Princess Nouf bint Faisal bin Turki inaugurated the fair with the participation of 35 national companies.
The career fair is the latest in a series of job-placement events for Saudi women.
The fair included several workshops discussing how to write CVs, required skills to succeed in the labor market and how to prepare for a job interview. All these sessions were supervised by trainers and experts in these fields.
“Women have proven their abilities in more than one field. They have succeeded as both mothers and working women. This is why we are calling for encouraging women’s role in the Saudi market, boost a working environment and facilitate procedures for all women,” said Dr. Suhair H. Al-Qurashi, dean of Dar Al-Hekma.
“Over 35 companies, both Saudi and international, in addition to recent graduates and jobseekers from both public and private colleges and universities, attended to look for job opportunities,” she said.
According to Al-Qurashi, the youth had the opportunity to submit their resumes to a list of high-profile national and multinational companies, such as Al-Ahli Bank and Fairmont Raffles Hotel International, plus many other private companies.
This year’s career fair included a panel discussion, an exhibition, a job fair and a workshop on professional skills development.
“A long journey always starts with one step, so I advise youth to be optimistic, depend on God, consult experts, plan the steps and then start,” said Princess Nouf.
“A wise person has the ability to know what to do and how to do it.”
Fairmont Raffles Hotel International was the event’s platinum sponsor.
The company’s international HR manager Bandar bin Malih called for employing Saudi women in the hospitality sector, especially as it is one of the rapid growth sectors in the Kingdom.
“We believe in the women’s role in the Kingdom’s development. This is why we are looking to increase the number of opportunities for Saudi women and allow them to join this sector.”
During the event, applicants had the opportunity to participate in seminars and workshops and learn about responsible work practices and resume-writing tips through a series of talks given.
“We plan a career day annually for our students to meet companies interested in employing them because we believe that the woman is a leader whether at home or in the labor market,” said Heba Al-Dada, the fair’s organizer.
This year’s event was open to all students in order to benefit a large number of young women jobseekers.
The employment fair was crowded with applicants who visited various companies’ booths.
The event provided an opportunity for jobseekers to give their resumes to potential employers. Some of the companies gave presentations to explain what employment policies they have in place.
“There is a noticeable growth in women jobseekers who need work,” said Al-Dada.
