Where We Work: Saudi Arabia
Partnerships are central to IYF’s model and mission, and in Saudi Arabia we brought together the Saudi Youth@Work Alliance to maximize our impact for young men and women here.
With the King Khalid Foundation’s experience as a supporter of innovative social development programs in the country, combined with our global and regional expertise, we offered education for employability. Our alliance expanded to include public sector organizations and private sector companies such as Hilton Worldwide, who plan to hire 10,000 qualified personnel here. Together, using our Passport to Success® life skills curriculum, we provided locally adapted training to meet youth needs and employer goals.
Most recently, we partnered with JPMorgan Chase Foundation on the Saudi Youth Employability Program to reach young women like Nourh in Riyadh and support them in building new skills and securing jobs in the retail or medical service sectors. Under phase I (2014–16) of the program, IYF worked in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s leading employment agency, Glowork, to provide life and technical skills training to 100 young Saudi youth with the goal of enhancing their employability skills and securing job placement opportunities for them with top employers such as Dallah Hospital and AbdulKarim and Sons. During Phase II (2019–20) of the program, and with the support of JPM, Equinix, and Hilton, IYF continued its collaboration with Glowork, to provide life and technical skills training to 250 young Saudi youth with the goal of enhancing their employability skills and securing job placement opportunities for them with top employers such as Dominos, Al Rayes, Billybeez, Hunger food station and others. More than 120 young women have been offered jobs.
Saudi Arabia is the highest ranked Middle East country among the 30 countries included our inaugural Global Youth Wellbeing Index.