RIYADH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced that the second phase of the Saudization of consulting services professions has come into force on Monday, March 25. The second phase covers 40 percent of professions related to consulting services, notably financial consulting, engineering and architectural consulting, health consulting, and senior management consulting. This move is part of the ministry's efforts aimed at providing more stimulating and productive job opportunities for male and female citizens in various regions of Saudi Arabia. The ministry revealed that major professions that come under Saudization of consulting services in the second phase include financial consulting specialist, business consulting specialist, cyber security consulting specialist, manager of project management, as well as project management engineer, and project management specialist. The ministry said that it will work to follow up and implement the second phase of Saudization of these professions so as to raise the level of participation of Saudis in the labor market, and that is in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, Expenditure and Project Efficiency Authority (EXPRO), and the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) in a manner consistent with the requirements of the sector and the labor market. The ministry, in partnership with other ministries and supervisory authorities, embarked on the Saudization journey with the aim of providing more stimulating and productive job opportunities for Saudis and raising the level of their participation in the labor market. This is in continuation of the ministry's efforts aimed at creating more jobs for young Saudi men and women in addition to providing them with a stimulating, productive, and stable work environment in various regions of the Kingdom. It also aims to raise the level of their participation in the labor market, and enhance their contribution to the economic system. The ministry confirmed that it will provide a package of incentives to encourage the private sector establishments and help them employ Saudis. These include supporting the process of attracting and searching for suitable workers, supporting training and qualification as well as the recruitment process and career continuity, in addition to the priority of benefiting from all nationalization support programs available in the system, and support programs being implemented through the HADAF. The ministry issued a guide explaining the details of the decisions to localize professions and the mechanism for implementing them. It also stressed the need for establishments to comply with the Saudization regulations so as to avoid the statutory penalties that will be applied against the violators.
