JEDDAH – Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), an initiative of ALJ Community Initiatives (ALJCI), successfully created 58,478 job opportunities during 2012, with support from the Ministry of Labor represented in the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), and the Ministry of Social Affairs represented in the Social Charity Fund, and in cooperation with the Saudi Credit and Saving Bank, National Commercial Bank (NCB) and other governmental authorities. Job opportunities were created throughout the Kingdom through diversified BRJ's job creation programs. Undoubtedly, jobs created during 2012 was a record number that has never been reached since BRJ inception in 2003. The total number of job opportunities created during a period of 10 years, since the launch of BRJ in 2002, has jumped to 266,587. BRJ is planning to create 65,000 job opportunities during 2013. Abdulrahman Al Fihaid, Executive Director of BRJ Saudi Arabia, said BRJ has achieved record results during 2012 in its endeavors to provide job opportunities for young males and females. He said BRJ created 28,495 job opportunities through its productive household program during 2012, a figure that represents 49 percent of total job opportunities created during this year. Norah Al Dosary, BRJ's female division director at Riyadh branch, said the productive household program is one of the most BRJ's job creation programs, and is based on the microfinance concept to provide interest-free loans starting from SR 3,000 to a group of 3 – 5 females. The program empowers group members to start their own micro projects, such as accessories, wedding accessories, gift-wrapping, embroidery, perfumes and perfume mixtures, makeup and other practical fields that could be practiced from home. By the end of 2012, the loan collection ratio has reached 98 percent. Ahmed Muqalam, BRJ General Director at Madina, Hail, Al Ghazala and Tabuk and Al Jouf areas, said the small projects finance program has created 4,726 job opportunities during 2012 through supporting 4,726 projects. The program financed 1,316 small projects for males and 3,410 for females. The program provides young males and females, who have creative ideas but lacking financial resources, with interest-free loans up to SR 200,000 to implement their new or existing projects. Muqalam added that BRJ branches in the Northern region have created 1,793 small projects during 2012, followed by the Western region (1,357), Southern region (773), Eastern region (548), and Central region (255 small projects). During 2011, the direct employment program created 24,214 jobs throughout the Kingdom, of which 13,530 for males and 10,674 for females, Tariq Al Magfouri, BRJ General Director at Assir, Jazan, Najran, Baha and Al Qunfudha areas stated. This program matches between job seekers and jobs available at private sector companies, and introduces companies to qualified male and females job seekers through BRJ database. BRJ creates direct jobs with these companies. Most jobs created were production workers, salespersons, security guards and female sales representatives. Companies cooperated with BRJ during 2012 were Al Hukair, Tadharis Najd Security Services, SAS International, Avon, Al Hajri and Al Rajhi Contracting. The available job opportunities are approved after obtaining an official statement from the employers. According to Al Maghfouri, BRJ in the Western region came first by creating 7,309 jobs, including 3,384 for males and 3,925 for females, followed by the Central region with 6,382 jobs, including 4,131 for males and 2,131 for females, Northern region with 5,189 jobs, including 3,378 for males and 1,811 for females, Eastern region with 1,156 jobs, including 1,254 for males and 1,902 for females, and the Southern region with 2,178 jobs, including 1,263 for males and 915 for females. Rola Basamed, Female Employment Center at BRJ, said the center has created so far 10,684 job opportunities for several cooperating companies. More females are approaching BRJ everyday for employment interviews, after which they are nominated for employment based on the job descriptions provided by companies. Yousuf Jastiniya, General Director of BRJ in Riyadh area, said the training ending with employment program participated in creating a limited number of job opportunities for young males and females. The program provided on-the-job training opportunities. In this program, young males and females receive training to sharpen their skills in areas required by labor market. All training courses organized through this program end with job opportunities with the private sector. Training courses conducted during 2012 included mechanical, electrical and welding engineering. Companies cooperated with the program included Al Hajri in the Eastern province and Al Taif Center. Ahmed Al Zahrani, BRJ director in the Eastern Region, said BRJ has created BRJ created 563 job opportunities during this year through the taxi ownership programs. In this program, young Saudi males own their vehicles after payment of the easy installments, and work on it as taxi drivers. In addition, 441 young males benefited from the truck ownership program during the same year, through which young Saudi males own their trucks to work on transporting goods, vegetables equipment and passengers. As part of BRJ activities and programs, Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts provided training for 752 female trainees during 2012 in different fields. Jawaher Al Zahrani, General Director of Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts, said the academy organized diversified training courses, based on the nature of labor market. The academy organized courses in the fields of tailoring, fashion design, cooking, photography, carpet production and secretarial works. In addition, jobs have been created for 205 females through the ‘work from home' program, which is supervised by Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts. Through this program, beneficiaries produced approximately 89,922 prayer rugs sold to Toyota and Lexus. Al Fihaid said that the nature of job opportunities differ than that of monthly-paid jobs. A job opportunity could be a long-term job, a fixed compensation job, a part-time work, a business such as a small project, a self employment job such as a taxi owner, a salesman with commission or any other available job opportunity that could generate a reasonable income for the beneficiary. ”Through BRJ, we are seeking to create job opportunities for Saudis in cooperation with several Governmental bodies, such as the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), Saudi Credit and Saving Bank, Ministry of Labor's offices, Social Charity Fund, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and other public organizations that support our programs. We are also seeking to develop our mechanisms and procedures to be more flexible and contribute in creating maximum number of job opportunities,” Al Fihaid added. — SG
