The Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) recruited 251,000 Saudis to work in the private sector this year, up 25 percent compared to 2014.
“The number brings to 772,283 Saudis recruited by the HRDF. Of the total number, males accounted for 64 percent,” said Ibrahim Al-Miqil, HRDF director general.
He said the number of recruited Saudi nationals to work in the private sector this year is the largest since 2011.
He attributed HRDF’s recruitment success to a host of reasons like cooperation of firms in the private sector by responding to job placement requests.
He said that legislation, policies and programs of the Ministry of Labor and the HRDF have also helped in the recruitment.
“These factors have contributed to the desired correction of the labor market so that more Saudis could be absorbed by companies in the private sector,” he said.
He said the HRDF has expanded its e-services and increased the number of branches to 120 in the different regions of the Kingdom.
“The HRDF’s employment program is also backed with training of new recruits so that they become efficient and competent workers,” Al-Miqil said.
He said the HRDF has different programs for both Saudi males and females. One of these, he said, is the program for teachers in private schools.
Under the program, some 23,440 Saudis will be employed, which is 9 percent of the total number of recruits since 2011. The HRDF also has a program to help companies in the private sector pay the salaries of their Saudi employees, he said.
“This HRDF program supports the employment of 9,690 Saudi employees,” Al-Miqil added.