JEDDAH, 28 June — A growing number of Saudi job seekers are turning to the Internet to look for paying opportunities. An employment website in Jeddah, (www.saudisation.com), the Kingdom’s first site dedicated to Saudi nationals and Saudi-based companies, is providing job seekers and employers with the necessary tools to communicate vacancies, resumes, company profiles and other information. Ammar A. Qurban, the site marketing manager, speaks of a growing need for job seekers to access a more secure, efficient and fast source of information in their hunt for jobs saying the net provides such avenue. The scheme was originally conceived by Saudi businessman Salah Al-Bilawi, chairman of SAB Group, with the aim of helping the Saudization drive. The site was created to provide a meeting place for Saudis seeking job opportunities in the Kingdom and employers who wish to recruit Saudi nationals. “We do not promise jobs but we do our best to secure as much opportunities as possible for both job seekers and employers. The future is promising for this type of business because with the rapid growth in population and the expansion of economy there will be more jobs available and more job applicants,” said Qurban, a graduate of King Abdul Aziz University College of Business Administration in Jeddah. The site was officially launched three months ago after preparations lasting more than one year. “We do not rush things. We want to avoid mistakes to be able to offer a safe and secure service taking into account our cultural sensibilities. Confidentiality and privacy are top priorities.” The site is visited by both male and female job seekers with the number of qualified women looking for jobs on the rise. Applicants are not required to pay any fee. The problem with female job seekers, said Qurban, is that they are competing in very limited areas of employment. “They are qualified to do the work but the problem lies in finding a suitable place.” To facilitate communication, the site has entered into alliance with local Internet cafes to enable youths frequenting them to deal with the site. Qurban said they were also seeking cooperation of government departments involved in Saudization to develop an extended database. Asked about the kind of jobs sought by young Saudis, he said these are mostly office jobs with many applicants preferring jobs that have short work hours.
