Labor Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia has provided work for 10 million expatriates, most of them Muslims from the Islamic world, Labor Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani said on Friday.

These expatriates have helped to boost the economy of the Kingdom, Al-Haqabani said at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Third Labor Ministers’ Conference in Jakarta held from Oct. 28 to 30.

During his speech, Al-Haqabani also outlined the Kingdom’s efforts to create jobs for young men and women in the country.

He said the biggest challenge facing Arab countries is finding work for young people, who make up most of the respective populations of these nations. He said a major part of the job creation strategies of Arab countries should focus on aligning education and training with the needs of the market.

This is an area that the Kingdom has tackled effectively, with measures including creating a culture of professionalism among the youth, he said.

Apart from various Saudization initiatives, the Kingdom has also set up an independent jobs commission that would work at finding gainful employment for young people in the country, he said.

The commission is aligning the strategies and efforts of several government ministries, including labor, commerce and industry, and economy and planning, with education and training institutions and the private sector. The aim is to develop programs that would create many top quality jobs.

Al-Haqabani said there have also been several colleges of excellence set up, managed by some of the world’s best training providers. This includes 37 specialized colleges which would match skills training with the needs of the market.

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