Riyadh (Saudi Arabia )– Joint Secretary of the Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Division**, Mr. Muhammad Sohail Khawaja, met with prominent members of the Pakistani community in Riyadh, where he announced the launch of a PKR 200 billion skilled labor fund aimed at empowering Pakistani youth.
The meeting was attended by Welfare Attachés Mr. Saad Aziz and Mr. Najam Nawaz Saqib from the Embassy of Pakistan, as well as Mr. Faheem Iqbal**, President of the Pakistan Overseas Employment Association.
Mr. Khawaja emphasized that Saudi Arabia, under Vision 2030**, will require millions of skilled workers for its ongoing and future development projects. He highlighted that the Government of Pakistan plans to train 350,000 young individuals under this initiative to prepare them for global labor markets.
He further noted that welfare services in Saudi Arabia are being expanded, including an increase in the number of mandobeen (community coordinators) and welfare officers**, to better address the concerns of Pakistani workers and professionals in the Kingdom.
On this occasion, Mr. Faheem Iqbal remarked that Saudi Arabia is expected to welcome over 10 million skilled workers in the near future, with a large portion coming from South Asian countries. He stressed the need for both government and private sector collaboration to equip Pakistani youth with in-demand skills and ensure their presence in the evolving Saudi labor market.
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