The Ministry of Social Affairs will provide financial support for the Saudization of the Kingdom's telecommunications sector, according to the Minister of Social Affairs. Minister Majed Al-Qasabi said the ministry would work as a team with other ministries and government agencies to promote the employment of Saudi citizens in the sector. The Saudi Credit and Savings Bank announced recently that it would finance projects by young male and female Saudi entrepreneurs in the telecommunications sector up to the value of SR200,000. Al-Qasabi said driving Saudi employment in the sector was part of a comprehensive strategy to employ Saudi youth and increase their participation in occupations and businesses that are in high demand. The minister said the decision to restrict work in the sale and maintenance of mobile telephones and their accessories to Saudi men and women would be an important step toward Saudization of other sectors. The Ministry of Labor announced in March that it will ban foreign workers from selling and maintaining mobile phones and accessories for them. Stores selling mobile communications devices will have to ensure that at least 50 percent of staff doing such work are Saudi citizens in three months' time, the ministry said. Six months from March, the required ratio will rise to 100 percent. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that violators of recent ministerial decision to Saudize mobile phone and its accessory shops as well as its maintenance outlets will face severe punishment. The violators will be imprisoned for up to two years, non-Saudis will be deported, employer will be fined up to SR1 million, he will be shamed in the press, his commercial record will be canceled, and he will be prevented from investing in the telecommunication sector for up to five years. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that from July 2 — the deadline to Saudize the telecom sector — it will inspect commercial establishments to catch any violators. It is anticipated that 60% of mobile phone, its accessory and maintenance shops are cover-up businesses in which a Saudi provides a floor for expatriates to invest. In this context the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation noted that its mobile sales and repairing training is helping over 33,000 Saudis of both genders. Fahad Al-Otaibi, spokesman of the TVTC, noted that the training for mobile repairing is the most in demand followed by sales and customer service. This sector is expected to provide job opportunities to 20,000 Saudis. The training is open to unemployed Saudis above 18 years of age.
