Develop GCC workforce: Al-rashidi

SHARJAH: Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Thekra AlRashidi asserted here yesterday the importance of developing the workforce in the GCC through strengthening the partnership between the public and private sectors.

This came during her participation in the third forum for officials of human resources and the labor market in the GCC, which started today under the patronage of the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, ministers and officials of labor ministries in the six states. The minister said that the forum is a rich opportunity for the exchange of ideas and visions between GCC officials on human resources in order to come out with recommendations to support those resources particularly in the private sector.

She said that Gulf countries have challenges represented in the large number of expatriate labor as well as the reluctance of a significant portion of their citizens to work in the private sector.

Al-Rashidi pointed out that the most effective solutions to indulge the GCC national employment into the labor market is to support small and medium-sized enterprises.

She emphasized that the initiative of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in the first economic summit held in Kuwait in 2009 to finance small and medium-sized enterprises is one of the best initiatives at the Arab League level.

She explained that some 15 Arab countries have pitched in such initiatives, which have been activated through the creation of an account managed by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Kuwait’s contribution to which amounts to $500 million in addition to the allocation of KD2 billion for the establishment of the National Fund, which is the umbrella that embraces small projects in Kuwait. —KUNA