The Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) announced that five categories of firms are entitled to get additional support besides availing of 36-month long financial support program while implementing their employment skill enhancement program. The firms will be given additional support when they employ women or people with special need, hire jobless young men and women graduates, hire Saudis to work in small towns and villages where the number of staff at the firm is 50 or less, hire Saudis in small and micro enterprises and hire Saudis in trades that come under guided Saudization. Under the financial support program, HADAF will provide 30% of monthly salary in the first year of support, 20% in the second year and 10% in the third year. The additional support ranges between 5% and 10% of monthly salary of Saudi beneficiaries of the program. Through the program, HADAF seeks to stimulate the private sector's Saudization drive and raise the participation of male and female Saudi employees in the labor market through the creation of productive and stable work environment and enhancing the skills of the Saudi staff. According to the financial support program, 70% of the support will be for employment while the remaining 30% will be for training. The minimum wage entitled for support is SR4,000 while the maximum wage is SR10,000. The program targets mainly two categories in the jobs available in private firms — fresh Saudi jobseekers and new graduates.
