RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's private sector has hired a total of about 294,000 Saudis during the first 9 months of this year, thanks to the support of the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF). A total of 1.7 million Saudi citizens have so far benefited from the HADAF's programs and products. This was revealed by HADAF Director General Fund Turki Al-Jawini on Thursday. He said that the total amounts spent by HADAF on training, orientation and empowerment support programs during the same period amounted to SR5.48 billion ($1.5 billion). Al-Jawini said that the number of establishments that have benefited from services and products since the beginning of this year until the end of the third quarter reached about 139,000 in all regions of the Kingdom. Al-Jawini stressed that HADAF is keen on keeping pace with the development boom being witnessed by the Kingdom in all fields. The Fund also works continuously to develop and enhance the skills of young Saudi men and women as well as to raise their level of participation in the labor market, and encourage the private sector to contribute to localization. This is in addition to strengthening partnership with relevant parties in training, employing and empowering national cadres, and increasing their competitiveness and sustainability in the labor market. Al-Jawini said that HADAF's new strategy has contributed to enhancing the benefit of individuals and establishments from its programs and services. He stressed HADAF's continued efforts to keep pace with labor market changes, meet its requirements, and take into account the needs and priorities related to the sectors, in addition to working to develop training support, empowerment and guidance programs directed at national cadres, which contributes to achieving the goals of "Vision 2030" in developing human capabilities and the labor market strategy
