20 million unemployed in the Arab world

Unemployment figures in the Arab world rose 16 per cent last year reaching 20 million, the Director-General of the Arab Labour Organisation Ahmed Luqman said.

“The number of unemployed individuals in the Arab world is currently 20 million, 16 per cent more than last year, which represents a risk to Arab social stability,” Luqman said in a press statement before leaving Cairo on Thursday.

Luqman was on his way to Riyadh to attend the Second Arab Forum on Development and Employment titled “Towards Social Protection and Sustainable Development”, due to be held next week.

He said: “The forum stemmed from the need of the Arab region to develop a strategic vision to face the challenge of unemployment and to achieve social protection and sustainable development, after the issues of employment, combating unemployment, poverty reduction and social justice became a top concern for countries in the region.”

He added that the forum will release a joint statement, “The Riyadh Declaration on Sustainable Development and Employment”, which will include the policies, plans and foundations for mutual understanding in order to achieve development. It is hoped these will ensure increased employment and reduced unemployment, as well as outline the means of achieving cooperation between Arab and international organisations in this field.