JEDDAH — The Saudi authorities have revealed the details of new regulation to provide subsidies for job seekers, which was approved by the Council of Ministers recently. The new regulation will disburse monthly financial assistance for jobseekers for 15 months on category payments. For the first four months the beneficiary will get SR2,000, the next four months it will be SR1,500, after that the disbursed aid will be SR1,000 for another four months with the beneficiary receiving SR750 in the last three months. The regulation aims to support male and female jobseekers in the age group of 20-40 who face any difficulties in getting a job. The regulation provides the beneficiaries with an integrated support or subsidy system through training and qualifying the beneficiary in addition to monthly financial assistance as stimulation in the serious jobseeking journey. This regulation replaces the regulation of the job search subsidy adopted by the Cabinet nearly 10 years ago and the hardship regulation of the financial provision for difficulty in obtaining work approved seven years ago. The Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) affirmed that the new regulation to provide subsidy for jobseekers would contribute to raising the efficiency of the services being provided by the fund to train and qualify male and female Saudi jobseekers so as to enable them to take up jobs, as well as to enhance their readiness to enter the labor market. According to HADAF, the new regulation aims to support jobseekers and motivate them to enter the labor market, raise the efficiency of services and rehabilitation and training programs provided to them, and maximize their benefits from the services. The regulation also supports the beneficiaries in their job search and enhances their readiness to work. HADAF noted that the regulation would contribute to reducing the beneficiaries' dependence on unauthorized people either to update their data electronically who can access the confidentiality of their data. It will also help those who do not benefit from financial support to have training and employment services provided by the fund.
