• Saudi job opportunities created by the initiative during the first half of 2015 increased by 19% compared to the same period in 2014

Bab Rizq Jameel, a job creation program under Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (Community Jameel), helped generate 44,793* job opportunities (*unaudited) in Saudi Arabia during the first half of 2015 – a 19 per cent increase, accounting for 7,235 additional job opportunities, compared to the same period in 2014.

Commenting on the results, Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, President of Community Jameel, and Chief Job Creation Officer of Bab Rizq Jameel: “We are very pleased with the strong performance of the Bab Rizq Jameel programs, which once again have achieved record results, with significant contributions to empowering local youth and reducing unemployment in Saudi Arabia. This has all been made possible by the unwavering support of the government and its visionary leadership which has prioritized Saudization on the national agenda and facilitated public-private-partnerships to enable the successful delivery of our programs. As such, we also extend our gratitude to the private sector companies which have supported our initiatives by helping to provide job opportunities and, of course, the young men and women who have joined the workforce to contribute to the development and economy of our nation. The success of Bab Rizq Jameel is simply a reflection of those individuals’ ambitions, dedication and determination.”

The largest share of jobs created came from the Bab Rizq Jameel’s ‘Direct Employment’ program, which aims to match the skills and qualifications of both male and female job seekers with suitable vacancies. The program has successfully achieved 21,601 hires – an increase of more than 48 per cent compared to the previous year. The program is supported by the Saudi Ministry of Labour and its ongoing drive to strengthen Saudization in the private sector.

The ‘Productive Families’ program provided 12,449 job opportunities, accounting for 27 per cent of the total jobs provided. The ‘Small Business Finance’ program for men and women provided 1,077 job opportunities representing 2.4 per cent of the total number of job opportunities achieved, while the ‘Training Resulting in Employment’ program provided 825 job opportunities accounting for 1.84 per cent of the total. The ‘Taxi and Truck Ownership’ programs provided 298 and 104 opportunities, respectively.

Abdul Rahman Bin Abdel Aziz Al Fehaid, Executive Director of Bab Rizq Jameel in Saudi Arabia, said that the results were an achievement of particular significance. He explained that they are a demonstration of the concerted effort that is being put in by the 500 member Bab Rizq Jameel team responsible for researching and innovating job opportunities for Saudi youth seeking employment. He spoke highly of the collaboration between Bab Rizq Jameel and the government and public sector dedicated towards providing job opportunities across sectors and industries.

“The total amount of interest-free business start-up loans provided by Bab Rizq Jameel, and the value of the jobs it helped provide since establishment in 2003, now amounts to approximately US$ 480m; whereas the operating budget amounted to approximately US$ 267m,” Al Fehaid concluded.

Rola Basamad, Senior General Manager of Bab Rizq Jameel – Female Recruitment, stated that female recruitment has achieved a record number in the first half of 2015, particularly in the ‘Working Remotely’ program. The program created 6,526 job opportunities for females in the half of 2015, representing an increase of more than 14% compared to the same period last year. It is designed specifically to provide work for women in Saudi Arabia without the requirement to attend the workplace, meeting the needs of a family environment and opening up new fields of employment; thus creating more job opportunities to satisfy demand. The ‘Working Remotely’ program offers several positions, such as telesales, marketing, telemarketing, call centre work and customer service, amongst others.

The ‘Stadium Job Opportunity’ program, which was launched at the beginning of 2014, has also seen strong results, creating over 1,913 temporary jobs for young people during the Saudi League football season. Abdul Latif Jameel is the title sponsor of the Saudi professional football league.

In addition to these official programs, Bab Rizq Jameel’s vocational training for females at the Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts in Jeddah, and its ‘Working from Home’ program was attended by 1,283 students in the first half of 2015. The Academy was established in 2006 as a training center under the ‘Training Resulting in Employment’ program. It provides diverse art and crafts courses for job seekers, responding to market demand. The courses offer training in tailoring, fashion design, cooking, photography and carpet production, as well as preparing students for administrative office work.

In 2014, Bab Rizq Jameel generated more than 78,000 job opportunities through its 26 branches across Saudi Arabia. These results were independently audited by the Deloitte & Touche Bakr Abulkhair & Company, based on procedures agreed with Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives.