RIYADH – The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has signed a memorandum of understanding with six government agencies to provide 32,500 jobs to young Saudis in the agricultural sector. Other signatories to the MoU are the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), Council of Cooperative Societies, Council of Saudi Chambers, Saudi Aquaculture Society, and National Water Company (NWC). The jobs thus created will increase the contribution of national manpower in the labor market, in line with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and in support of the targets of the National Transformation Program. The MoU was signed in the presence of Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Development Dr. Abdullah Abu Thinain, Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour Al-Mushayti and several officials representing other agencies. The MoU aims to enhance the joint work between the authorities concerned, stimulate the private sector to hire local manpower by launching initiatives for Saudization of appropriate agricultural occupations in the companies, to provide support and employment programs so as to provide jobs to Saudi youth in the agricultural sector. The MoU mainly aims to Saudize 6,000 jobs in a number of suitable occupations and activities in the agricultural sector; and 6,500 jobs in the firms that have signed contracts with the water sector. Of these, 2,500 jobs are in the maintenance and operation firms, and 4,000 in the consultancy companies. The MoU also aims to include appropriate agricultural activities and occupations in sustainable rural development program and the program for redirecting agricultural subsidies within the activities of the self-employment project. It intends to Saudize 20,000 occupations in privately owned firms. Commenting on the development, Abu Thinain said: "The Ministry of Labor of and Social Development in joint cooperation with these agencies reaffirms its serious endeavor to broaden efforts to Saudize several jobs in all sectors." He stressed that the ministry would follow up, monitor and analyze the Saudization progress periodically so as to achieve the required results.
