While there are many developed and developing countries striving to offer enough jobs for its people, Saudi Arabia has plenty of job opportunities. However, it has been facing an ongoing number of internal economic challenges such as a high portion of unemployment amongst its young citizens, a high portion of foreign workers compared to its nationals, and a mismatch between the global market needs and the Saudi curriculum. Alternatively, Saudi Arabia started to enhance the level of education of its people either by sending them to the well-known universities abroad through the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP), or by improving its education system and its curriculum as a way of solving its economic challenges.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has a unique society appearance in its adherence to its inherited values. Hence, it is challenging for the government of Saudi Arabia to offer solutions without changing parts of the culture. This paper will provide a comprehensive background about the Saudi labour market (from past to present) that should be expressing the roots of some of the current challenges. Then, it will explain a number of programs/strategies that the Saudi government is implementing to solve these challenges. Finally, this paper will discuss some of the other cultural difficulties that may shrink the efforts of the Saudi government in coping with its challenges.
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