Saudi Telecom Company (STC) Group CEO Nasser Sulaiman Al-Nasser said he expects the desired core skills of some occupations to change in the future as a result of digital transformation, and that 40 to 50 percent of jobs would require new skills in the next five years. He was speaking at a press conference, in his capacity as the chair of Saudi Arabia's B20 Digitalization Task Force and CEO of Saudi Telecom Company (STC).
“It’s our priority to continue to collaborate with governments. The Saudi business team has worked closely with the international business community and the G20 leaders in order to develop recommendations for comprehensive digital transformation policies. The Kingdom, through a partnership between the government and the private sector under the digital transformation program, has made significant qualitative leaps in digital infrastructure; fiber optic cables were delivered to more than 2 million houses within three years, reaching 60 percent houses in the Kingdom compared to 23 percent in the past,” said Al-Nasser.
“The Kingdom quadrupled the bandwidth available to the telecommunications sector, with the Kingdom now ranking among the top five countries with the fastest internet speeds in the world after being ranked 105th previously. Therefore, it’s important to work on fixing the existing digital gap, focus on building capabilities that are compatible with digital transformation and provide more opportunities for women in this field. It’s expected that 40 to 50 percent of jobs will require new skills in the next five years,” Al-Nasser added.
The Digital Transformation Working Group of the Saudi B20 urged the establishment of a flexible digital infrastructure by enhancing cybersecurity readiness for both individuals and companies and investing in human capital. It also called for supporting and approving proper development of artificial intelligence (AI), when possible, by providing a suitable, reliable organizational system, educating companies, government and society on technology, and enhancing AI benefits on all levels.
The Saudi Business Group hosted the B20 virtual summit on Oct. 26 and 27. World leaders from various fields, academic circles, civil society and international organizations attended to discuss the most urgent economic questions facing society. Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Middle East to assume the G20 presidency as a representative of the region and developing countries.
“Based on our mission of achieving business progress through cooperation, the B20 Summit represents a culmination of the efforts of more than 650 members who worked tirelessly during the past year in order to provide recommendations on the G20’s major issues. The year 2020 was full of extraordinary challenges; societies all over the world had to deal with the impacts of the pandemic, while our leaders were keen to pick up the pace in order to fulfill the urgent needs and look forward to building a more inclusive and sustainable future,” said Yousef Al-Benyan, chair of the B20.
