RIYADH, 5 July 2005 — Muhammed Saleh Benten, president of the Saudi Postal Corporation (SPC), has announced that women will soon be employed in the Saudi postal service. The president said that the first step toward employing women would be a training program for them.
The decision to appoint Saudi women in the postal service is part of a trend to employ them in key sectors of the economy and in government service. DHL Saudi Arabia has hired its first Saudi woman and other women have found jobs in small businesses, fashion design, factory assembly lines, technical jobs, tourism and handicrafts in addition to IT jobs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A women’s postal section has already been opened at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. It will serve the university’s female staff and students.
Job opportunities for women in the postal sector are expected to increase as Benten has approved plans for the distribution of five million home post boxes in different parts of the Kingdom. The home post boxes will be tried first in Riyadh and then subsequently all over the Kingdom. National companies will be licensed by SPC for implementing this project. An estimated SR600 million will be invested in the Riyadh project alone.
As the home delivery service is extended to the rest of the Kingdom, job opportunities for women in the computer section will also increase.
In related developments, women have been employed at the women’s division of Autoram Computer Stores.
“Most of our software programs are educational so many women come in with their children. Some of the women don’t know how to use a computer so we train them,” said Aman Hasan, who has a diploma in computer software programs and works at Autoram’s women’s division.
Fitaihi Jewelry Stores recently opened its first shop in Jeddah exclusively for women. Located on Tahlia Street, the store currently employs 45 women, 30 as saleswomen and the others as administrators.
Another job possibility for women without college degrees is security guards. This gives them an opportunity to work in women’s branches of banks and other companies. Saudi women are also working as waitresses.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Fund for Training and Development has helped three Saudi girls to do a course in hotel housekeeping. After completing their training, the girls were employed by a five-star hotel. They work nine-hour shifts and have a day off every week.
