Saudi Gazette report

MAKKAH — The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) said that the total number of work contracts documented through the flexible-work platform (mrn.sa) has reached 358,440.

The online platform documents flexible-work contracts between employees and employers. The platform offers hourly-based employment and does not require employers to pay end-of-service benefits.

The ministry said in a statement that the most employed professions under the flexible-work contracts were identified as general salesman, groceries seller, technical services consultant, food service supervisor, and administrative assistant.

The activities that benefited very much from the flexible-work system included general construction of buildings, logistics services, engineering consulting activities, retail and wholesale, building maintenance services, operation of canteens and cafeterias, exchange centers, design and programming.

The ministry noted that the flexible-work program is in line with the requirements of the labor market, and it aims to enable employers to manage and activate human resources in a more efficient and flexible manner. It pointed out that the most benefiting activities include the sectors of trade, retail sale, hospitality, restaurants and cafes.

All age groups of Saudis stipulated in the Saudi Labor Law can benefit from the program, particularly male and female secondary school students, working mothers, or employees, who want to work on an hourly basis and improve their income, in addition to all private sector companies. Under the system, an employee’s working hours with a single employer should be less than half the total working hours at the firm.

The flexible-work program aims to create new types of jobs for Saudis seeking employment, and increase their chances of getting flexible jobs to help them integrate into the job market and enhance their skills and expertise to enable them to later become full-time employees.

The ministry said that the flexible-work program would contribute to boosting the national economy at the level of enterprises and individuals to achieve the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by increasing the number of local cadres integrated into the job market.

According to the ministry, the flexible-work system aims to support Saudization, provide job opportunities for the sons and daughters of the country, reduce unemployment rates, and create more job opportunities for male and female citizens with fewer working hours and greater flexibility, in addition to its contribution to meeting the urgent and seasonal private sector needs of Saudi workers.

It also aims to reduce the percentage of illegal expatriate workers used by the shadow economy, while raising the participation rate of citizens in conjunction with reducing the unemployment rate.