Human Capability Development Program

The Human Capability Development Program is one of the programs contributing to achieving Saudi Vision 2030. It was launched by the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Human Capabilities Development Program Committee, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz in 2021.

The program represents a national strategy aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of national human capabilities both locally and globally. It seizes promising opportunities arising from the rapidly evolving and accelerating needs, preparing citizens for the current and future job market. This is achieved by: promoting values, developing fundamental and future skills, and fostering knowledge.

The program focuses on preparing and qualifying human capabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It aims to develop the human capability system from early childhood to lifelong learning. The program also seeks to align educational outcomes with the needs of the current and future job market, localize high-skilled jobs through the qualification and training of citizens, and enhance partnerships with the private and non-profit sectors.

The strategy of the Human Capabilities Development Program was formulated based on an analysis of the current challenges facing the human capabilities system, and global trends influencing the local and global job market. This is to address all challenges facing the development of human capabilities in the Kingdom.

The program's strategy is built on three pillars that reflect the main stages of human capabilities development. These are: developing a flexible and robust educational foundation for all, preparing for the future job market both locally and globally, and providing lifelong learning opportunities.

The program plan comprises eighty-nine initiatives aimed at achieving sixteen direct strategic objectives. These objectives focus on the promotion of values such as moderation and tolerance, mastery and discipline, determination and perseverance, the instillation of national principles and values, the encouragement of positivity, flexibility, and a strong work ethic, the strengthening of national identity, and the preservation of the Arabic language. The plan seeks to enhance family engagement in preparing their children for the future, develop a comprehensive educational journey, ensure equitable access to education, improve fundamental educational outcomes, elevate the standing of educational institutions, deliver high-quality knowledge to those excelling in priority fields, align educational outcomes with the demands of the labor market, and expand vocational training to meet labor market needs. It also strives to enhance the readiness of youth to enter the job market and foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. These are closely tied to the three main goals of Saudi Vision 2030: strengthening Islamic values and national identity, providing a fulfilling and healthy life, and increasing employment rates.

The Human Capacities Development Program has achieved a series of accomplishments, which include:

- Launching the strategy for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program with four main tracks; Alrowad (Pioneers) - Research and Development - Emdad (Supply) - Wa'ed (Promising). These were designed in line with the priorities of the Saudi Vision 2030 and its executive programs, as well as the evolving and accelerating job market needs. The goal is to enhance the efficiency of human capital and achieve sustainable development by sending seventy thousand citizens to the top 200 educational and training institutions worldwide by 2030.

- There has been an increase in the enrollment rate in kindergarten from 13 percent in 2015 to 23 percent in 2020, thanks to the efforts of establishing and rehabilitating over three thousand classrooms in more than one thousand schools.

- During the COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning was supported by activating online platforms. Over nine million users across the Kingdom benefited from these platforms. Additionally, the continuity of remote education was ensured through the activation of broadcasts on twenty-three satellite TV channels.

- The Kingdom achieved the second position among the G20 countries by winning twenty-two global awards at the ISEF 2022 exhibition. Saudi students also won three global medals in the Physics Olympiad for Northern European and Baltic countries. Furthermore, Saudi students secured three awards at the 2022 European Physics Olympiad. These accomplishments underscore the Kingdom's continued international successes and enhance the global competitiveness of Saudi citizens.

- The Kingdom has made advances in the higher education sector, with twenty-three universities entering global rankings (QS World University Rankings, The Times Higher Education, Shanghai Rankings). Among them, three universities were ranked among the top two hundred universities for the year 2022.

- The Kingdom was ranked ninth globally in digital skills as per the Global Competitiveness Report (GRC) for 2020, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

- The Kingdom progressed in the technical and vocational training index, securing the ninth position globally in 2021, according to the results of the Global Knowledge Index issued by the United Nations Development Programme and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation.

- The second phase of the Future Skills initiative was launched, targeting the training of two hundred thousand trainees and employing thirty thousand in the telecommunications and information technology sector. This is carried out through various programs, including training camps in collaboration with global and local partners, training courses, and on-the-job training at global and local companies.

- Development of programs to expedite skill development and retraining in collaboration with the private sector for various priority sectors. The aim is to enhance skills, provide rehabilitation, and address current and future gaps in the labor market.

- The Kingdom assumed the presidency of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture, and Science (ALECSO) for the period 2021-2023.

- The establishment of the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language aims to serve, promote, preserve, and enhance the role of the Arabic language regionally and globally. The complex seeks to serve the Arabic language through four main areas spanning four sectors: Language Planning and Policy Sector, Linguistic Computing Sector, Cultural Programs Sector, and Educational Programs Sector.

- The launch of the Saudi Logistics Academy with four training tracks, designed to qualify professional competencies in seven logistical sectors and train three hundred trainees.

- Launching nineteen training programs to develop the cadres' skills on the Tourism Human Capital Development Program's e-learning platform, which benefited more than 111 thousand trainees.

- There has been a 120 percent increase in scientific publishing, as a unique research strategy and identity have been set for each university to elevate the quality of scientific publications.

- Offering 3,700 professional development programs for more than 420,000 educational jobholders in specialized, educational, and technical fields, all through a specialized educational platform.

- Over one million students from twenty thousand schools participated in Nafes tests in 2023, aiming to assess students' educational achievements, promote excellence, and encourage positive competition between schools, as well as improve learning outcomes. The students' performance in the 2023 results showed improvement compared to 2022.

- The Kingdom achieved 146 global awards and medals in 2023 in various disciplines such as mathematics, biology, physics, and sciences.

- The experimental phase of the "Study in Saudi Arabia" platform was launched on September 7, 2023, as part of the "Educational Visa" initiative, along with the adoption of regulations for the training and employment of international students and their companions.

- The number of Saudi universities in the Shanghai rankings increased from 7 universities in 2022 to 12 universities in 2023, with 4 Saudi universities entering the list of the top 100 universities globally in terms of patent registrations.

- More than 115,000 professional licenses were issued to teachers in 2023.

- The training rate grew by over 220 percent through 3 programs: training support, on-the-job training, and e-training, contributing to the employment of more than 370,000 Saudi citizens in 2023.

- Three policies were developed under the Family Initiative: The National Policy for Protecting Children from Bullying, the National Policy for Child-Friendly Museums and Heritage Sites, and the National Policy for Student Volunteering.

- 900 Arabic learners from 67 nationalities took the "Hamzah Test" aimed at enhancing the status of the Arabic language, encouraging its learning, and assessing the Arabic proficiency of non-native speakers according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

- The launch of the Riyadh Dictionary, dedicated to contemporary Arabic vocabulary, including 120,000 lexical entries, 145,000 meanings, 35,000 synonyms, and utilizing artificial intelligence to support the Arabic language through four laboratories.

The Human Capabilities Development Program emphasizes achieving several goals by 2025, including: expanding kindergarten schools by increasing the enrollment rate in kindergarten education to 40 percent, having six Saudi universities enter the top two hundred global university rankings, elevating the Kingdom's position to rank forty-fifth out of 157 countries in the World Bank's Human Capital Index, and increasing the enrollment rate in technical and vocational education to 33 percent.