A local recruitment and events company will hold an exhibition in Yanbu to boost nationalization initiatives on March 13.

“The aim of the exhibition is to boost ‘tawteen’ (nationalization) by having as many Saudis as possible employed by the companies that will participate in the event,” said Amal Al-Othman, co-owner of Prolinks. The other owner, Al-Anoud Abu Najd, is the CEO of the recruitment firm.

Unemployed Saudis and fresh graduates, both male and female, are urged to attend the exhibition.

Saudi unemployment rates decreased to 5.6 percent in the third quarter of 2013 from 5.7 percent in the second quarter.

The Saudi unemployment rate averaged 5.4 percent between 1999 and 2013, reaching a record low of 4.4 percent in December 1999 and an all-time high of 6.3 percent in December 2006.

Al-Othman said that participants in the show will come from the Yanbu industrial area, where there are around 100 companies.

Other participants will come from adjoining areas.

She said that Prolinks had earlier held an exhibition in Jeddah in June 2013, in which between 80 to 100 companies had participated. It has also held exhibitions in Alkhobar and Riyadh.

“We are trying to cover as many cities and areas in Saudi Arabia as possible to help unemployed Saudi nationals get jobs. We’re looking for college graduates to be employed in local companies that will participate in the exhibition,” she said.

She added that Prolinks also has a program for Saudis who have not finished college. “We have a collaboration with a center, where they will undergo training in various fields,” she said.

She added that trainees will receive a certificate of attendance after completing two years of training, which will help them get jobs in the companies that will have participated in the exhibition.

Global Environmental Management Service (GEMS) is the main sponsor of the exhibition.

Three other companies are also sponsoring the event.