A Saudi woman entrepreneur tends to her own bakeshop. JEDDAH: Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), an initiative of ALJ Community Initiatives, with support from Human Resources Development Fund, Credit Bank and Saving Bank, and labor offices, created 3,678 job opportunities in November, BRJ said in a statement Wednesday. “Our team is seeking to create excellent job opportunities for the young people of this great country. For this year, we are planning to create 45,000 job opportunities,” Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Al Fihaid, BRJ executive director in the Kingdom, said. BRJ has created 39,718 jobs until the end of November, he noted. “Since inception in 2003 and up to the end of November 2010, the programs have created more than 153,475 job opportunities,” he further said. The Adha Eid vacation in November, in which several public and private organizations closed their doors for at least one week, resulted in limited job opportunities created in the month, BRJ said. The jobs created were not only in private sector, but also through direct employment by companies, after on-the-job-training period ended, interest-free offerings for those who desire to start their own small projects and obtain a job opportunity through the project. Also through interest-free loans for females who work from their homes in projects that generate income which covers their expenditures through the household program. Other jobs were created under the taxi ownership program or the truck ownership program. These job opportunities were created in cooperation with several government bodies, including the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), Saudi Credit and Saving Bank, labor offices and the Charity Fund. The Ghazi Al Qusaibi Program for Training provided employment to 335 beneficiaries. In Jazan, a course titled "Production Worker" was conducted for males, and ended in employment with Al Rashi Trading and Contracting Company. In Al-Khobar, 240 trainees enrolled in the "Production Worker" course, which ended in employment opportunities in Nasir Al Hajri Company. In Madina, a cashier course was conducted for 20 trainees, and ended with employment in Bin Dawood Ltd Co. For females, a course titled "How to start your small project", in addition to a computer and makeup training courses, were held. The Direct Employment Program created 972 job opportunities for young males and females. Companies were satisfied with the human power supplied by BRJ. Candidates are interviewed and took tests to examine their abilities. In addition, part of the created jobs is supported by the HRDF. Director of BRJ Riyadh Ali Al Qahtani said employment areas in the private sector from which young males and females have benefited included assistant administrator, HVAC technicians, salesmen and cashiers. BRJ is continuously seeking to create job opportunities with high income rates of up to SR3,200 per month in the average, he added. The Productive Household Program is based on providing support to females to work from their homes through their productive microfinance projects. The micro loans help females develop their projects and increase their productivity. During November 2010, Maha Al Harbi, director of BRJ Samir branch in Jeddah, said the loans helped in creating job opportunities for females through their house production. The program is based on financing females who work in small productive projects through micro loans up to SR5,000. Last month, 1,985 females throughout the Kingdom have benefited from the program. Examples of microfinance projects include selling perfumes, clothes, makeup products, accessories, foods, art craft such as table covers and paper tissues boxes, birth products and other small house projects. Under Small Projects Finance Program, BRJ supported 354 small projects owned by young males and females throughout the Kingdom. The total number of small projects was 354 throughout the Kingdom.Through interest-free loans, part of it was supported by the Saudi Credit and Saving Bank according to the agreement between the bank and BRJ. Project owners are supported by the HRDF. Mohammed Al Ghamdi, director of BRJ Tabuk, said the finance process starts with an interview with the project owner and examining his/her feasibility study of the project, after which a field visit by a specialist is conducted at the project location. The project is then presented to an assessment committee to make its recommendation. Average finance for this category of projects is SR50,000, payable within four years after the project started. The Taxi Ownership Program successfully created 20 job opportunities in November. Through this program, the beneficiary works as a taxi driver on his car, and pays easy and interest-free monthly installments for three-and-a-half years. During this period, the car is covered with a full insurance. Under the Truck Ownership Program, BRJ specialists inspect the vehicle that the young male wants to work on. The program owns the vehicle and then resells it on easy and interest-free installments to the applicant. During November, 12 young males throughout the Kingdom have benefited from this program. Homod Al Khaldi, BRJ director in the Eastern Province, announced that there is an increasing turnout in the truck ownership program. The program beneficiaries use their vehicles to transport passengers, goods, vegetables and equipment, while others contract with certain companies and individuals on monthly basis to secure a fixed monthly income, from which they pay the installment and pay for their monthly expenses. At the end, the truck will be owned by the beneficiary after payment of the full installments. “This great achievement is due to the help of Allah, the Almighty, and then to the support from the government authorities, in general, and in particular, from the HRDF, Saudi Credit and Saving Bank, labor offices in the Kingdom, and private companies that provide the job opportunities,” Al Fihaid said. “This achievement was also supported by the success of the young job seekers, as well as our team of job creators, which consists of 390 young males and females,” he added. Results are verified by Deloitte Deloitte & Touche on an annual basis, in addition to the efforts of the internal auditors.
