Saudi Crown Prince Launches Human Capability Development Program

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Human Capability Development Program Committee. (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Human Capability Development Program Committee. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince Launches Human Capability Development Program

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Human Capability Development Program Committee. (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Human Capability Development Program Committee. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Human Capability Development Program Committee, launched on Wednesday the Human Capability Development Program (HCDP), one of the realization programs to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The program represents a national strategy to strengthen citizen’s capabilities locally and globally by seizing promising opportunities resulting from accelerated and renewed changes around the world.

“The Human Capability Development Program represents a national strategy to enhance the competitiveness of national human capabilities locally and globally to be ready for the current and future labor market with capabilities and ambitions that compete with the world, and that is through: instilling and promoting values, developing basic and future skills, and developing knowledge,” said Crown Prince Mohammed.

“Because of my confidence in every citizen’s capabilities, this program has been developed to meet the needs and aspirations of all segments of society, beginning from childhood passing through universities, colleges, technical and vocational institutes, and reaching the labor market, with the goal of preparing citizens for the future, as this contributes to building a solid economy based on skills and knowledge and with human capital at its core,” he added.

“The program includes 89 initiatives aimed at achieving 16 strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. The program’s strategy is built on three pillars: develop a resilient and strong educational base, prepare for the future labor market locally and globally, and provide lifelong learning opportunities.”

The program’s initiatives include promoting the expansion of kindergartens, which will help develop a resilient and strong educational foundation for all children. The career guidance and counseling initiative will provide citizens with the capabilities and skills necessary to plan their career objectives. It also includes a number of initiatives that target upskilling and reskilling citizens to increase employability rate and enable entrepreneurs and innovators for the future labor market locally and globally.

The Human Capability Development Program focuses on preparing national human capabilities, developing an ecosystem from early childhood education to lifelong learning, aligning educational outcomes with the needs of the labor market, and localizing high-skilled jobs through the reskilling and training of citizens. In addition, it will develop a more active partnership with the private and non-profit sectors. The program aims to achieve several goals, including increasing kindergarten enrollment from 23% to 90% and placing two Saudi universities among the top 100 universities in the world by 2030, thereby strengthening the Kingdom’s global ranking.

The HCDP’s strategy reflects the drive of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to prepare Saudi citizens through various strategic pillars. These include developing a passion for knowledge and pride in values, a commitment to succeed in work and entrepreneurship, and to compete locally and globally. It will constantly develop skills and unleash capabilities.

Through its initiatives, the program will enhance the skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. These will include creative thinking, data analysis and technical skills. It will also enhance emotional and social skills. The program seeks to enhance national capabilities competitiveness to grasp the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The HCDP initiatives will provide vast opportunities that will pave the way for future globally competitive generations. It will also instill the values of moderation and tolerance, determination and perseverance, discipline and mastery, and it will boost work culture, which will lead to a global citizenship and enhance national human capabilities global competitiveness.



UAE Defense Ministry Says Civilian Contractor Killed in Bahrain

 People sit along the corniche area on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Abu Dhabi on March 20, 2026. (AFP)
People sit along the corniche area on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Abu Dhabi on March 20, 2026. (AFP)
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UAE Defense Ministry Says Civilian Contractor Killed in Bahrain

 People sit along the corniche area on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Abu Dhabi on March 20, 2026. (AFP)
People sit along the corniche area on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Abu Dhabi on March 20, 2026. (AFP)

The UAE defense ministry said on Tuesday that a Moroccan contractor with the Emirati military was killed in Bahrain in an Iranian attack, with Manama saying the man had been assisting the local armed forces.

"The Ministry of Defense mourns the loss of a Moroccan civilian contractor serving with the UAE Armed Forces, who was martyred during a routine mission in the Kingdom of Bahrain following an Iranian missile attack," the UAE ministry said in a statement on X.

Five UAE ministry of defense personnel were also injured in the attack, the statement added.

Bahrain's military had announced that a UAE army personnel was killed in its territory while helping Bahraini forces defend against Iranian attacks.

It said UAE and Bahraini army personnel had also been injured without specifying how many.

Gulf forces have reported coming under attack in Bahrain before.


Saudi Defense Minister, French Minister of Armed Forces Discuss Means to Bolster Cooperation

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
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Saudi Defense Minister, French Minister of Armed Forces Discuss Means to Bolster Cooperation

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin meet in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman received in Riyadh on Tuesday French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin for talks on regional developments and their repercussions on various levels.

They discussed bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and France in the defense field and means to bolster them.

Vautrin condemned the repeated Iranian attacks against the Kingdom.


Saudi FM Discusses Regional Developments with Counterparts from Uzbekistan, Cyprus

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
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Saudi FM Discusses Regional Developments with Counterparts from Uzbekistan, Cyprus

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah meets with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received on Tuesday a telephone call from his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov for talks on the latest developments in the region and ongoing efforts in this regard.

Prince Faisal also received in Riyadh his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos. They reviewed bilateral relations and areas of cooperation to advance common interests.

The ministers also discussed the regional escalations and efforts to address them.