Al-Salloum: Choosing a university major is a strategic decision, and we create entrepreneurs, not job seekers

Heba Mohsen

The President of the Bahrain Society for Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Representative Ahmed Al-Salloum, confirmed that choosing a university major has become a strategic decision that determines the future of young people, in light of the rapid transformations that the labor market is witnessing due to artificial intelligence and the digital economy, calling on students to harmonize their passion and abilities with the needs of the market.

This came during his sponsorship of the symposium “Your Compass for the Future… Required Specializations and Promising Job Opportunities,” which was organized by the Society’s Women’s Committee, with the participation of an elite group of academics, experts, and representatives of universities and the Labor Fund (Tamkeen), and in the presence of a large number of students and parents.

Al-Salloum added that the future of employment no longer depends on a university degree alone, but rather on possessing digital skills, innovation, analytical thinking, and continuous learning, noting that the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analysis, financial technology, renewable energy, and health care are among the most promising sectors in the coming years.

He stressed that the association adopts a vision based on preparing a generation of entrepreneurs and opportunity creators, not just job seekers, through its incubators and entrepreneurial programs that support young people and help them transform their ideas into sustainable projects.

For his part, economist and banking researcher Arif Khalifa stressed that choosing a specialization is similar to a long-term investment, and requires a careful reading of economic and labor market variables, pointing to the increasing demand in the future for specializations in health care, clean energy, the blue economy, and financial technology, in addition to the importance of professional certificates and practical skills in enhancing employment opportunities.

In turn, the head of the association’s women’s committee, Dr. Zainab Al Zain Al-Din, said that the symposium came to enable students to make academic decisions based on knowledge, and to connect them with educational institutions, training bodies, and the labor market, in a way that enhances their readiness for the future.

The symposium included a dialogue session in which Dr. Faisal Al-Shuwaikh and economic expert Arif Khalifa discussed the jobs of the future, the required specializations, and the skills needed for success, amid wide interaction from students and parents who asked their inquiries about academic paths, employment opportunities, and entrepreneurship.