Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), an initiative of Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs (ALJCSP), successfully created 3,197 job opportunities during April 2010. Through the direct employment program, BRJ created jobs for 412 young males and females, 294 of them for males and 118 for females. Part of the jobs had been created through support from the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). Jobs provided for young males included fields such as cashiers, security guards and auto mechanics in several companies including Al Hukair, Red Sea Kindergarten, Aqwat Food Company, Al Liwa Al Dhahabi Security Company and Panda Al Azizia. For females, fields included merchandisers, security guards, receptionists and kindergarten teachers in certain companies including Arabian Talents Company and the Saudi Malls Company and certain private schools throughout the Kingdom. In addition, 297 job opportunities have been created through the training ending with employment program in several fields, including accountants and AC Technicians for males, makeup, nursing and cooking for females. Companies contributed in this program were Nasir Saeed Al Hajri and Partners in the Eastern Province, Carrefour in the Northern Province an Al Baik, Donuts House and Rubaiyat in the Western Province. For females, job opportunities have been created after training in several fields, including makeup, nursing, cooking, BRJ said in a statement on Monday. Companies participated in providing training ending with employment include Aqwat Food Company, Modern Girl Center. In addition, Labor directorate throughout the Kingdom supported this program. BRJ financed 464 small projects during April 2010, whether new or existing, provided that projects should create additional job opportunities. The average interest-free loan is SR 50,000. Among the projects financed were selling foodstuffs, selling cooking gas, renting boats for marine cruises, distribution of electronics products, confectionary and pastries businesses, female accessories, weddings business and distribution of mobile phones and computers. Maximum loan could reach SR 200,000 over a 5-year re-payment period. Job opportunities in this program are supported by the HRDF. Based on Grameen Bank's microfinance concept, the ‘productive household' program provided support to 1913 females throughout the Kingdom during April to start their micro project. In this program, beneficiaries receive interest-free loans from SR 1,000 to SR 5,000. In their micro projects, females sell perfumes, incense, clothes, make-up products and accessories. During April, the taxi ownership program provided 20 taxi cars for young Saudi males, who can work as drivers and use their fully equipped taxi cars to transport people, and pay easy installment at the end of which they will own the car. Through the truck ownership program, 91 trucks were provided for young Saudi males, who can work as drivers and use their trucks to transport goods, vegetables, equipment and passengers. In addition, training opportunities have been provided through Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts, a program of BRJ, for 70 female trainees in diversified areas. Also, jobs have been created for 74 females through the ‘work from home' program, which is supervised by Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts. Through this program, approximately 2,000 prayer rugs are produced monthly and sold to Toyota and Lexus. Ibrahim Mohammed Badawood, CEO at ALJCSP said that ALJCSP, since its inception, has successfully created more than 126,313 job opportunities by the end of April 2010. Badawood added that the driving force for this achievement was the support from Governmental organizations, specifically HRDF, the Saudi Credit & Saving Bank and Labor offices throughout the Kingdom, in addition to the more than 400 male and female job creation officers, as well as the successes of the beneficiaries. The plan for this year 2010 is to create 46,000 job opportunities in various regions of the Kingdom, Badawood further said.
