More than 150 private companies showcased various job opportunities available in their respective companies at the Tawteen 2012 Exhibition.

The three-day event is being organized by Prolink Commercial Services in cooperation with the foundation, one of the main sponsors of the show.

The program aims to support young nationals and contribute to the elimination of unemployment in the Kingdom.

The program supports government initiatives, nonprofit organizations and private sector efforts to enable young people with all levels of education to enter the labor market and works to create modern jobs in line with the current advancement of Saudi society.

“One of Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation's ultimate goals is significantly advancing Saudi youth employment,” Princess Ameerah said during the inauguration.

“This initiative began two months ago with the foundation's support for the Ministry of Labor's unemployment awareness campaign followed by the second phase with the support of the Tawteen exhibition. This year, we will continue with this initiative to encourage our youth to become independent and participate in the development of our beloved country.”

The princess added that there would be 13 exhibitions within three years. She also thanked Chief Executive Officer of Prolink Al Anood Abu Al-Naja and her team for their efforts in making the event a success. She also appreciated the response from participating companies that have supported the maiden Tawteen initiative.

Thanking the princess and her foundation for the excellent cooperation for the success of the program, Al-Naja said the exhibition provides an invaluable platform for companies to choose the employees of their choice to fill various available job opportunities.

She described her company’s venture as a national duty and social responsibility where participating companies would find suitable jobs for Saudis of both genders in different business sectors. She indicated private sector companies and government institutes keen on hiring young Saudi nationals have reacted positively to the event.

The exhibition takes place under the theme “Real Opportunities for Saudi Hands.” The event is being held with the support of private sector companies in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, Al-Naja said.

Khalid Al-Khudair, founder of Glowork, an organization dedicated to empowering women, told Arab News, that more and more companies have expressed willingness to offer women various jobs to suit their tastes according to Islamic law.

“The show provides an ideal meeting place for the employers to get their right people on the spot,” he added.

The Alwaleed Foundation supports Tawteen 2012, which shares the goals and directions of the foundation, and is considered the second initiative to enable young people to work, believing in the potential of Saudi youth and their ability to deliver.

In December 2011, Alwaleed Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Labor supported a national unemployment campaign that launched last month and will run for nine months. The Rotana Group, chaired by Prince Alwaleed, was the first company approached by the ministry to support this initiative. Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation and Rotana Media Group were chosen as the media partners for this campaign and to help effectively fulfill Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s vision to improve and develop the women and men of Saudi Arabia.

The SR10 million campaign is running on three Rotana Channels: Rotana Khalijia, Rotana Cinema and Fox Movies. The ministry’s awareness campaign is aligned with Alwaleed Foundation’s long-term commitment to solving unemployment.

In line with the Saudi government’s initiative toward enforcing Saudization and increasing employment among its citizens, Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) chaired by Prince Alwaleed currently employs 93 percent Saudis.