Speaking to the newspaper, Fahd Al-Tukhaifi, assistant undersecretary for development at the ministry, said that the ministry has stopped issuing visas for foreigners to work as salesmen at lingerie shops. He also disclosed that inspection raids on lingerie and women’s accessory shops across the Kingdom would continue until all salesmen are replaced with Saudi saleswomen.
Al-Tukhaifi noted that the ministry’s decision to stop visas has led to an increase in the demand for Saudi saleswomen at lingerie shops. “Many Saudi women are coming forward to take up sales jobs,” he said. He also ruled out the possibility of these saleswomen abandoning the job due to poor salary.
The ministry official earlier disclosed that more than 28,000 Saudi women have come forward to take up jobs at shops selling lingerie and women’s accessories throughout the Kingdom and that these women started replacing salesmen in 7,353 lingerie stores effective from Jan. 4.
Al-Tukhaifi said that the ministry would continue inspection drives to ensure all lingerie shops adhere strictly to the ministry’s directives. “The ministry inspectors would return to those stores that are found violating the directives after completion of the first phase of the raid that would last for one month. This is to ensure that these stores do not repeat the violation and that they are fully adhering to the directives,” he said, adding that there should be a third round of inspections in the succeeding month to ensure that all shops are in full compliance with the regulations.
Al-Tukhaifi said there are some 200 lingerie stores in the Eastern Province that were found violating the ministry’s regulations with regard to replacing salesmen with Saudi saleswomen. “The ministry would slap fines on violators, in addition to stopping all services being extended to them by the ministry. The ministry has already taken punitive measures against those shop owners who replaced salesmen with foreign saleswomen,” he added.
