JEDDAH — The Ministry of Labor and Social Development will start implementing Saudization in five key sectors from Jan. 7 (Jamad Al-Awwal 1).

According to the ministry’s directives, jobs in building and construction material shops, medical appliances and equipment shops, car spare parts shops, shops selling carpets and confectionary shops and patisseries, will be nationalized in the third phase of Saudization of 12 major sectors.

Inspectors, both male and female, from the ministry will start raids on these shops and punitive measures will be taken against the violators.

In the first phase, the ministry started implementing 70 percent Saudization in car and motorbike showrooms, shops selling readymade garments for men and children, home and office furniture shops, and shops selling kitchenware effective from Sept. 11 (Muharram 1).

The second phase of Saudization started from Nov. 9 (Rabi Al-Awwal 1), which covered electrical and electronics shops, watch shops and optical stores.

Meanwhile, the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) has transformed its branches across the Kingdom into employment centers to support Saudi jobseekers.

Khaled Abalkhail, spokesman of the fund, said that as many as 22 branches of HADAF in various cities and regions of the Kingdom have been transformed into specialized centers to support job seekers take up jobs in the private sector. — SPA