SAUDI GAZETTE RIYADH — We are living in a very competitive world and just having a college degree or a master's degree is not enough. You have to have an extra edge to move forward, said Adwa Al-Dakhail, CEO of Direct Influence Company, at the "Youth in Business" panel discussion. The panel discussion was part of the Saudi-US CEO Forum under the theme of ‘Partnership for Generations'. During the panel discussion it was mentioned that around 70 percent of Saudi population is below 30 years of age and over 90 percent of the private sector contains small and medium enterprises. One of the speakers explained that there are many opportunities in the Saudi labor market for the youth. Al-Dakhail said that having a solid infrastructure and a good work environment enable the youth to be a competitor. The discussion outlined Saudi youth's role in achieving Vision 2030, discussed key challenges facing youth in the Saudi and US economy, and identified key requirements for youth to be involved in the business world and adapt to the evolving job market. It discussed how Saudi-US partnership efforts can enable greater youth participation. The topics that were covered included engaging and attracting Saudi and US youth into the labor force, perspective of Saudi youth on the business environment, and views on how youth can embrace the Saudi-US partnership.
