Ashwaq Al-Tuwairqi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — The head of the women dressmakers committee in Makkah has claimed that many of her colleagues are on the verge of bankruptcy mainly because of an acute shortage of labor.



Haifaa Abu Nar said many businesswomen who have invested in this sector are facing several problems, which include the unavailability of trained Saudi women and their inability to obtain enough recruitment visas.



Abu Nar said she has learned from her father that dedication is the key to become successful in any profession.



She said such dedication has made her a successful businesswomen in this sector. She had attended many training courses and obtained diplomas in dressmaking.



Abu Nar established her shop 10 years ago in a 250 sq. meter area, which has since expanded into 450 sq. meters.



Hers was the first such shop in Makkah run by a businesswoman and she is the first woman to head the women dressmakers committee in Makkah. Currently, she is seeking a ISO certification for her shop.



Abu Nar's duties as the head of the women dressmakers committee are to communicate with officials regarding the problems and requests of shopowners.



In addition, she notifies shops of any new regulations and monitors compliance by shops with these regulations. She also offers her experience in mediating possible disputes between shopowners.



Abu Nar said a lack of qualified and trained Saudi women to work in these shops is the most important hurdle faced by shopowners.



Recruitment visas are limited in number and Abu Nar believes there should be dedicated training institutes to prepare Saudi women to work in this profession.



She said she had asked Minister of Labor Adel Fakieh to increase the number of work visas granted to these shops and to allow expatriates to work in such shops. These requests are now under the ministry's review.



Abu Nar said women are reluctant to work in dressmaking shops, as most of them prefer administrative jobs and others like to stick to jobs in the education sector.



In addition, some women do not like to work night shifts, on weekends or during holidays.



Abu Nar pointed out that the minimum salary in these shops is SR3,000 a month, which some women regard as very low.



She called for the establishment of specialized plants to produce ready-to-wear dresses. She believes such a step will encourage more women to enter this profession and will minimize the imports of ready-made dresses.



Abu Nar asked the Makkah Municipality to designate a permanent location for the women dressmakers committee to hold meetings with businesswomen and discuss their problems as well as the course of action to resolve pressing issues.