Saudi Arabia Rises in WEF Rankings for Labor and Gender Equality

Saudi Arabia has achieved significant global advancements in flexible working arrangements, ease of finding skilled employees, and equal pay for equal work, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024 reports. The Kingdom’s progress reflects the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) to enhance the labor market and align with Vision 2030 goals.

Context and Background

The World Economic Forum’s annual reports track global competitiveness and social progress across multiple indicators. Saudi Arabia’s rise in these rankings underscores its commitment to economic diversification and human capital development. Since 2021, the Kingdom has implemented comprehensive labor reforms to modernize the workplace and attract global talent.

Key Details of WEF Rankings

According to the WEF data released in 2024, Saudi Arabia has climbed seven places in the flexible work arrangements index since 2021, now ranking 14th globally. The HRSD has introduced new work patterns, including flexible work, freelance work, and telework programs, creating more job opportunities for Saudi nationals. In the ease of finding skilled employees index, the Kingdom advanced three places since 2021 to rank 4th globally in 2024. The Ministry’s initiatives, such as the Skill Verification Program in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cover 128 countries to verify the qualifications of expatriate workers.

In the Global Gender Gap Report, Saudi Arabia advanced two places in equal pay for equal work since 2023, placing 13th globally in 2024. The share of women in the labor market reached 34.1% in the first quarter of 2024, with the economic participation rate of Saudi women over the age of 15 at 35.8%. The percentage of women in senior and middle management positions rose to 43.8% in the same period.

Implications and Impact

These rankings highlight Saudi Arabia’s growing competitiveness in the global labor market. The Kingdom has achieved a record number of Saudis working in the private sector, increasing from 1.7 million in 2019 to over 2.3 million in 2024, while the unemployment rate declined to 7.6% in the first quarter of 2024. The parallel training initiative has empowered women by providing training programs focused on fundamental and technical skills, career guidance, and employer-provided tasks to ensure graduates’ success. The Wa’ad National Training Campaign aims to provide 1,155,000 training opportunities by the end of 2025, training 12% of Saudis annually and establishing 12 sectoral councils for skills.

Vision 2030 Alignment

Saudi Arabia’s progress in WEF indicators directly supports Vision 2030’s objectives of diversifying the economy and enhancing human capital. The Ministry’s goal to raise women’s participation to 40% and the ongoing development of national professional standards for over 300 professions demonstrate the Kingdom’s long-term commitment to sustainable growth and a knowledge-based economy.

20 Questions

Q1. What is the World Economic Forum?

A1. The World Economic Forum is an international organization that publishes annual reports on global competitiveness, gender gaps, and labor market trends to guide policy and economic development.

Q2. How did Saudi Arabia rank in flexible work arrangements in 2024?

A2. The Kingdom ranked 14th globally in 2024 for flexible work arrangements, rising seven places since 2021 due to new work patterns introduced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

Q3. What is the ease of finding skilled employees index?

A3. This WEF index measures how easily companies can locate qualified workers in the labor market. Saudi Arabia ranked 4th globally in 2024, advancing three places since 2021.

Q4. What is the Skill Verification Program?

A4. Launched by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this program verifies the qualifications of expatriate workers across 128 countries.

Q5. How has Saudi Arabia improved in equal pay for equal work?

A5. The Kingdom advanced two places in the WEF Global Gender Gap Report since 2023, ranking 13th globally in 2024 for equal pay for equal work.

Q6. What is the share of women in the Saudi labor market?

A6. Women’s participation in the labor market reached 34.1% in the first quarter of 2024, with the economic participation rate of Saudi women over 15 at 35.8%.

Q7. What percentage of women hold senior management positions in Saudi Arabia?

A7. The percentage of women in senior and middle management positions reached 43.8% in the first quarter of 2024.

Q8. What is the goal for women’s participation in the Saudi labor market?

A8. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development aims to raise women’s participation to 40% in the coming period.

Q9. How many Saudis work in the private sector as of 2024?

A9. The number of Saudis working in the private sector increased from 1.7 million in 2019 to over 2.3 million in 2024.

Q10. What is the current unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia?

A10. The unemployment rate declined to 7.6% in the first quarter of 2024.

Q11. What is the Wa’ad National Training Campaign?

A11. An initiative by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to provide 1,155,000 training opportunities by the end of 2025, training 12% of Saudis annually.

Q12. How many sectoral councils for skills does Saudi Arabia plan to establish?

A12. The Kingdom aims to establish 12 sectoral councils for skills in collaboration with the private sector as part of the Wa’ad campaign.

Q13. What is the Skills Accelerator Initiative?

A13. This initiative targets 162,000 employees in the private sector to develop high-level skills and improve their productivity.

Q14. What work patterns has Saudi Arabia introduced to modernize the labor market?

A14. The Ministry introduced flexible work, freelance work, and telework programs to create more job opportunities for Saudi nationals.

Q15. How does the parallel training initiative support women?

A15. The initiative provides training programs focused on fundamental and technical skills, career guidance, and employer-provided tasks to ensure women’s success in the labor market.

Q16. Which Saudi ministry is responsible for labor market reforms?

A16. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) is responsible for these reforms and initiatives.

Q17. What was Saudi Arabia’s ranking in flexible work arrangements in 2021?

A17. In 2021, Saudi Arabia ranked lower than its 2024 position, having risen seven places to reach 14th globally in 2024.

Q18. How does Vision 2030 relate to these WEF rankings?

A18. The WEF rankings reflect progress under Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and develop human capital through labor market modernization.

Q19. What is the national professional standards target for Saudi Arabia?

A19. The Kingdom aims to create national professional standards for over 300 professions to align workforce skills with market needs.

Q20. When were the WEF 2024 reports released?

A20. The World Economic Forum released the reports in 2024, with data cited by the Saudi Press Agency on July 29, 2024.

---