Over 50% firms in red, yellow zones

More than 50 percent of Saudi enterprises are in red and yellow categories, the Makkah branch of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) declared. Moreover, more than one million Saudis from both genders are seeking employment.
In a presentation that was held at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Talal Mirza, president of the chamber, requested the Ministry of Labor to hire Saudi job seekers and beneficiaries of the Hafez program, in the private sector. Mirza stipulated that if these job seekers are to be hired, the relevant entities should help pay their salaries for six months, to allow the private sector enterprises time to evaluate their performance, before signing a work contract with them.
Mirza said the Makkah Employment Forum, which is scheduled to be held next year with the cooperation of HRDF, plans to provide and search for job opportunities for Saudis. He pointed out that the private sector is fully supportive of Saudization, but without damages to the sector.
He also said the problem of Saudis deserting their jobs is an important issue that needs addressing. One of the ways of tackling this problem, Mirza suggested, is either through working out a joining contract, or establishing a blacklist that prevents job dropouts from getting any other job and denying them government support.
“The Fund in Makkah will not achieve success alone, or in isolation from the Chamber of Commerce. All parties should cooperate with the Fund,” said Hisham Linjawi, director of the Makkah Branch of the HRDF.
According to the aforementioned presentation, more than six million expats are working in the private sector at the moment. It indicated that the private sector losses exceed SR 5.5 billion due to unemployment.