JEDDAH, 21 March 2004 — A floor at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry has been turned into a recruitment market.

Saudi students and other jobseekers thronged the stalls of some 100 local companies on the first day of the two-week market.

“I’m here to find at least six Saudis for my shop,” Muhammad J. Azzouz, general manager of Jeddah-based Azzouz House for Gold and Jewelry, told Arab News. The gold and jewelry sector was fully Saudized on Feb. 21, prompting businesses to cast around for trained Saudi staff.

“We’re looking for 30 Saudis,” said Muhammad S. Al-Bagir, a legal consultant at Al-Abdul Latif for Perfumes and Cosmetics in Jeddah.

Both Azzouz and Al-Bagir said they were participating in the session to collect information from jobseekers. “We’ll shortlist them, and the ones we select will be trained on the job,” Al-Bagir said.

For Khaled Ali Al-Fadl, the occasion is poignant. “I know the problems of jobseekers since I was looking for a job here myself last year. I’ve found one, and now I’m here to recruit others,” said Al-Fadl, who represents a food and beverage company.

The General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT), which offers theoretical and practical training to young Saudis, has a strong presence at the session.

“We’re always on the lookout for secondary school and high school students and graduates. We work in cooperation with the private sector,” said Saad Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, branch manager at the Directorate General of GOTEVOT in Jeddah. The organization offers training to young Saudis in its own facilities or sends them to established training centers.

“With many more sectors being covered in the Saudization plan, our role becomes much more demanding,” Al-Ghamdi said.

Among the other companies represented at the session are Abbar, Zimas, Bin Dawood and Danube and the retail division of Panda, which has launched a campaign among Saudis to pursue a “meaningful career.”

Companies are looking for young Saudi receptionists, secretaries, salesmen, sales representatives, storekeepers and warehouse keepers. “Hundreds of jobs are waiting for Saudis to grab,” a JCCI official said.