Jobs for women top priority

Women in Saudi Arabia have been allocated a package of services to ensure their development and employment, Labor Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani said Tuesday.

The minister was speaking at the first panel discussion at the second National Business Women Forum opened by Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah in Riyadh. The forum was held under the aegis of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to identify challenges facing Saudi businesswomen.
The minister said that affiliated institutions such as the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the General Organization for Social Insurance, and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) continue to provide a package of initiatives and development programs to help businesswomen.
Explaining the electronic services provided to assist young Saudi men and women to find jobs in the public and private sectors, the minister said that separate sections for women have been set up in all regions to boost this process.
He pointed out that his ministry has developed a project for productive families with other agencies, which helps women to invest and work from home. This service has been improved in coordination with the chambers of commerce and industry in Jeddah and Makkah.
With regard to the HRDF, he said it supports training and employment of citizens in various sectors. It also funds field programs and projects to develop local human resources. He urged the public and private sectors to support the government’s Saudization efforts.
Huda Al-Jeraisy, a businesswoman, said that while women have done well in business over the past few years, the government should provide further incentives and support so that they can participate more fully in the national economy.
“Coordination must be improved between licensed entities and supervising authorities to facilitate challenges facing investors. Flexibility and innovation are also key for investors to keep up with regional experiences and achieve integration in the region in terms of providing quality products and services that meet local and regional market requirements.”
Al-Jeraisy said the forum presents a great opportunity for participants to exchange expertise, discuss related issues such as methods to implement five-year plans, and identify promising business opportunities for women in the Kingdom. It was important for the forum to attract policy makers and leading business figures — particularly ones that support investments by women — to keep up to date with domestic, regional and international developments, she said.