Academic curriculums should be based on labor market data: Economy Minister

Faisal Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning

Faisal Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, said academic curricula should be adapted from actual labor market data, highlighting the need to cover areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), climate, technology, logistics, tourism, and digital finance.

Addressing the Human Capability Initiative (HCI) Conference, he stated that this approach would give students practical experience and vocational training. Education, he added, should prepare them not just for knowledge, but also for performance, inquiry, and creativity.

Al-Ibrahim called human capital the strongest engine of national wealth, describing it as “a key edge for added value and growth.”

He stressed the need to raise the profile of vocational and technical education, while integrating it in national strategies. This should not replace higher education but should be rather deemed a foundational element of the modern workforce and a form of economic infrastructure, he noted.