PARIS: A multinational power company has hired 10 Saudi female engineers to work at its factories in the Kingdom, with plans to open another plant providing jobs for 50 more.

This is according to Ziyad Mortaja, executive president for Schneider Electric in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, who said in a press statement at a recent energy summit in Paris that the future for the Saudi economy was bright.

Mortaja said the new factory would be set up in Riyadh, an addition to four existing ones in the capital city and the Eastern Province. The jobs for women would include production line supervisors and supervising engineers, with training provided by the company.

He said his company was committed to employing men and women citizens, with Saudization at 60 percent out of more than 1,500 employees, a local publication reported Friday.

Mortaja said the company was working with the government to use alternative sources of fuel, considering the increased demand resulting from population growth and urban expansion.

He said there were already agreements in place with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and Saudi Aramco. There has been a good start in terms of the development of smart buildings, which use much less electricity than traditional structures.

Meanwhile, Executive President of Schneider Electric Jan Paul said that 20,000 engineers are being used by the company for innovative new developments, with 5,000 involved in smart applications.