MADINA: The authorities are working on a plan to make it obligatory for the private sector to raise the annual employment of Saudis by 5.3 percent. The plan is being devised by official bodies which have been assigned to find the best solution for the unemployment problem. The sources said the plan is meant to reduce unemployment by 26.5 percent, by gradually employing 116,700 female and male jobseekers. The plan also focuses on employing more Saudi women in a sustainable manner and in conformity with Royal Orders on unemployment. There are currently 200,300 idle Saudi women and 248,100 males. Of these totals 60,000 will be absorbed into the military sector. In line with the government policies, the rate of Saudi employment steadily increases, as more and more private companies raise the Saudi ratio in the workplace. On March 18, King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, announced the creation of 60,000 new public-sector jobs, higher salaries for government employees and an allowance for the unemployed. That came on top of pledges made in February, when the King returned home from a three-month medical absence. It would be pertinent to mention here that the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) is in the process of setting up a national organization to monitor employment, under the supervision of the Ministry of Labor and with the participation of a number of government agencies including the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). Hadaf offers Saudi youth, who remain in their jobs for one year, an additional salary and training at one of the local training institutes in the Kingdom. Saudis who remain for two years in a job will be offered two salaries and a training course abroad.
