Saudi Gazette Report

JEDDAH — More than 25,000 Saudis found jobs in the contracting and real estate sector in the first quarter of 2019, the Arabic language daily Al-Madina reported on Wednesday quoting statistics from the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.

The ministry on its Twitter page said the salaries earned the Saudis in the sector increased by about 18 percent compared to the first quarter of 2018.

The ministry had signed contracts with the Ministry of Housing, the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), the Council of the Saudi Chambers and the Saudi Authority of Contractors to employ about 80,000 Saudis in the sector, which is dominated by more than 2.5 million expatriates.

According to the ministry, the unemployment rate among Saudis slightly dropped from 12.9 percent in 2018 to 12.7 percent this year.

It said the unemployment rate was expected to decrease to 7 percent by 2030.