Focus on Saudisation? - Forum to be held in Jeddah 10th - 13th February 2002

Two-thirds of the Saudi Arabian population is under the age of 21. And the birth-rate is expanding so rapidly that many nationals could face a lifetime without work. Put starkly, it's a demographic timebomb waiting to explode.

The chosen means to defuse it is "Saudisation" - lessening dependence on expatriate labour in order to create more jobs for nationals. And its success is critical to the entire social fabric of the Kingdom.

That's why the S-word has pre-occupied both Government and business these past few years - and why Saudisation is the focus of the 3rd International Human Resources Association Forum, to be held in early 2002.

The Association's MENA chapter has chosen Jeddah for it's four-day seminar Focus on Saudisation. The event will study progress to date and challenge participating bodies: "How successful is your Saudisation programme?"

The keynote address - How To Retain Your Saudi Workforce - will come from Sheikh Ghassan Al Sulaiman, Board chairman of the Jeddah Training Centre, a subsidiary of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.

The conference will focus on many aspects of Saudisation - from job design to career planning; the strategic challenges; long-term Government commitment - and how to achieve ultimate success through training and education of the workforce.

But these are not challenges facing only Saudi Arabia. Nationalisation of the labour force is a priority throughout the Gulf - and case studies will be presented on Kuwaitisation, Omanisation, Bahrainisation and Emiratisation.

Focus on Saudisation will be a highly interactive event with Round Table discussions ensuring maximum networking and exchange of ideas among peers. Recruitment and Selection, Career Development and Training, Personnel Retention and Motivational Factors will all be up for discussion.

The main two-day Forum will be sandwiched between pre and post-conference workshops - on Career Development For Saudi Nationals and Optimising Your Saudisation Process Using New Strategic Approaches.

At present there are six million expatriates working in Saudi Arabia. The Government wants to see a five per cent growth in the Saudi workforce each year - to eventually achieve a ratio of 75 per cent Saudi and 25 per cent expatriate.

"The long-term challenge", said the Vice President of Riyad Bank this year, "is to provide for a rapidly growing population and to increase their living standards".

For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, failure is not an option.