JEDDAH, 3 August 2004 — A working group tasked with creating more private sector job opportunities for Saudi women has been formed.
Announcing this, Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi said: “In coordination with other government departments, the group will conduct a survey of shops selling women’s accessories.”
The group will identify women’s job opportunities and their training requirements. “It will also set out a time frame to implement the Cabinet decision calling for increased job opportunities for Saudi women,” the minister was quoted in Al-Watan Arabic daily.
On May 31, the Cabinet approved a nine-point plan to create more job and business opportunities for women. The plan included restricting jobs in shops dealing in women-only items such as underwear and cosmetics.
The Cabinet meeting advised the Labor Ministry to develop a full national plan for a female workforce within a year. It also instructed government departments to license the businesses of women “in accordance with the rules and Shariah teachings.”
Gosaibi said his ministry would gradually stop recruitment of foreign workers to fill jobs required by shops selling women’s accessories, adding that labor cards would not be given to foreigners working in a sector restricted to Saudis.
He said the ministry would punish those involved in selling labor visas. “We will impose extra punishments on such people, including a ban on recruitment,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking to Al-Eqtisadiah, a sister publication of Arab News, Gosaibi said 150,000 Saudis selected for jobs in the private sector had failed to come to the employment offices in order to complete procedures.
He said 186,640 Saudis had applied for jobs through employment offices during the past four years and 150,038 of them were selected for jobs but they did not turn up at the employment offices, Al-Eqtisadiah quoted the minister as saying. At present there are 11,055 Saudis on the nominated list and 25,577 on the waiting list, he added.
Gosaibi said intense efforts were under way to create more jobs for Saudis through private firms that have contracted with the Manpower Development Fund. About 640,000 Saudis have so far been employed in the private sector. The figure is small compared to the huge number — five million — of expatriates working in the sector. According to Dr. Abdul Wahid Al-Humaid, deputy labor minister for planning and development, 17,518 Saudis were employed during the last six months. “Saudis account for 11.4 percent of the total work force in the private sector,” he pointed out.
