An employment company and a software firm have developed a novel program which allows Saudi women to earn a living from their computers at home. Four Saudi women were employed as call center operators from their homes for SR4,000 a month recently, said Khaled Al-Khudair, founder of glowork.net a jobs site for women in the Kingdom. The program aims to create 30,000 jobs in three years. Al-Khudair told Al-Watan Arabic daily that some private-sector companies want to employ more women who work from their homes. “Jobs involving call centers and e-marketing do not require women to come to the workplace. This can be done from home by linking their computers to the main network.” “This is good for women and companies because it saves companies a lot of money. The new system adopts international standards and has so far been successful because of the high demand for women who work from home.” Al-Khudair said some companies welcome applications from women who are 35 years of age and older. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor, through its Hafiz Program, is planning to launch three new initiatives to ensure jobs for 400,000 Saudi women. The jobs involve distance, part time and work-from-home, in cooperation with some government agencies. Dr. Fahd Al-Tekhaifi, Assistant Undersecretary for Development at the Ministry of Labor, said distance work is a new initiative of the ministries of Labor and Social Affairs, as ordered by a Royal Decree. Part time jobs will be at shops selling women's accessories, he added. “The Ministry of Labor will design effective and practical plans to carry out these initiatives and create jobs for women. This will allow them to participate in the country's development without compromising cultural [norms].”
