geneva on 4 June
Now in its third phase, the programme is aimed at supporting labour market development, strengthening institutions and enhancing worker protection. The third phase, launched last year, builds on progress achieved since 2018 during the first two phases of the programme, which laid the foundations for labour reform in Saudi Arabia, supporting the development of national employment policies, advancing occupational safety and health standards, strengthening social dialogue institutions and promoting fundamental principles and rights at work. The collaboration has contributed to improvements in female labour force participation, social dialogue mechanisms, skills governance and labour inspection systems.
Recent successes have included a comprehensive situational analysis of forced labour in the Kingdom, the adoption by the Ministry of the ILO’s Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED) methodology to strengthen skills anticipation systems, and capacity-building initiatives for sector skills councils and the Occupational Safety and Health Council. The programme has also supported training activities for cooperative owners and Ministry staff.
The current phase of cooperation will focus on strengthening social dialogue, labour mobility and recruitment systems, protections for domestic workers, access to justice and social protection, labour inspection and occupational safety and health systems, and stronger skills governance. It will also contribute to the effective implementation of the international labour standards ratified by the Kingdom.
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia, Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, said, “Saudi Arabia’s labour market transformation is guided by a clear commitment to economic competitiveness while ensuring social progress. Our continued cooperation with the ILO reflects our shared ambition to build a more inclusive, resilient and future-ready labour market. One that expands opportunities, enhances protections for all workers, and supports the Kingdom’s national priorities and ambitions.”
ILO director-general Gilbert F. Houngbo added, “This ongoing phase of cooperation reflects the value of continued collaboration between Saudi Arabia and the ILO to support progress towards a more inclusive and resilient labour market, with greater opportunities and rights for all workers, and to advance decent work for all in the Kingdom.”
