Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), an initiative of ALJ Community Initiatives, created 35,090 job opportunities during the first half of 2013, an increase of 17 percent compared to the same period last year.

Job opportunities created for females represented 78 percent as against 22 percent for males (unverified).

Reviewing results for the first half of 2013, Hassan Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, president of Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives Saudi Arabia, announced that BRJ, the program specialized in creating jobs for males and females, has achieved positive results that surpass last year's results by 17 percent, through its diversified programs.

Jameel stated that the program is cooperating with several governmental authorities, including the Ministry of Labor, represented in its initiatives that encourage creation of more job opportunities, such as Taqat and Hafiz programs, and the programs of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), and other organizations that support owners of small projects, headed by the Credit and Saving Bank, which is playing a great role in supporting sponsors of small projects owners.

Hassan Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel appreciated the role of the Social Charity Fund and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), and other public and private organizations, such as the National Commercial Bank (NCB) that cooperate with BRJ to support owners of small projects. "We truly appreciate the unlimited support that we get from them in the area of job creation," Jameel added.

Abdulrahman Al-Fihaid, BRJ Saudi Arabia's executive director, stated that the 35,090 job opportunities were created through support from BRJ programs, including the productive household program, which created 15,116 jobs during the first half of the current year. This represents 43 percent of the total job opportunities created during this period.

Based on the microfinance concept, the productive household program provides and interest-free loan of SR 6,000, payable in easy installments within eight months, to a group of 3-5 females to start their own micro projects, such as selling silver accessories, wedding accessories, gift wrapping, embroidery, perfumes, makeup business and other several fields.

The program is similar to Grameen Bank initiatives, but it is mainly for creating jobs. The program includes several stages, the first of which starts with a loan of SR 2,000, and reaches up to SR 6,000. Since 2004 to the end of June 2013, a total of 167,142 females have benefited from this program.

Nawal, a beneficiary of the productive household program in Jeddah, said that she started her successful perfume selling project and is looking to move to the second stage, and get a bigger loan so she could expand her activities. Currently, Nawal's income ranges from SR 1,800 to SR 2,000 a month, with profits reaching up to 30 percent a month.

Ahmed Muqalam, BRJ director in the Northern Province, stated that during the first half of 2013 BRJ supported more than 2,266 small projects, of which 1,809 projects were for females and 467 for males.

The program provides young males and females with interest-free loans up to SR 200,000 to finance their new or existing projects. According to Muqalam, BRJ has started its new Excellent Projects program, in which finance could reach more than SR 500,000. He added that the number of small projects financed since 2004 has exceeded 25,591 small projects.

Ammar Al-Faraj, a beneficiary of the small projects finance program through BRJ Alkhobar branch, said that he was looking for a job for quite some time until he finally heard that BRJ is creating diversified job opportunities for young males and females.

Ammar said: "I immediately applied at BRJ to finance my small projects, which is a fuel station. After studying the feasibility, they provided me a finance of SR 200,000 for my small fuel station project. Thank God. Now I am repaying the installments and saving some money. The income of the project ranges between SR 10,000 to SR 13,000. I believe that BRJ is opening wide horizons for the young people of this country."

Rola Basamad, BRJ director in Riyadh area, said that BRJ's direct employment program created 16,243 jobs during the first half at an increase of 41 percent compared with the same period of last year. The program created 8,033 jobs for males and 8,210 jobs for females. The program matches between job seekers and jobs available at private sector companies, and introduces companies to qualified male and females job seekers through BRJ database. BRJ creates direct jobs with these companies. Most jobs created were of production worker, salesman, security guard, female sales representative and other professions.

Companies cooperated with BRJ during the first half were Al Hukair, Tadharis Security Co., SAS International, Avon, Al Hajri, Al-Rajhi Contracting, Bamco Arabian and Al Shai'a International. Job opportunities are approved after obtaining an official statement from the employers.

According to Ali Al-Zahrani, BRJ director in the Eastern Province, the training ending with employment program creating 808 jobs — 457 for males and 351 for females during the first half of 2013. In this program, young males and females received training to sharpen their skills in areas required by labor market. All training courses organized through this program end with job opportunities with the private sector. Training courses conducted during the first half of 2013 included Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and welding for young males. For females, the courses were in the field of makeup, customer service, production line technicians and phone marketing.

Shakir Al-Harbi, who had been looking for a job for more than six months, applied to BRJ in Jeddah, where he was interviewed. Through the training ending with employment program, he found a job. He is currently enrolled in sales training course with Fawaz Alhokair Company.

Hani Al-Zahrani, director of taxi ownership program, stated that BRJ has created 329 job opportunities during the first half of 2013 through this program, in which young Saudi males own their vehicles after payment of installments.

Through the truck ownership program, BRJ created 318 job opportunities. In this program, young Saudi males own their trucks after payment of installments. They use the vehicles to transport passengers, goods, vegetables and equipment.

Dhaif Allah Al-Attawi, a beneficiary of truck ownership program in Tabuk, said that he was dreaming of owning his own truck. Dhaif Allah applied to BRJ and received a loan to buy a heavy-duty Dyna truck, after completing all the required procedures. "Currently, I can easily pay the installments and generate an excellent income. I advise young males to start their own projects. Undoubtedly, BRJ is an excellent opportunity for young males and females to say good bye to unemployment," Al-Attawi said.

Jawaher Al-Zahrani, director of Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts, which is one BRJ programs, stated that the academy has provided training for 1,007 female trainees in different fields, including makeup, tailoring, carpet production, factory worker, customer service and public relations. In addition, jobs have been created for 322 females through the "work from home" program, which is supervised by Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts. Through this program, females produce approximately 7,500 prayer rugs every month, which is sold to Toyota and Lexus. During the first half of 2013, as many as 48,085 prayer rugs were produced.

BRJ Saudi Arabia has created since its inception and to the end of the first half of this year more than 300,000 job opportunities, and is planning to create 65,000 job opportunities during the current year, 2013.