November 8th, Dubai, UAE - Saudi Arabia's Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) has officially endorsed the 3rd Annual Talent & Diversity Leadership Forum, organised by Saudi-based company Glowork in partnership with French business facilitation firm Naseba. The Forum is being held on the 13th to 14th of December 2015 at the Burj Rafal Kempinski Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Talent & Diversity Leadership Forum is a unique HR platform focused on the key diversity and inclusion issues currently facing HR professionals in the Kingdom. Up to 150 human capital professionals, policy makers, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the Kingdom will come together to discuss the most pressing challenges facing the industry, listen to inspirational figures and thought leaders, and learn innovative strategies to bridge the talent gap.  

The Human Resources Development Fund seeks to provide qualified talent to work in the private sector through the funding of programs designed to address the needs of the Saudi labour market. HRDF also conducts studies addressing barriers to employment, and aims to break down these barriers for men and women across the Kingdom. 
  
This is in line with the Saudi government's vision for the Kingdom's future development, which includes lowering the unemployment rate among youth and women. Around 29 percent of Saudi nationals aged 16 to 29 and 20.1 percent of Saudi women are unemployed - and both of these rates are worryingly high when compared to the country's total unemployment rate of 5.7 percent. 

This makes female and youth employment a priority for the government, especially since studies have shown that an increase in female labour force participation is a key driver of economic growth  , and that youth employment promotes social integration, solidarity, and more active citizenship.  

As an extension of their mission to facilitate employment for all Saudi nationals, HRDF has chosen to endorse the Talent & Diversity Leadership Forum, which will give Saudi employers the chance to showcase their HR practices, and  talented HR professionals an opportunity to highlight their skills and unique backgrounds, share knowledge and insights, and form valuable business relationships 

HRDF will take part in the judging panel for the Employer Excellence Awards, which will recognize the top employers in Saudi Arabia for their consistent commitment to developing talent at all levels of organizations and their innovative Diversity & Inclusion practices. The Awards span six categories, and Mr. Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel, Director General of HRDF, will personally present the awards to the winners at the Forum. 

Mr. Al-Moaiqel will be delivering the opening keynote address at the Forum, joining a line-up of other highly knowledgeable speakers including His Excellency Dr. Ali Al Ghafis, Governor of TVTC (Technical and Vocational Training Corporation), Othman Al-Haddi, Chief HR Officer at Bin Ladin Holding, and Dr. Thoraya Obaid, Former Executive Director at the United Nations Population Fund and Member of the Shura Council, amongst other thought leaders.

Commenting on the endorsement, Sophie Le Ray, CEO of Naseba, said: "We are looking forward to working with HRDF to ensure that this edition of the Talent & Diversity Leadership Forum will be the most successful yet, and pursue our mutual goal of improving the Saudi economy through increasing labour force participation and supporting excellent HR principles and practices." 

Khalid Al Khudair, CEO of Glowork, commented: "HRDF has contributed greatly to increasing employment levels among Saudis. Our aims have always been closely aligned with theirs, and we are pleased to be joining forces with them and with Naseba to produce the Talent & Diversity Leadership Forum."

About Glowork 
Glowork was formed in 2011 by young entrepreneurs who aim to enable women and increase diversity in the workforce. As it is the first dedicated organization where its online portal considered being a platform that links female jobseekers and employers, it also has a system that allows women to work virtually from home that has helped create opportunities for them in rural areas. From an offline perspective, Glowork also has a headhunting arm that conducts the filtering, screening, interviewing and mentoring for Saudi females, as well as operating the first public female fair.

In 2012 Glowork signed a private public partnership with the Ministry of Labor. Due to that, it has acquired global recognition from various quarters. The vision is to expand into the rest of the Middle East and the world, to serve based on the priority of requirements in each specific country. 

About Naseba
Naseba offers business facilitation expertise in growth markets. Naseba brings you exposure to the right knowledge, the right people, and the right opportunities. Naseba supports you with educating your workforce, entering new markets, raising capital, securing partners and closing sales.

Our services include investor introduction, industry meetings, leadership forums, and professional training. Investor introduction provide pre-qualified business cases with direct meetings with pre-screened investors to access capital. Industry meetings connect pre-screened purchasing decision makers with solution providers to shorten their sales cycle.

Leadership forums bring together business executives through an interactive agenda of keynotes, panels and workshops produced to drive change. Professional training offers a wide range of executive courses, crafted to advance careers and execute business strategy.

Naseba partners with governments, key figures in media, industry and academia to add real value to our network worldwide. Since inception in 2002, naseba has connected over 80,000 executives globally through more than 700 proprietary business platforms.

Naseba operates from 4 main offices in Bangalore, Chicago, Dubai and Riyadh, and local representatives in Algeria, China, Malaysia, Portugal and Spain.

Naseba. Creating opportunity.

For further information, please contact:
Nor Attaelmanan on: 
Tel. +971 44 55 79 26,
Email: nora@naseba.com
Website: www.talentdiversityforum.com

© Press Release 2015