JEDDAH: The Jeddah municipality recently set up a women’s supervision department to inspect women-run enterprises in the city.
“A team of women inspectors have inspected and given necessary advice to 1,084 licensed women’s establishments in Jeddah. The inspectors have so far found 291 establishments in violation of various municipal regulations ... they are also spending a great deal of time on awareness campaigns,” said Hala Al-Ghamdi, director of the clients’ service section at the women’s supervision department in the mayor’s office.
Al-Ghamdi said there were 13 women working as inspectors in the department.
“There is perfect coordination between women inspectors and various municipal branches that supply information about women’s enterprises in the city. These establishments mainly include tailor shops, photo studios, interior decoration stores and coffee shops,” she added.
“The municipality has plans to increase the number of women staff in the team to cope with the number of women’s establishments in the city and areas close by,” the official said.
The department organized a course in collaboration with the Small Enterprises Center at the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation to familiarize women entrepreneurs with the procedures and conditions of getting licenses for small-scale establishments, she said, adding that it was attended by 18 young women.
