RiYADH — Overall online hiring in Saudi Arabia increased by 9 percent during the fourth quarter of 2018, the latest Monster Employment Index (MEI) revealed.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Development in Saudi Arabia announced that Saudization efforts will begin to take effect from September 2018. Tasked with driving national employment rates across the Kingdom, the first phase of the nationalization plan focused on key sectors including automotive, garments and appliances. The second stage, in effect from November 2018, covers retail and electronic stores, while the third phase of Saudization is scheduled to be implemented during January 2019.

Commenting on the most recent MEI results, Abhijeet Mukherjee, Chief Executive Officer, Monster.com, APAC & Middle East, said: Saudization, also known as ‘Nitaqat’, is the Kingdom’s ambitious nationalization plan which is designed to drive national employment across the country. It is part of the larger Vision 2030 and promises Saudi nationals sustainable and stable careers in the job market. This may explain the overall increase in online hiring that is happening across the Kingdom. In early January, it was announced that over 35,000 jobs are now available to Saudi nationals which is indicative of the ambition to drive national recruitment in the Kingdom. In fact, recent reports have shown that almost half a million Saudi women have entered the workforce as a result of the nationalization drive. We are witnessing the positive effects of ‘Nitaqat’ on the population and it will be interesting to see how the plan will progress over the next few years.”

In late 2018, the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) of Saudi Arabia announced that it will be transforming 22 of its branches across the Kingdom to function as employment centers to support Saudi jobseekers.

The initiative is tasked with supporting Saudi Nationals secure opportunities within the private sector and will soon provide specialized orientation services for job seekers.

“The hiring of nationals in the private sector is a top priority for the government to drive national employment. Initiatives like the one started by the Human Resources Development Fund of Saudi Arabia is another step towards reaching the country’s objectives. In fact, the government of Saudi has recently announced that it will contribute to the salaries of nationals employed in the private sector as part of its wider effort to boost the participation of nationals in the job market,” concluded Mukherjee.

According to the latest MEI, industries in KSA which reported increases include Oil and Gas, Production (including Manufacturing and Automotive) and Consumer Goods (including FMCG, Food, Home Appliance, Garments, Textiles, Leather, and Jewelry) which benefited from 19, 16 and 15 percent increases respectively from the same period last year. Advertising (including Market Research, Public Relations, Media and Entertainment); and Banking and Financial Services (including Insurance) followed closely at 12 percent. — SG