Global labour leaders on Monday signed more than 45 cooperation agreements at the opening of the third Global Labour Market Conference (GLMC) in Riyadh, aiming to create thousands of training and employment opportunities across Saudi Arabia and participating countries.
The deals, involving government agencies, private platforms and training institutions, focus on expanding flexible and digital work, strengthening skills development, deploying artificial intelligence in labour systems and linking training more closely to high-growth sectors such as tourism, entertainment and sports.
Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi, minister of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia, said partnerships with platforms including Bayt.com and Shiftat would support modern work models, while agreements with bodies such as the Financial Academy and the Saudi Retail Academy would help align national talent with evolving labour market needs.
Other initiatives involve the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) to promote smart employment solutions and sector-based cooperation with the Ministry of Sport and the General Entertainment Authority to widen career pathways.
The first day also featured a ministerial roundtable chaired by the minister, bringing together more than 40 labour ministers. Participants agreed on six priority actions, including improving cross-border skills recognition, guiding the responsible use of artificial intelligence, adapting social protection systems to support worker mobility, and strengthening data-driven job matching.
They also called for better workforce planning to anticipate economic shocks and improved pathways into first employment and labour market re-entry.
In a session on high-impact sectors, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said tourism contributes about 10 percent of global GDP and supports nearly 370 million jobs worldwide, with women making up roughly 45% of the workforce. He said Saudi Arabia aims to create between 400,000 and 600,000 new hospitality jobs under Vision 2030, backed by large-scale training programmes.
Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Al Khorayef highlighted the launch of a new occupational and skills framework covering more than 500 professions in mining and industry, designed to better align education and training with labour demand.
Türkiye’s Labour Minister Vedat Işıkhan underscored manufacturing’s continued role in economic growth, while Syria’s Social Affairs and Labour Minister Hind Kabawat pointed to labour market challenges and opportunities in post-conflict recovery.
