ILO Chief Gilbert Houngbo Praises Saudi Arabia's Leadership In Shaping The Global Labour Market

Gilbert Houngbo, the director-general of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), praised Saudi Arabia's significant influence on shaping the global labour market. During the Global Labor Market Conference 2025 in Riyadh, he highlighted the Kingdom's comprehensive reforms under Vision 2030 aimed at creating a decent work environment. These reforms focus on enhancing market competitiveness and achieving sustainable economic growth.

Houngbo noted Saudi Arabia's success in transforming its labour market through qualitative reforms. These include updating labour laws, improving occupational safety and health, and increasing employment opportunities for youth and women. He described these efforts as positioning Saudi Arabia as a global model for modern work environments.

The ILO chief emphasized that Saudi Arabia's initiatives reflect a commitment to establishing a flexible and equitable labour market aligned with international standards. He highlighted the Kingdom's dedication to localizing jobs, empowering women, and investing in skill development to foster sustainable job opportunities and bolster economic growth.

Houngbo also mentioned Saudi Arabia's National Policy for the Elimination of Forced Labor as evidence of its commitment to international labour standards. This positions the Kingdom at the forefront of countries advocating for fair workplaces. He acknowledged Saudi leadership in digital transformation and addressing climate change challenges.

The ILO chief stated that investments in modern technologies are not just about enhancing efficiency but also creating attractive work environments globally. Houngbo commended Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner in advancing social justice and fostering comprehensive growth through collaboration with the ILO across various domains.

He emphasized that Saudi Arabia's experience could serve as a valuable template for other nations seeking to modernize their labour markets. The GLMC hosted in Riyadh was highlighted as a platform for stakeholders to discuss global labour market challenges and opportunities.

Tackling Youth Unemployment

Addressing youth unemployment in Arab countries, Houngbo stressed a multifaceted approach involving quality education, vocational training, entrepreneurship, and productive job creation. Despite recent declines in global youth unemployment rates, the ILO’s Global Employment Trends for Youth report shows a 1% increase in Arab nations.

Houngbo called for aligning educational systems with market needs and providing more productive job opportunities. Initiatives like "Decent Jobs for Youth," supported by the United Nations, can bridge gaps between education and employment while promoting entrepreneurship.

Impact of Digital Transformations

The ILO chief discussed digital transformations' impact on workplaces, noting both opportunities for job creation and challenges like job displacement and skill mismatches. He urged governments to invest in lifelong learning programs, ensure equitable access to digital resources, and implement policies safeguarding workers during transitions.

Integrating decent work elements into digital strategies is crucial for fostering inclusive labour markets. Houngbo highlighted the need to reform social protection systems and labour laws to keep pace with evolving work dynamics driven by digitalization.

Gender Equality Initiatives

Houngbo underscored gender equality as central to the ILO's mission. He emphasized efforts to reduce gender pay gaps, promote decent work in care economies, and eliminate workplace violence. Ensuring maternal protection access is vital alongside supportive environments for workers with family responsibilities.

He advocated flexible work arrangements, maternity leave, improved conditions for care workers, including domestic staff, and partnerships with governments across regions to advance these objectives. Recent legislation mandating maternity insurance marks progress toward equality in Saudi Arabia’s labour market.

Global Coalition for Social Justice

The "Global Coalition for Social Justice" initiative led by the ILO aims to enhance cooperation addressing disparities worldwide. With over 300 partners involved, it seeks innovative solutions to global challenges like unemployment and gender gaps while promoting decent work globally.

Houngbo noted that Vision 2030 uniquely positions Saudi Arabia within this coalition due to its ambitious reforms enhancing workforce inclusivity through education investments serving as examples globally.

Occupational Safety Enhancements

Addressing occupational safety issues is essential for fostering decent work environments according to Houngbo who praised strides made by Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030 initiatives such as adopting national policies dedicated towards improving safety standards within workplaces nationwide ensuring worker prosperity overall too!

The conference provided an opportunity for dialogue among participants emphasizing collective efforts needed globally promoting decent work achieving social justice supporting sustainable development worldwide according SPA reports from Riyadh event held recently there!

With inputs from SPA