The first batch of unemployed has already withdrawn the allowance of SR2,000 from ATMs set up for the purpose throughout the Kingdom. They had been eagerly awaiting this day, after completing the lengthy registration procedures, Al-Madinah newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Muhammad Qassim, one of the recipients, said the withdrawing of his Hafiz allowance was a great moment of joy for him. It marked the conclusion of a long and tedious process of opening bank account and completing other procedures.
“My jubilant mood did not last long. I was totally confused about my priorities in fulfilling a number of requirements,” he said. Should he spend it clearing Saher fines, or paying laundry bills or should he give some to his father to meet the family expenses, he asked himself.
Adel Shahrani, another beneficiary, said, “Some men go to coffee shops, while others want to purchase car accessories,” he said.
Shahrani thinks the unemployment allowance should be spent productively to help the unemployed receive training and enable them to take up jobs.
“The real objective of the Hafiz program is to support young Saudi jobseekers to undergo training to take up jobs, and not to spend the money on personal purposes,” he said. The allowance should be used to benefit young people, for instance by launching small ventures that would fetch them revenues in the long run, he said.
Umm Omar Al-Mahabi, a female recipient, said the allowance is only a temporary support from the government until the unemployed can find a suitable job to support them. “In my case, tough financial conditions forced me to give my allowance to my father. He is struggling to make ends meet by working as a limousine driver after his retirement,” she said. She said she still needed to set aside a portion of the money to seek a job and spend the rest of the money on personal needs.
Umm Rayam has plans to spend a portion of the allowance to buy new household appliances and kitchenware. “I will set aside a portion of the money to take part in a draw so that I can use the accumulated amount to purchase new furniture,” she said. Umm Rayam also said that she is seriously considering launching a small venture that would bring her a permanent source of income.
Farouq Al-Khateeb, professor of economics at King Abdulaziz University, stressed the need for using the allowance in a sound and productive way.
“I advise the beneficiaries to set up small projects that would benefit them in the long run. Local banks should play a major role in supporting them,” he said while ruling out the possibility of any price rise or inflation as a result of the disbursement of the Hafiz allowance.
