Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Arthur D. Little (ADL) hosted its third Executive Leadership Workshop in Riyadh, gathering over 30 top leaders from both the public and private sectors to discuss the future of human capital in the Kingdom. Held at the JW Marriott, the invite-only event brought together senior representatives from key organizations, including the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Nokia Middle East and Africa, and HSBC Saudi Arabia, to explore critical issues affecting human capital as part of the Vision 2030 transformation plan.
The workshop covered a range of topics, including addressing the skills gap in the Saudi workforce, balancing local and international talent, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, and the unique challenges posed by the Kingdom’s youthful population, particularly Generation Z. Key insights from these discussions are captured in ADL’s newly released report, “Economic Diversification: The Human Side.”
The report highlights key takeaways from the workshop, including the need to:
Develop a long-term ecosystem to bridge the skills gap in Saudi Arabia.
Use a hybrid approach to balance foreign skills with local talent development.
Address the challenges of a young population, as the majority of Saudis will be outside working age within the next two decades.
Recognize that AI is not an option but a necessity, with Saudi organizations already making significant strides in its adoption.
During the roundtable, leaders agreed on the urgency of acting now to prepare for these changes. Prof. Selwa A. F. Al-Hazzaa, CEO & Founder of SDM, stressed the importance of embracing technology: “If you’re not tech-ready, you’ll be out of a job. If you embrace it, you won’t just have a job, you’ll be a leader.”
ADL’s Managing Partner, Thomas Kuruvilla, underscored the Kingdom’s proactive stance in human capital development: “Saudi Arabia understands well the need for reskilling its workforce, with 75% of executives recognizing the importance of developing new skills in this rapidly changing environment.”
The new report builds on findings from ADL’s global CEO Insights 2024 study, which surveyed nearly 300 business leaders worldwide. The study found that 66% of global CEOs are optimistic about the economic outlook in the next three to five years, driven in part by the rise of AI. In Saudi Arabia, 38% of businesses have already implemented AI across several departments, positioning the Kingdom as a global leader in the AI-driven economy.
The workshop, which also included leaders from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Diriyah Foundation, among others, is part of ADL’s ongoing effort to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals by fostering leadership and human capital development across sectors.
