Minister of Economy: The Kingdom’s people are its greatest resource, source of pride, and strongest potential

Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, said that the Kingdom’s people are its greatest resource, source of pride, and strongest potential. He explained that the best decision any country can make, at all times and regardless of circumstances, is to invest in people.

During the Human Capability Initiative 2025 conference, he added that the Kingdom has a competitive advantage in attracting talent, thanks to its ability to provide stable environments that enable individuals to grow and prosper. He pointed to the need to rethink methods of human capacity development to enhance competencies and achieve change.

The Minister of Economy cited the leadership approach of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as an exemplary model for achieving change with a clear and ambitious vision. He explained that the world is witnessing an abundance of technical competencies, but education systems need to invest more in developing talent capable of facing challenges and developments. This was stated during the Human Capability Initiative 2025 Conference.

During the Human Capability Initiative Conference, the Minister of Economy and Planning highlighted the “Human Capability Development Program” as a serious investment in national competencies and one of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 for educational transformation.

The conference will feature more than 100 dialogue sessions across four main platforms, aiming to exchange experiences and discuss the most prominent practices that contribute to enhancing human capacity readiness to keep pace with rapid global changes. It will also review key future trends and focus on innovative models for empowering individuals and communities, in addition to enhancing cooperation between the public, private, and non-profit sectors with the aim of developing sustainable and impactful solutions for the future.

The conference will also include hosting a number of diverse events, most notably a ministerial roundtable session with the participation of 20 ministers from several countries around the world, and a meeting of the Governing Council of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The conference will also host a number of agreements and launches within the human capacity development system at the local and global levels. The conference is organized by the Human Capability Development Program—one of the programs implementing Saudi Vision 2030—in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The ministry will host the International Education Exhibition (EDGEx) from April 13-15, 2025, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. This will constitute Human Capability and Education Week, a platform for unleashing the full potential of human capabilities.