Business & Money | Sunday 3 June, 2018 3:03 am |

A Saudi Royal Decree released on Saturday dismissed the kingdom’s current minister of labor and appointed instead Ahmed bin Suleiman bin Abdulaziz al-Rajhi to the position.

Ali bin Nasser Al-Ghafees was relieved of his post as labor minister.

Al-Rajhi is the Al Rajhi is the 18th minister in the ministry's 60-year history, during which it underwent a change in identity through the integration and separation from social affairs.

The new minister received a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran. He received many practical and business experience before moving on to many economic positions.

Al-Rajhi’s appointment as Minister of Labor is an indication of the Saudi government's interest in partnering with the private sector and transferring its expertise and experience to government work to achieve the wider Saudi Vision 2030 plan.

At the same time, he has an integrated vision to achieve Saudization in the private sector. This is in line with the government’s aim to raise the percentage of Saudi private sector employees, provide them with decent jobs, and have a diverse experience in business management across the several sectors like energy, water and banking, and non-profit work. In addition to chairing the Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which qualifies him to activate the role of the private sector in achieving the government’s goals of partnership with the public sector.