QCDC joins first Riyadh Career Guidance Forum

rki.news

Supporting GCC Cooperation on Human Capital Development

 Doha, Qatar – 26 November 2025 – Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation (QF), has participated in the First Career Guidance Forum held in Riyadh from 17 to 19 November 2025. The event was organized by the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) in collaboration with King Saud University. This participation comes as part of QCDC’s ongoing efforts to enhance regional cooperation in developing career guidance services and supporting human capital capable of keeping pace with labor market shifts and sustainable development goals.

The forum brought together more than 500 participants from Saudi Arabia and abroad, including senior leaders, experts, career counselors, and representatives of universities, government entities, and private-sector organizations. Discussions focused on emerging trends and best practices in career guidance, and its role in advancing national development visions, economic diversification, and more effective youth participation in the labor market. QCDC’s delegation was headed by Mohammed A. AlYafei, Head of Career Programs and Services.

Commenting on the participation, Mr. AlYafei stated: “At QCDC, we believe that career guidance is no longer an individual responsibility, but a core component of a wider development ecosystem that helps build a strong base of national talent. This requires coordinated action and close cooperation between education, training, and labor market stakeholders.”

“Bringing together such a diverse group of leaders, experts, and practitioners under one roof created a valuable platform for sharing experiences, examining shared challenges, and showcasing successful models that link career guidance to broader economic and social development pathways. Through our participation, we aimed to contribute our experience in designing national career development frameworks, while learning from Saudi Arabia’s rich experience, particularly the pivotal role of Hadaf and King Saud University in building an advanced national career guidance system.”

QCDC’s participation formed part of its drive to help establish a Gulf “community of practice” in career guidance, where practitioners, counselors, and decision-makers can exchange data, tools, and standards that strengthen the contribution of career guidance to economic development across the region. It also reflects QF’s broader commitment, through QCDC, to supporting regional efforts to invest in human capital and to deepen partnerships between education and training providers and the labor market in GCC countries.