Many Saudi females are spending their government unemployment grants, known as the Hafiz program, on make-up, dresses, perfumes and computers, reported Al-Watan on Friday, after touring local malls. Khloud Al-Dawsari, a Hafiz beneficiary, said she had already started spending part of the SR2,000 aid. “On the first day, I bought a SR800 makeup set and a SR700 cell phone. I'll use the remaining amount as pocket money.” Fatimah Al-Awfi, another Hafiz beneficiary, said: “I've always dreamed of having an iPad. When I get next month's aid, I'll buy a netbook.”Al-Awfi said she needs the computer to browse the Internet.Seham Mansour, 25, bought a SR1,100 dress and the remaining amount was spent on perfumes. She said the Hafiz aid helps young women become independent. “The SR2,000 can help you pay off bills and buy makeup, perfumes, cell phones and new dresses.” She called on the Ministry of Labor to help young women find jobs. Hayfa Al-Ghamdi, another beneficiary, spent the money differently; she and her mother bought kitchen appliances. Talat Hafiz, secretary-general of the committee on banking awareness and media for Saudi banks, said: “We expect the beneficiaries to use this aid properly. Saudi society is not aware of the importance of savings. This will have a negative effect on Hafiz beneficiaries.” Spending Hafiz aid on accessories is a bad economic habit and does not benefit beneficiaries. They should be spending the aid on training courses to develop their skills and increase their chances of finding a job, he added. Over a billion riyals has been disbursed to beneficiaries, he pointed out. If beneficiaries spend the aid on unnecessary goods, they might cause an increase in prices of the goods they buy, he said.
