Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi said that more than 59000 seasonal visas for various professions are expected to be issued from a number of countries during the year 2024.

Speaking at the meeting of businessmen at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce headquarters on Monday, the minister stressed the importance of taking advantage of Saudi cadres in seasonal work, and empowering the Saudi youth in professions that contribute significantly to developing their abilities and skills.

He noted that seasonal visas are supportive to facilitate the work of companies in specific seasons such as Hajj and Umrah. “It is necessary to enable them to perform only the work for which they were recruited, within the specified scope, and to ensure that the holder of the visa is not permitted to perform Hajj,” he said.

Al-Rajhi announced the formation of a working team between his ministry and the Makkah Chamber to discuss challenges and invest in opportunities, specifically those related to the Hajj and Umrah season, and to submit recommendations. During a dialogue session with businessmen Al-Rajhi announced that there has been an increase in the number of Saudis working in the private sector from 1.7 million to 2.3 million. “The women’s participation in the private sector jobs shot up from 17 percent to 35.3 percent, exceeding the Vision 2030 target of 30 percent, and this demonstrates the efficiency of Saudi women in the labor market,” he said while lauding the support of the private sector in promoting development and supporting the labor market strategy.

For his part, Eng. Mustafa Rajab, vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the Makkah Chamber, spoke about the chamber’s achievements in promoting economic work and supporting society. “We set out, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, without restrictions, to play the role of the merchants of Makkah who enjoy the proximity of the Grand Mosque and the qibla of the Muslims. We began adopting the idea of Manafea, which brought together the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, the Makkah Chamber, the Madinah Chamber, the Jeddah Chamber, and the Taif Chamber to be a meeting place for Muslim trade,” he said while noting about realizing the second dream through holding the first edition of the Makkah Halal Forum, which was held earlier this year in Makkah.