The Family Forum witnessed the launch of the Family Guidance Strategy. It has been sponsored by Engineer Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.
The Family Affairs Council held the seventh edition of the Family Forum 2024 in Riyadh. It focused on “Family and Family Guidance: Building Strength from Within in a Changing World.” The event attracted the Minister of Human Resources, experts, and enthusiasts in family and social fields.
According to Minister Al Rajhi’s opening remarks, one of the Kingdom’s main priorities is safeguarding the family and strengthening its social role. He stressed the importance of upholding established values and principles to foster a happy and harmonious family.
Furthermore, Minister Al-Rajhi brought attention to the growing problem of isolation and prolonged electronic gaming. 31% of people in the Kingdom engage in video games on electronic devices for up to eight hours every day. He highlighted the family’s struggles in coping with these challenges.
Likewise, children must learn how to use the internet responsibly. Parental involvement in their education is crucial, according to Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan.
Moreover, Dr. Muhammad Al-Shamani, head of the Ministry of Health’s social service track, underscored the seriousness of addiction and mental health concerns in society. As well as the necessity of taking coordinated action to address these psychological, social, and health issues.
Further, The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development intends to implement the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and plan through the Family Guidance Strategy.
Significantly, the family guidance strategy includes numerous initiatives. It includes addressing social and family life, supporting professionals, promoting stability, resolving conflicts, raising public awareness, and serving the Kingdom.
In addition, the Ministry intends to have 500 family counsellors with licenses by 2024. By 2030, it wants to have 4,000.
The family counselling strategy involved three phases. They include comparing regional and global experiences and conducting over 12 workshops with 13 agencies to promote stable, mentally healthy generations.
Besides that, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Family Affairs Council signed a memorandum of understanding in family guidance and counselling, with His Excellency Al Rajhi conferring the first three professional licenses.
The memorandum outlines a strategic partnership between the two parties, involving exchanging family-related reports. It addressed potential challenges, creating customised questionnaires, and raising community awareness of family counselling services and their benefits.
