JEDDAH: Bab Rizq Jameel, part of Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs (ALJCSP), created 30,115 new jobs for young Saudis across the Kingdom last year.
The program’s 2008 results, audited by Deloitte & Touche, shows that the jobs were created through several avenues. Its training programs, which concentrate on vocational and craft courses, end with employment in private sector companies. These programs provided training and employment for 3,463 young people.
In its direct recruitment program, which finds job seekers vacancies in private sector companies, 6,714 young men and women were employed. In addition, Bab Rizq Jameel enrolled 541 young men in the taxi ownership programs, together with 352 new participants in the truck ownership program.
Bab Rizq Jameel supported 17,090 women in the productive household program, which offers interest-free microfinance opportunities for women to start home-based business.
Bab Rizq Jameel succeeded in providing support to 1,919 small businesses throughout the Kingdom through interest-free loans. They included commercial, industrial and service projects.
During the second half of 2008, Bab Rizq Jameel launched its new “Work From Home” program, which has started with a “prayer rug production” project, with contributions from 36 women.
In terms of geographical distribution, the new job opportunities were distributed throughout the Kingdom — 10,726 in Makkah province, 5,033 in the Eastern Province, 4,129 in Madinah, 4,085 in Riyadh, 2,032 in Jizan, 1,890 in Hail, 1,163 in Abha and 1,075 in Qassim.
Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts provided training to 1,479 young women in beauty care, hair styling, tailoring, fashion design, food preparation and other vocational programs.
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, president of ALJCSP, expressed his appreciation for the supporters of Bab Rizq Jameel, including Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, and Crown Prince Sultan, the governors of different provinces, the Ministry of Labor and other ministries, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Human Resources Development Fund and other governmental bodies.
Jameel also thanked Saudi businessmen, attributing the success of the program to the support that ALJCSP receives from God and then to the success of the beneficiaries.
Bab Rizq Jameel employs 411 young men and women as “employment specialists,” who are dedicated to creating new job opportunities. During 2009, Bab Rizq Jameel, with its head office in Jeddah, is planning to create 38,000 new jobs through all of its programs.
