| Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development | |
| Formed: | 1961 |
| Jurisdiction: | Government of Saudi Arabia |
| Headquarters: | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Chief1 Name: | Ahmed Al-Rajhi |
| Chief1 Position: | Minister |
| Website: | Official English Website |
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD;) is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia. It was established in 2019 after merging Ministry of Labour and Social Development with Ministry of Civil Service.[1] It is responsible for community development, as well as overseeing labor affairs.[2] The current Minister is Ahmed al-Rajhi who was appointed in June 2018.[3]
The Ministry was established in 1961 under the name of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. In 2004, The Ministry was separated into two independent ministries: the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Social Affairs. later, in 2015, the two ministers were merged into one ministry to become the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. In February 2020, a royal decree was issued to merge Ministry of Labour and Social Development with Ministry of Civil Service into a new ministry called Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
The deputy minister for civil services at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is currently Mahir bin Abdulrahman Al-Gassim.[4]
The mission of the Ministry in its current form, after integrating the civil service into labor and social development under the name of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, focuses on:
The Ministry's values are summarized in:
The Ministry's objectives stem from:
The ministry supervises and organises labour and workers affairs in ministries and general government departments. In addition, the ministry is responsible for:
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has developed an employment strategy that was approved by the Saudi Council of Ministers in 2009. This strategy is based on providing sufficient job opportunities in terms of number, and appropriate in terms of pay, leading to full employment of Saudi human resources, and achieving a competitive advantage for the national economy. It set 25 years to achieve a group of goals. First, a short-term goal which is to control unemployment for a period of two years. Second, a medium-term goal which is to reduce the unemployment rate for a period of three years. Finally, a long-term goal, which is to achieve a competitive advantage for the economy, depending on the national manpower, for a period of twenty years.
In March 2021, the actual activation of abolishing the sponsorship system began within the initiative to improve the contractual relationship and develop the work environment as it allows expatriate workers enjoy job mobility and freedom to enter and exit the Kingdom without the need for an employer’s permission. The new conditions also include stipulations that will allow migrant workers to transfer to other jobs upon the expiry of their work contract without the need for their former employer's approval.The kafala system in Saudi Arabia previously tied workers to their employers, or sponsors, who are responsible for the employees’ visa and legal status. The new law limited the relationship between employers and expatriate workers under the system, who primarily work in construction and domestic work.