By Abeer Al-Fahd

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) will soon offer about 80,000 job opportunities for women, according to Fatin Al-Sari, director of the ministry’s program for women employment.

She said the jobs will be provided during the third phase of feminizing and nationalizing women’s accessory shops next month.

She recalled that the feminization of the women lingerie shops was successful and said that Saudi women are working diligently, seriously and competently.

Sari said the ministry is planning to increase the participation of Saudi women in the labor market in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

“Job opportunities for women are open in all sectors as long as there are conducive and suitable work environment,” she said.

The director explained that the third phase of feminizing women accessory shops will also include shops selling perfumes, shoes, bags, stockings and mother care stuff.

“This phase will also include pharmacies in malls and shopping centers selling cosmetics,” she added.

The number of working women has dramatically increased in Saudi Arabia during the last four years, a new report has revealed.

According to a report released by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development in March, the country›s private sector registered a 130 percent increase in the number of working Saudi women during the last four years

Thirty percent of the total Saudi workforce in the private sector is now represented by women.

According to the report, Riyadh has the highest employment opportunities followed by Makkah. The government has expressed its willingness to increase the percentage of women in the Saudi total workforce to 28 percent by 2020.

The government also reported more than 11 million foreign workers in Saudi Arabia’s private sector.

Additionally, efforts to boost employment among women and graduates are still ongoing. Several projects have been initiated to tackle the challenge of transportation that women face while commuting to work. There are projects that offer women the option to work from home, which is likely to generate over 140,000 jobs by 2020.