Traders want feminization of abaya shops delayed

The garments and ready-made clothes committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has called on the Ministry of Labor to delay the compulsory employment of women at abaya shops until the beginning of Dhul Qa’da (Sept. 7).
The decision is to come into effect at the end of Shabaan (July 29).
According to local media, the committee head Mohammed Al-Shihri argued that a delay would give shop owners time to find suitable Saudi women workers for these jobs. Owners would have the relative quiet of the school vacation and Ramadan to identify and train women workers. Al-Shihri said the committee supports the Saudization efforts of the Ministry of Labor, including providing jobs for Saudi women in lingerie and women accessory shops.
He said businesspeople will likely face huge losses this summer if they fail to find Saudi women workers by the July 29 deadline.
Last month, a senior city official in Jeddah called on the government to provide 50 women inspectors to help monitor 3,000 licensed women’s shops in the city. Arwa Al-Aama, vice mayor at Jeddah Municipality’s information technology department for women affairs, said the current 19 inspectors are not enough to check whether these shops are complying with the law.
There were previously only 1,400 shops employing and catering to women. However, with only women now employed at lingerie and accessory shops, this number has doubled to 3,000 shops.
She said more inspectors will be needed every year because women are increasingly entering the workplace.