Many women here are creating and launching their own range of perfumes from their homes with small grants from the government.

The grants for small start-ups run by unemployed women range from SR8,000 to SR30,000, according to a report in a local newspaper.

Um Ali said she heard about the program from a neighbor. She decided to take a short training course and then successfully applied for a SR15,000 grant.

She now has many customers buying perfumes at her house. She said women prefer buying traditional perfumes and incense because they are produced from concentrated aromatic plants.

Aesha Owadah, another beneficiary, said the grant is helping her make an honest living. “I started mixing perfumes and made incense at home. I also produce traditional clothes and small tents,” she said.

Deputy Director for Social Security in Jazan, Sami Hamli, said the program has 300 beneficiaries. These include women running dressmaking and hairdressing businesses.

Hamli said beneficiaries must have special medical certificates, a license to open a store and a lease.